What are the Signs That a Stryker Hip Implant is Defective?

Stryker Corporation is one of the largest orthopedic device and medical equipment manufacturers in the world. Some of the company’s most popular products are hip replacement systems, which provide patients with more durable hip joints. The goal of using a hip implant system is to help patients live more active lives with less pain and a greater range of motion.

Unfortunately, some hip replacement systems are defective in their design and can result in serious injury. Some hip replacement patients have developed serious health complications caused by these design defects and have needed to undergo risky and painful revision surgeries, or reconstruction surgeries, as a result. If you have had a hip replacement surgery, it is crucial that you know the signs of a defective or failed Stryker hip implant product. The sooner you seek treatment, the better.

The Stryker Corporation has issued multiple recalls for hip replacement implants, including recalls for the following products:

• Accolade TMZF® hip stem in 2011
• Rejuvenate® in 2012
• ABG II® modular-neck stems in 2012

Each of these recalled hip implant devices include metal-on-metal designs. Researchers originally thought that the metal-on-metal design would be more durable than other devices. Unfortunately, the metal-on-metal design has created a host of problems for hip implant patients.

Metallosis is one of the most common complications associated with metal-on-metal hip implants. These hip implants release tiny metal particles into a person’s tissue which can lead to metal poisoning. They can also cause a number of other painful side effects, including bone death and tissue death. In some cases, the hip implants themselves fail entirely.

Many patients who have received a recalled Stryker Hip Implant need to have hip implant revision surgery. Hip revision surgery can be riskier to the patient and are often considered to be more invasive and painful than the original hip implant surgery. These revision surgeries often require reconstruction of the affected area, which can cause serious damage to the surrounding bones. Surgeons frequently need to break the prosthetic off of the bone because prosthetic implants are designed so that the bone grows to attach to the implant.

Patients who need to undergo a hip revision surgery face a grueling and long rehabilitation period, during which most of them need to take an extended time off of work. They also have an increased risk for a variety of surgical complications, including the following symptoms:

• Blood clots
• Infection
• Damage to the blood vessels or nerves
• Deep venous thrombosis
• Excessive bleeding
• Pulmonary embolism

If you have undergone hip replacement surgery, it is incredibly important that you know all of the signs of a defective implant. Knowing the signs of a defective hip implant will help you seek the proper treatment. If you are unsure about which type of hip implant you received, we recommend contacting your surgeon as soon as possible. If you experience any of the following symptoms, you may have a defective implant:

• Trouble moving your leg due to pain
• Dislocation of your hip
• Pain at the site of your hip implant
• Pain in your abdomen and groin
• Hip instability that results in difficulty walking or standing
• Loss of muscle due to reduced mobility
• Difficulty moving in general, due to pain
• Loss of bone mass
• Damage to tissue in the surrounding hip area
• Inflammation at the site of the hip implant
• Loss of muscle in the affected leg caused by reduced mobility

When contacting a doctor regarding your symptoms, your doctor may conduct blood tests to determine if you are suffering from metallosis, which is a type of metal poisoning. They will also likely order an MRI or an x-ray to look for tissue death, total implant failure, or hip dislocation. After considering all of your symptoms, they will decide whether or not to replace your defective Stryker hip implant.

If you think your hip implant might be defective, you need to talk to a lawyer as soon as possible. North Carolina law imposes a statute of limitations for product liability lawsuits, so it is important to act before it is too late. Contact one of our Charlotte personal injury attorneys today to get started. For your convenience and safety, we offer video and phone conferencing. If you prefer an in-person consultation, we have three easy to reach offices in Uptown Charlotte, Monroe and Mooresville. Contact us today to schedule your free consultation. The attorneys at Arnold & Smith, PLLC can help fight for the compensation you deserve.