Could The Pain From A Skull Fixation Device Be Due To Galvanic Corrosion?

Q: Dr. Eppley, Can I remove the titanium mesh that is covering part of the skull? I had a craniotomy six years ago and there has been ongoing and increasing pain at the location of the mesh which I believe is an inflammatory reaction due to internal fixation device. From what I am learning this could be due to galvanic corrosion of the metal. This might not be what is happening to me but the pain is specific to the location of the mesh and not internal like a headache.

A: The reason titanium is the sole metal used in craniomaxillofacial fixation for the past 25 years is its corrosion resistance. Titaniun is highly resistant to corrosion as a stable protective oxide layer forms on its surface after implantation which protects the metal from attack from corrosive agents. Thus I doubt your symptoms are from hardware corrosion. I have removed thousands of pieces of titanium hardware from the face and skull over the past 25 years and I have yet to see any evidence of corrosion. More likely the symptoms are due to its occipital location and the surface area of its coverage.

That being said there is only one way to find out if the hardware is the culprit…remove it. It is certainly possible that its removal will not eliminate your symptoms but then the most obvious source of them will be excluded.

Dr. Barry Eppley

World-Renowned Plastic Surgeon