Stryker Howmedica Osteonics (Stryker) is facing a new lawsuit alleging that a failed hip replacement surgery caused a Washington state resident severe complications including metal poisoning.

Plaintiff Linda H. filed the hip replacement surgery lawsuit, joining thousands of others in multidistrict litigation, claiming injuries directly related to Stryker’s negligent manufacturing of the ABG II ceramic and metal on metal hip replacement.

Linda underwent right hip replacement surgery in September 2011 where she received the Stryker ABG II ceramic/metal on metal hip replacement.

She claims after the implantation of the hip stem that she suffered hip implant complications, including metal poisoning from hip replacement.

Linda alleges Stryker knew or should have known of the risks of the metal on metal replacement hip but continued to aggressively market the device without adequate warnings, testing, or approval.

Stryker Hip Replacement Surgery Complications

The Stryker ABG II hip system uses proprietary ceramic components, which were meant as alternatives to the metal-on-metal hip replacement systems.

Stryker marketed the devices to younger patients as a modular hip replacement, meaning the components were custom-made to fit patients better, which was supposed to result in longer-lasting hip replacement devices that offered a better range of motion.

Unfortunately, post-market data revealed evidence of corrosion and fretting after the devices were implanted, and Stryker recalled the system.

The recall came too late for some patients, like Linda. The devices allegedly caused serious side effects, including loosening of the implant and metal poisoning from the hip replacement – complications that have lead to a number of lawsuits against Stryker.

According to complaints, Stryker hip replacement systems are linked to high early failure rates, resulting in some patients having early revision hip replacement surgery to replace their original hip replacement device.

Additionally, many lawsuits report that the hip replacement devices may also be linked to an increased risk of metallosis.

Metal poisoning from hip replacement occurs when metallic fragments build up in the soft tissues that surround the artificial hip, increasing the cobalt-chromium metal toxicity in the patients’ blood, tissue and organs.

Many Stryker hip replacement surgery patients have experienced the following:

• Fretting (wear) and/or corrosion at the modular-neck junction possibly leading to osteolysis (bone dissolution)
• Joint loosening/dislocation
• Excessive metal debris leading to metal ion generation
• Inflammation of tissues leading to metallosis, necrosis (death of tissues) and/or pain
• Hypersensitivity/allergic response
• Broken devices
• Adverse Local Tissue Reaction (ALTR)

Stryker Metal on Metal Hip Replacement Lawsuits

An increasing number of Stryker hip replacement surgery lawsuits continue to be filed nationwide. The Stryker hip claimants allege complications including metallosis, osteolysis (dissolution of bone) and necrosis in tissue surrounding the implant.

With thousands of lawsuit pending, Stryker settled thousands of cases for $1.43 billion in 2014. Each plaintiff was expected to receive about $300,000 in compensation, but people who did not participate in the settlement are still eligible to file a lawsuit.

Linda’s Stryker Hip Replacement Surgery Lawsuit is filed within the larger consolidated multidistrict litigation In re: Stryker Rejuvenate and ABG II Hip Implant Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 13-2441, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota.