Illinois Man Seeking Damages for Stryker Hip Replacement Failure

Timothy Driscoll wanted to have doctors repair damage to his hip joint, but a faulty device caused him major problems and will necessitate further surgery, according to a recent Stryker hip lawsuit.

Stryker is just one of several companies that have come under fire for so-called metal on metal hip implants. Unlike older hip replacement products, the use of two metal components was supposed to enable the devices to last longer. However, according to the Illinois man’s Stryker hip lawsuit, the company failed to properly test its Stryker Rejuvenate hip replacement system, which has led to premature failures in thousands of patients.

Driscoll received the Stryker Rejuvenate hip implant during a hip replacement procedure in January 2012, and soon began experiencing pain around the surgical site. Doctors reviewed diagnostics and found that he had significant amounts of heavy metals including cobalt in his bloodstream. They have recommended a revision surgery to remove the device.

According to marketing materials, the medical device maker alleged that by using a special coating, the titanium alloy and cobalt chrome components would resist corrosion and fretting, a concern known in the industry for decades. The coating did not work, Driscoll alleges, because the company indicated there were a high rate of Stryker hip replacement failures in an April 2012 safety notice due to heavy metal shavings entering patients’ bodies, a condition known as metallosis.

Driscoll’s Stryker hip replacement lawsuit also notes that “this corrosion and fretting was exactly the same failure mechanism that Defendants warranted would not occur because of the Rejuvenate system’s design and composition. This was also exactly the same failure mechanism that the medical and scientific community had been studying and documenting in modular device design since the 1980s.” The hip implant is no longer sold in the United Sates.

The Stryker hip replacement lawsuit is Timothy Driscoll v. Howmedica Osteonics Corp., et al., Case No. 13-cv-02704, U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota. Counts against the medical device maker include negligence, negligence per se, failure to warn, design and manufacturing defects as well as breaches of implied and express warranties.

If you or someone you know have dealt with problems following hip replacement surgery, you may be one of a growing number of Americans finding out that it may be caused by a failed metal on metal hip implant, in many cases requiring a revision surgery. You may be able to file a complaint and pursue damages. Learn more and find out whether or not you are eligible by getting a free consultation at the Stryker Metal Hip Implant Recall Class Action Lawsuit Investigation.