Will my knee replacement set off airport security?
Many commonly used orthopaedic implants may also set off the metal detectors. Over 90% of implanted total hip and knee arthroplasty devices will set off airport metal detectors.
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Inform the TSA officer that you have an artificial knee, hip, other metal implant or a pacemaker, defibrillator or other internal medical device. You should not be screened by a walk-through metal detector if you have an internal medical device such as a pacemaker. Consult with your physician prior to flying.
With a knee replacement, you need to prepare to go through security. After all, your knee can set off the medical detectors. If you're planning on flying, ask your doctor to provide you with a letter that talks about your surgery. It's also possible for airport security to ask to see your surgery scar.
It is normally advised that you wait 6 weeks after having any major lower limb surgery before flying. Patients may be able to fly on short-haul or domestic flights sooner, typically after 3 to 4 weeks, but they should always consult their doctor to ensure there is no increased risk of blood clots.
If you have a hip replacement, knee replacement, a metal plate and screws, a metal rod inside your bone, or one of many other types of orthopedic implants, you may set off the airport metal detector.
The groin area between the abdomen and thigh contains several lymph nodes, blood vessels, and muscles. Airport body scanners often target the groin area because it contains sensitive areas that could be mistaken for weapons or explosives.
Other things that accidentally set off body scanners are body piercings and wire supports in undergarments. External tumors might also trigger the machine, but growths inside—such as fibroids—will not. “Perspiration is probably the weirdest thing that can set off the scanners,” Malvini Redden says.
Inform the TSA officer that you have an artificial knee, hip, other metal implant or a pacemaker, defibrillator or other internal medical device. You should not be screened by a walk-through metal detector if you have an internal medical device such as a pacemaker.
If you have a hip replacement, knee replacement, a metal plate and screws, a metal rod inside your bone, or one of many other types of orthopedic implants, you may set off the airport metal detector.