Patients Bring Lawsuits After Stryker Hip Failures

The medical device company Stryker Orthopedics has produced many helpful medical devices. Patients who have received some Stryker hip implants, however, have alleged that certain hip replacement systems produced by the company were defectively designed. The company has ordered recalls of its Rejuvenate Modular and ABG II Modular-Neck Stem hip implant devices.

If you or your loved one has suffered an injury due to the failure of a Stryker medical device, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries. Contact the experienced personal injury lawyers at Arnold & Smith, PLLC as soon as possible to schedule a free initial consultation and discuss the circumstances of your injury.

Stryker issued a voluntary recall of its defective hip devices in 2012 after it discovered that artificial joints had the potential for fretting or corrosion at or near the modular-neck junction. This corrosion could result in dangerous and adverse local tissue reactions, manifesting as symptoms of pain and swelling. The company explained that the "fretting" and "corrosion" stemmed from degradation of implant material and could cause surrounding bone and tissue to become damaged or worn down.

Claimants have alleged that the Rejuvenate Modular and the ABG II Modular-Neck Stem hip implant devices can cause the following complications:

• Pain;
• Dislocation;
• Inflammation of the tissue surrounding the hip implant;
• Unusual sounds like popping or squeaking;
• Loosening of the hip implant device;
• Metallosis;

Claimants have pointed to design flaws in Stryker's products as causing their injuries. Stryker's Rejuvenate Modular and ABG II Modular-Neck Stem incorporate metal stems and ceramic cups. This design was intended to mimic the function of the natural hip joint. The metal on metal contact in the joints, however, have caused unintended complications.

Even though the metal-on-metal surface area is relatively small in the hip implant joint, the moving parts can cause corrosion and fretting, as Stryker warned in its recall notice. Other agencies have reported on injuries caused by metal-on-metal hip implants.

The National Joint Registry of England and Wales concluded that metal-on-metal hips had significantly higher rates of failure when compared to artificial hip devices made from ceramics or plastics. People with metal-on-metal hip implants were far more likely to suffer complications from their hip implants than those with ceramic or plastic hip implants. Metal hip implants have seen more failures earlier in the use of the implant than in other types of hip replacement devices.

Many people who have received Stryker Rejuvenate and Modular hip implants have immediately suffered complications. Many patients request to meet with surgeons soon after their surgeries to determine whether their complications are related to the hip implant device itself, or due to other issues.

It can be difficult to tell whether post-surgery complications have been caused by an infection, or due to tissue surrounding the metal implants. The metal can become embedded with and damaged by the metal from the hip implants. Some patients who suffer pain after a hip implant surgery may need a revision surgery as soon as possible to prevent any further complications.

Hip revision surgeries can be dangerous and can cause a patient to suffer even more pain and complications. Hip revision surgeries are more painful and less effective than initial hip replacement surgeries. Surgeons must remove more bone and tissue in hip revision surgeries than with initial hip implant surgeries.

If you have experienced any adverse conditions after receiving a Stryker Rejuvenate or ABG II Modular-Neck Stem device, you may be entitled to damages. You may have the legal right to pursue a claim for monetary damages against the company that manufactured the defective product. The legal professionals at Arnold & Smith, PLLC can evaluate your case. If a defective Stryker hip implant device caused your problems, you could recover the following types of compensation:

• Past, present, and future medical expenses;
• Pain and suffering;
• Lost past, present, and future wages.

If you have discovered that your hip implant device is causing your adverse medical symptoms, you should speak to an experienced Charlotte personal injury lawyer as soon as possible. Contact Arnold & Smith, PLLC today to schedule your free initial consulta