title: Catastrophic metallosis after tumoral knee prosthesis failure: A case report.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Metallosis is a condition characterized by an infiltration of periprosthetic soft tissues and bone by metallic debris resulting from wear or failure of joint arthroplasties.
  
  
  METHODS
  Authors describe a case of a 45-year-old man treated for an osteosarcoma of the distal femur with a modular prosthesis when he was 18 years old, he developed massive metallosis with skin dyspigmentation after 17 years. His medical\surgical history was remarkable for a left tumoral knee prosthesis implanted 21 years ago. Two years before revision, the patient had a car accident with a two-points prosthesis breakage and despite the surgeon's advice, the patient refused surgery. In two years, prosthesis malfunction caused a progressive catastrophic soft tissues infiltration of metallic debris.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Authors suggest that if prosthesis fracture is detected, revision surgery should be attempted as earlier as possible.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, University Hospital "G.Martino", Messina, Italy. Electronic address: lucalaverde1@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: La Verde
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, University Hospital "G.Martino", Messina, Italy. Electronic address: dfenga@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fenga
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, University Hospital "G.Martino", Messina, Italy; University Hospital "Agostino Gemelli", Orthopaedic and Traumatology Department, Roma, Italy. Electronic address: msilviaspinelli@yahoo.it.
authors.forename: Maria Silvia
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Spinelli
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, University Hospital "G.Martino", Messina, Italy. Electronic address: campofrancescorosario@yahoo.it.
authors.forename: Francesco Rosario
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Campo
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, University Hospital "G.Martino", Messina, Italy. Electronic address: michelaflorio86@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Michela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Florio
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, University Hospital "G.Martino", Messina, Italy. Electronic address: mattilio51@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Michele Attilio
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Rosa
keywords: Case report; Complication; Metallosis; Pseudotumor; Tumoral prosthesis