Lawsuit Alleges Stryker Hip Implants Are Defective

Plaintiff Sydney Glover has filed a lawsuit against the manufacturers of his Stryker hip implant, alleging that the implant was defective and led to painful complications.

In October 2009, Glover received a Stryker hip implant. It consisted of two pieces – one to replace the upper leg bone and a second piece to replace the interfacing surface of the hip. Both components have a metal surface instead of polymers or ceramics, which are found in other two-part artificial hip joints.

After the surgery, Glover reportedly began to experience pain, along with trouble sleeping and moving. In April 2013, Glover’s physicians revealed that the Stryker hip implant had been recalled the previous year, and was the probable cause of his pain and suffering. Glover’s physicians have scheduled revision surgery to replace the hip implant in November 2013.

The Stryker hip lawsuit alleges that the manufacturers of the implant were aware – or reasonably should have been aware – of the issues associated with the joint. Prior to the 2012 recall, Stryker had reportedly received post-market reports of failures associated with this type of hip implant.

The hip replacement lawsuit further alleges that not only were manufacturers aware of these risks, but that they actively concealed them, failing to alert the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and the public in a timely manner, putting patients like Glover at risk for serious complications.

The Stryker hip lawsuit holds that the design of these hip implants is inherently defective. For example, the hip implant lawsuit points out that there have been issues with fretting at the neck juncture, and complications resulting from metal flaking at the location where the moving metal surfaces of the joint meet.

The Stryker hip implant lawsuit is formally titled Sydney Glover v. Howmedica Osteonics Corp., et al., Case No. 1:13-cv-01460-JES-JAG, in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois, Peoria Division. It has been added to ongoing multidistrict litigation, In Re: Stryker Rejuvenate and ABG II Hip Implant Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2441, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota.

If you or someone you care about received a Stryker hip implant and went on to suffer from serious complications, you have almost certainly found yourself in a trying ordeal. Even a textbook hip replacement surgery requires recovery time and medical costs. Revision surgery can involve even further recovery time and leave a patient vulnerable to complications. This can lead to lost wages during recovery time and mounting medical bills. It is important to remember that whatever challenges you’ve found yourself facing, you still have rights, and there are steps that you can take to regain a measure of control over your situation. You can start by visiting the Stryker, DePuy, Biomet, Wright Medical Technology & Others, Metal on Metal Class Action Lawsuit Investigation. Here, you can enter information about your situation for a legal review by a trained expert with a background in this type of litigation. The initial consultation is completely free of charge and from here, you can receive additional guidance on the best steps to take in your exact situation.