title: Spinal metallosis: a systematic review.
abstract: To document a rarely reported complication associated with spinal instrumentation and to evaluate the current literature on spinal metallosis and spinal metalloma.
  
  
  
  A local case report is presented. EBSCOhost, PubMed and ScienceDirect databases were used to conduct a systematic review for articles describing spinal metallosis and spinal metalloma.
  
  
  
  A total of 836 articles were identified using the terms "metalloma" or "metallosis". Exclusion of arthroplasty-related abstracts retrieved 46 articles of which 3 full text articles presenting spinal metalloma as a causative pathological finding responsible for neurological signs and symptoms in patients with previous spinal fusion instrumentation were reviewed. Our case is the first described with titanium-composed posterior instrumentation and fifth reported, demonstrating the phenomena of neurological symptoms and signs attributed directly to neural tissue compression by spinal metalloma after spinal instrumentation.
  
  
  
  Spinal metallosis can present weeks to years after spinal instrumentation surgery and is a potential cause of neural compression. This process appears to be independent of the instrument composition as metallosis has now been demonstrated in both titanium and stainless steel constructs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery and Neurosciences, St Vincent's Hospital, Level 10 IPS Building, 59 Victoria Parade, Fitzroy, Melbourne, VIC, 3065, Australia. y.goldey@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Yoni
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Goldenberg
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery and Neurosciences, St Vincent's Hospital, Level 10 IPS Building, 59 Victoria Parade, Fitzroy, Melbourne, VIC, 3065, Australia.
authors.forename: Jin W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Tee
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomical Pathology, St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: Cesar M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Salinas-La Rosa
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery and Neurosciences, St Vincent's Hospital, Level 10 IPS Building, 59 Victoria Parade, Fitzroy, Melbourne, VIC, 3065, Australia.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Murphy
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D013123:Spinal Fusion / Q000295:instrumentation*; D013125:Spinal Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology*; D013193:Stainless Steel / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014025:Titanium / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D013193:Stainless Steel; D014025:Titanium
keywords: Metalloma; Metallosis; Posterior lumbar fusion; Spinal instrumentation; Spinal stenosis