Objective: To assess rates of detection of various orthopedic implants by airport detectors with the new security sensitivities.

Materials and Methods: Two hundred sixty-one volunteers with 386 implants were asked to be scanned by a hand-metal detector model Garrett SUPER SCANNER™. The sensitivity was set equivalent to the Suvarnabhumi Airport Transportation Security Administration setting for regular security.

Results: Of the 386 implants in 261 patients who were screened, 231 (60%) were trauma hardware, including intramedullary nails, plates, screws, and Kirschner wires, and 155 (40%) were arthroplasty implants. Three hundred thirty-five (86.78%) of the 386 implants were detected by the metal detector. The overall rate of detection was 99.35% for prosthetic replacements and 98.05% for plates. All the total knee replacements and 95% of the total hip replacements were detected. The Kirschner wires were not detected. The overall detection rate was 92.54% for implants in the lower extremity, 55.73% for those in the upper extremity, and 93.33% for those in the spine. The detection rate for implants in the lower extremity was two times higher than the implants in the upper extremity and equal for implants in the spine.

Conclusion: Most of the orthopedic implants may be detected by hand-metal detector model metal detector used at commercial airports. Total joint prostheses, nails, and plates will routinely set off the detector, whereas screws and wires are rarely detected. Cobalt-chromium and titanium implants are more likely to be detected than stainless-steel implants.

Keywords: Orthopedic Implant, Hand-Held Metal Detector, Security

DOI: doi.org/10.35755/jmedassocthai.2020.09.11921

Received 12 February 2018 | Revised 15 April 2018 | Accepted 16 April 2018