Do Stryker Hip Systems Cause Metallosis or Metal Poisoning

Claimants and experts in injury cases have alleged that metallosis is one of the dangerous health risks caused by Stryker Hip Systems. Several Stryker hip implants have been recalled after patients complained that they suffered significant adverse complications, including metallosis, or metal poisoning. Claimants have alleged that both the ABG II and the Stryker Rejuvenate hip implant systems have been subject to corrosion, stemming from the metal-on-metal components of the implants. When the joint components rub together, small metal particles enter a patient’s body and cause tissue damage.

If you have suffered injuries including metallosis from a defective Stryker hip implant, you may have a right to receive compensation for your injuries. The sooner you speak to an experienced product liability lawyer, the better. The legal professionals at Arnold & Smith, PLLC have helped many clients throughout the greater Charlotte area obtain compensation for their personal injuries. Contact our Charlotte product liability lawyers today to schedule your free initial consultation.

Metallosis is also referred to as heavy metal toxicity, or metal poisoning. It causes the build-up of metal particles into the soft tissue surrounding a defective hip implant. The metal build-up can cause the area surrounding the hip to become infected and even inflamed. Patients have alleged that metal-on-metal hip implants such as those recalled by Stryker Corporation can cause significant complications, including the following:

• Hip dislocation;
• Necrosis;
• Metal toxicity;
• Failure and loosening of the hip implant;
• Infection;
• Swelling and pain at the site of the hip implant.

These dangerous complications often cause a patient to need a hip implant to be removed and replaced. Surgeons can perform invasive hip revision surgeries, however, even after revision surgery, the metal toxicity dangers remain and can cause severe medical conditions.

Stryker recalled two of their metal-on-metal hip implant devices after claimants alleged that corrosion and fretting of the metal components was causing minute pieces of metal to enter their bodies. Claimants alleged that as the metal parts of the implant rub together, they release tiny particles of metal, including cobalt and chromium, into a patient’s surrounding tissue. These metal particles can cause symptoms of metallosis which can increase in severity as the level of toxicity grows in a patient’s body.

Chromium and cobalt are found in small traces in water, and in many different food sources, however these metals can be toxic when consumed in larger qualities. Claimants have linked chromium and cobalt toxicity to Stryker hip implants. In extreme cases, the poisoning can cause every organ in the body to fail. When a patient is exposed to extreme chromium and cobalt toxicity, the patient can experience the following conditions:

• Death;
• Deafness and blindness;
• Hypothyroidism;
• Neurological disorders;
• Cardiovascular problems, including heart failure and cardiomyopathy;
• Renal failure.

Even after undergoing hip revision surgery to remove a defective Stryker hip implant, tiny metal particles from the hip device can remain in the organs and tissue of a patient’s body. It can take years for a patient’s body to detoxify itself from these dangerous metals.

If you have received a defective Stryker hip implant, it is important for you to talk to your doctor about the possibility that you are suffering from metallosis. Your doctor can run tests to establish whether you have an unusually high amount of any toxic metals detectable in your body. Signs of metallosis can include the following:

• Loss of eyesight;
• Dizziness;
• Headaches;
• Loss of hearing;
• Pain;
• Swelling;
• Loss of hip function;
• Disorientation;
• Fatigue.

Claimants have filed hundreds of product liability lawsuits against the Stryker Corporation due to injuries caused by defective hip implants. Successful claimants are entitled to compensation for the following:

• The cost of medical treatment;
• Lost past and future wages;
• The cost of therapy ;
• Compensation for pain and suffering;
• Any other costs or expenses related to the treatment of metallosis.

If you have experienced symptoms of metallosis from a defective Stryker hip implant, or have suffered other adverse complications, we may be able to help. Contact Arnold & Smith, PLLC today to schedule a free initial consultation.