# Will Titanium set off Airport metal detectors? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 3, 2013, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-titanium-set-off-airport-metal-detectors/654703 "2013-04-03T04:15:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Spud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spud/32/347_2.png) [@Spud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spud)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2013, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-titanium-set-off-airport-metal-detectors/654703/1 "2013-04-03T04:15:43Z")
Regis and Dave Letterman are arguing on if Regis’ Titanium hip will set off the airport security systems. ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2013, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-titanium-set-off-airport-metal-detectors/654703/2 "2013-04-03T04:43:09Z")
Yes. BTW, did you make contact with this guy yet? He’s looking for you. > **[Help ID these guns (and swords)](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=68312)** > > Here is the story… a co-worker of my wife was painting their kitchen… while moving a loose ceiling tile they noticed an opening to the sofet (sp) above the cabinets. In there they found 4 guns and two swords (sabers). They bought the house several... ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2013, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-titanium-set-off-airport-metal-detectors/654703/3 "2013-04-03T05:09:53Z")
It may depend on how much you have. My titanium neck disc replacement certainly does not, but I can imagine a whole hip replacement might. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2013, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-titanium-set-off-airport-metal-detectors/654703/4 "2013-04-03T05:27:18Z")
My (titanium) wheelchair certainly does. As well as the titanium rod in my femur. ---
**Author:** ![the\_diego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@the\_diego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_diego)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2013, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-titanium-set-off-airport-metal-detectors/654703/5 "2013-04-03T06:06:49Z")
As does my titanium-handled pocket knife (it has a steel blade of course.) ---
**Author:** ![Victor\_Charlie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7ea924/32.png) [@Victor\_Charlie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Victor_Charlie)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2013, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-titanium-set-off-airport-metal-detectors/654703/6 "2013-04-03T06:24:44Z")
My titanium bombs set it off every time. Except that once. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2013, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-titanium-set-off-airport-metal-detectors/654703/7 "2013-04-03T06:28:37Z")
My spouse’s leg full of titanium (it replaces his tibia, fibia, and foot bones - sort of like Wolverine but without the superpowers) certainly does. ---
**Author:** ![the\_diego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@the\_diego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_diego)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2013, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-titanium-set-off-airport-metal-detectors/654703/8 "2013-04-03T08:43:55Z")
Hmm… now I know where goes much of the world’s titanium production. ---
**Author:** ![JBDivmstr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b4bc9f/32.png) [@JBDivmstr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JBDivmstr)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2013, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-titanium-set-off-airport-metal-detectors/654703/9 "2013-04-03T11:45:51Z")
I have an 8" x 1-1/2" x 1/16" thick titanium plate w/11 screws in my left forearm/wrist that does **not** set off the metal detectors, at the local county courthouse. Not sure if it will set off the detectors at the airport, though. I plan on taking some airline flights, later this year. I’ll let y’all know, if it does. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2013, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-titanium-set-off-airport-metal-detectors/654703/10 "2013-04-03T12:33:26Z")
My son’s surgeon told him his Harrington rods (titanium rods in the spine) would NOT set off metal detectors. He was right at the time (circa 2004), but many newer detectors apparently \*are \*set to notice titanium. So you just never know. He goes through prepared to be wanded, and explains that he’s got rods in his spine. One agent asked him to raise his shirt and looked at the scars, but everyone else has always just mooed and waved him through the cattle chute. Used to be once upon a time, they set the things so that jewelry and the like wouldn’t set them off. Now the grommets on my jeans will do it. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2013, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-titanium-set-off-airport-metal-detectors/654703/11 "2013-04-03T13:24:20Z")
[QUOTE=Askance] It may depend on how much you have. My titanium neck disc replacement certainly does not, but I can imagine a whole hip replacement might. [/QUOTE] Cool! Another Doper with a man-made spine! I haven’t been to an airport since my c-spine implant went in, (It’s CoCr stainless steel) but have had no problems at the local courthouse. ---
**Author:** ![Rhodes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhodes/32/273_2.png) [@Rhodes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhodes)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2013, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-titanium-set-off-airport-metal-detectors/654703/12 "2013-04-03T13:29:28Z")
My titanium femoral implant wasn’t detected back in 1992. But I imagine they’ve gotten more sensitive since then. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2013, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-titanium-set-off-airport-metal-detectors/654703/13 "2013-04-03T14:31:30Z")
Do doctors issue notes that you can carry with you, documenting that you’ve been bionicized? I seem to recall that a friend with a knee replacement received such a letter. 3ish years ago I had a medical procedure that involved radioactives, and I got a card stating that I’d had such-and-such in case I set off some rad detectors over the next week or two. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2013, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-titanium-set-off-airport-metal-detectors/654703/14 "2013-04-03T15:39:36Z")
I did not get any sort of ID card, but I think there is an optional card I could print about how the device is conditionally MRI-safe up to 3T. As for radioactivity, my husband had a PET scan a few weeks ago, and they give you a “May set off radiation alarms” document for that. ---
**Author:** ![SpeedwayRyan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@SpeedwayRyan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpeedwayRyan)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2013, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-titanium-set-off-airport-metal-detectors/654703/15 "2013-04-03T17:39:58Z")
The titanium screws in my jaw don’t…but they are really tiny. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2013, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-titanium-set-off-airport-metal-detectors/654703/16 "2013-04-03T18:03:12Z")
> [@Mama\_Zappa](#): > > Do doctors issue notes that you can carry with you, documenting that you’ve been bionicized? I seem to recall that a friend with a knee replacement received such a letter. They used to, and perhaps there are some still available, but no, they’re not routinely issued anymore. Anyone with a letter is going to get wanded, and anyone without a letter is going to get wanded, so there was really very little point to it other than causing arguments and killing trees. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2013, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-titanium-set-off-airport-metal-detectors/654703/17 "2013-04-03T18:25:26Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > They used to, and perhaps there are some still available, but no, they’re not routinely issued anymore. Anyone with a letter is going to get wanded, and anyone without a letter is going to get wanded, so there was really very little point to it other than causing arguments and killing trees. Makes sense. Plus with bionic knees etc. you can just pull up your pants leg and show 'em the scars. With radiotracers, that’s a bit tougher to do! ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2013, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-titanium-set-off-airport-metal-detectors/654703/18 "2013-04-03T18:27:51Z")
> [@gotpasswords](#): > > As for radioactivity, my husband had a PET scan a few weeks ago, and they give you a “May set off radiation alarms” document for that. As in [just last month in Chicago](http://reason.com/blog/2013/03/18/covered-at-reason-247-medical-test-sends) when a TSA VIPR team stormed a Chicago El train. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2013, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-titanium-set-off-airport-metal-detectors/654703/19 "2013-04-03T18:45:22Z")
> [@Mama\_Zappa](#): > > Do doctors issue notes that you can carry with you, documenting that you’ve been bionicized? Apparently now they do. However, my spouse’s metal was installed over 30 years ago when they did not. The TSA has told us we should get a card and wanted it issued by the original surgeon. Who has been dead for 20 years. The whole thing became a bit Kafkaesque from that point. We pretty much drive wherever we want to go these days. It’s a lot less hassle. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2013, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-titanium-set-off-airport-metal-detectors/654703/20 "2013-04-03T18:46:53Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > They used to, and perhaps there are some still available, but no, they’re not routinely issued anymore. Anyone with a letter is going to get wanded, and anyone without a letter is going to get wanded, so there was really very little point to it other than causing arguments and killing trees. True. However, if the TSA agent doesn’t believe you when you tell him why you’re setting off the machines a doctor-issued letter may be the difference between making your flight and having to take Greyhound. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-titanium-set-off-airport-metal-detectors/654703.md?page=2)