[Investigations of contact tissues of Blount vitallium staples using the instrumental neutron activation analysis (author's transl)].

Instrumental neutron activation analysis with Gamma-spectroscopy is a very sensitive method for testing trace elements. Specimens of contact tissue around 5 Blount's vitallium clamps were, after preparation at the Nuclear Research Institute Jülich irradiated with thermic neutrons and their element-specific gamma spectra were measured after 33 and 125 days. In contact tissue a significant rise in concentration of the alloy-specific elements cobalt and chromium was found. The unspecific elements silver, caesium, iron, rubidium, antimon, scandium and zink were either within or very close to the normal. The metallosis of contact tissue is due to corrosion of the surfaces of cobalt-chromium implants.