Design Flaws in Defective Stryker Hip Implants Have Led to Injury Claims

The Stryker Howmedica Osteonics Corporation is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of orthopedic devices and other medical devices, including hip replacement implants. Over the past decade, the company has marketed hip implants to which claimants have attributed serious injuries, including the ABG II Modular-Implant Stem and Stryker LFIT Anatomic V40 devices.

Various hip implant devices have caused patients around the world to suffer severe injuries and complications. In most cases involving defective implants, patients must undergo a revision procedure for the implantation of a new hip implant device, exposing them to additional surgical risks. If you or a loved one has suffered injuries after receiving a Stryker hip implant, we recommend contacting am experienced person injury lawyer as soon as possible.

The legal professionals at Arnold & Smith, PLLC have extensive experience representing clients in product liability cases. Contact Arnold & Smith, PLLC today to schedule a free initial consultation.

According to studies, the Rejuvenate hip implant model contains sixteen (16) modular necks and six (6) stands. The product is marketed to active and younger individuals who desire to increase their range of motion through the implantation of a hip replacement implant device.

Stryker designed the ABG II hip implant model with ten (10) modular necks, eight (8) right stems, and eight (8) left stems. While this version was designed to reduce stress on the femur bone, the metal-on-metal design can cause extensive damage.

The Stryker LFIT Anatomic V40 is another hip implant device that patients have targeted as defective. The LFIT model is designed with modular components that lock into the femoral hip stem trunnion during hip implant surgery as part of a total hip replacement system.

Stryker designed products with avoiding metal-on-metal friction in mind. The company created partial metal components using a construction method called a “mono-block.” This design was intended to prevent corrosion of metal parts.

The company manufactured its ABG II and Rejuvenate devices without requiring a traditional ball-and-socket design. Designers build the stem neck and multiple stem devices using separate pieces, allowing surgeons to customize the devices to meet the needs of individual patients.

When metal-on-metal pieces grind against each other when the joint moves, the surface of the hip implant device can become corroded, and metal particles can flake off. Claimants have alleged that these hip implant devices have released highly toxic metal shavings, shards, and particles into the surrounding tissue.

The defective hip implants mentioned above have the potential to cause painful, life-threatening, and significant side effects. The implants designed by Stryker have produced greater-than-expected failure rates and adverse local tissue reactions. The most common types of side effects and complications suffered by patients who have received defective implants include:

• Weakening bones surrounding the affected joint and bone fractures;
• Osteolysis (necrotic dead bone tissue);
• Muscle atrophy caused by immobility of the joint;
• Pseudo-tumors developing around the hip joint;
• Swelling of the hip joint;
• Fatigue;
• Rashes;
• Headaches;
• Life-threatening infections;
• Hip dislocations;
• Limited range of motion or reduced mobility;
• Popping, squeaking, grinding, or clicking sounds from the hip joint;
• A lack of hip stability ;
• Inflammation throughout the body caused by metal particles;
• Toxic metallosis (metal poisoning) caused by a joint movement that releases fragments due to grinding;
• Serious pain in the groin, abdomen, and implant area.

One of the key reasons that the Stryker Corporation recalled its hip implant devices was its fear of potential toxicity exposure. Initial reports from patients suffering symptoms showed high levels of metal toxins, severe allergic reactions, bone and tissue death, tissue inflammation, and metallosis.

Metal hip implants can cause chromium and cobalt particles to enter a person’s bloodstream, causing dangerous effects including blindness, neurological issues, thyroid imbalance, and heart issues. If you are experiencing any of the symptoms, we recommend that you speak to an experienced lawyer and your doctor as soon as possible.

If you have undergone a hip implant revision due to a faulty Stryker hip implant, it is essential that you speak with a lawyer as soon as possible. Contact our Charlotte personal injury law firm to schedule your free initial consultation today.