Stryker Hip Recall Adds Fuel to Metal Hip Implant Lawsuit Claims

Orthopedic implant maker Stryker Corp. announced a recall this month of two metal-on-metal hip implant components due to their potential to fret or corrode, resulting in pain, swelling and tissue damage. The Stryker hip recall adds fuel to the fire of thousands of metal hip implant lawsuits filed by patients who experienced severe side effects from metal hip implant failures. Hip implant attorneys say the Stryker hip recall weakens device makers’ argument that metal-on-metal hip implants are not inherently defective because the body tissue injuries linked to the recalled Stryker hip implants are the same injuries cited in thousands of metal hip implant lawsuits filed against other metal-on-metal hip implant manufacturers.

Stryker issued a voluntary recall on July 6 of its Rejuvenate and ABG II modular-neck stem hip implants over concerns that the metal-on-metal hip stems may be prone to “fretting and/or corrosion at or about the modular-neck junction,” which can lead to pain, swelling and adverse local tissue reactions. The company halted worldwide distribution of the Stryker Rejuvenate and ABG II hip stems to further investigate the failures. There have been at least 45 adverse events reported to the FDA regarding Stryker Rejuvenate modular-neck stems since the beginning of 2012. Since the hip stems can be used in both ceramic and metal-on-metal hip implants, it’s imperative that patients with either a ceramic or metal hip implant contact their surgeon or review their medical records to see if they received a Rejuvenate Modular or AGB II modular-neck hip stem involved in the Stryker recall. Patients experiencing symptoms of pain and/or swelling in or around their replaced hip are also urged to see their doctor to discuss their symptoms. They may also want to speak with a hip implant consultation specialist to see if they have a case to file a claim for compensation for their pain, suffering and medical bills through a Stryker hip implant lawsuit.

Stryker Hip Recall Highlights Concerns Raised in Metal Hip Implant Lawsuits 

Government health officials and medical experts in the United States and abroad have been studying the potential dangers of meal-on-metal hip replacement systems amid myriad reports of device failures. Just last month, FDA officials convened a two-day panel of experts to weigh in on the safety of metal-on-metal hip implants. Though they stopped short of recommending a metal hip implant recall, the agency cautioned doctors against using the devices, saying they saw few reasons to use metal-on-metal hip replacements amid growing evidence presented in numerous metal hip implant lawsuits that the devices can break down early and expose patients to dangerous metallic particles.

The FDA recommended that patients with metal-on-metal hip implants undergo regular X-rays and blood tests if they are experiencing pain and other symptoms of a failing implant. The agency also recommended that all patients with metal-on-metal hip replacement devices undergo annual X-rays to monitor their implants, regardless of symptoms.

Metal-on-Metal hip implants accounted for about 27 percent of all hip implants in 2010, down 40 percent in 2008 as doctors have begun turning away from metal hip implants amid several high-profile recalls, including J&J’s DePuy hip implant recall in 2010, and thousands of metal-on-metal hip implant lawsuits. Many of these metal-on-metal hip implant lawsuits have been consolidated into multidistrict litigation (MDL) cases against hip implant manufacturers DePuy, Zimmer and Wright. Metal hip implant lawyers predict the Stryker recall will lead to a Stryker hip recall class action lawsuit or dozens of individual Stryker hip recall lawsuits as patients implanted with the devices start to experience metal hip implant side effects.

Metal-on-Metal Hip Implant Side Effects 

Anyone who has a metal-on metal hip implant like the Stryker Rejuvenate or AGB II needs to know the side effects of a failing device so they can be caught and hopefully treated without resulting in death. Symptoms of a failing hip implant include the following side effects:

* pain and swelling in the hip replacement area
* premature failure of the hip implant requiring replacement
* dislocated hip
* leaking of toxic substances from the metal hip implant
* cancer
* degenerative heart disease or cardiomyopathy
* loss of bone strength or structure which can result in bone fractures
* tissue death for any tissue surrounding the hip implant
* non-cancerous tumors or pseudotumors around the hip implant
* cobalt poisoning
* metallosis or metal poisoning due to chromium or cobalt particles from the hip implant

If you experience any of these complications or side effects after receiving a metal-on-metal hip implant, you may be able to file a Stryker hip recall lawsuit to seek compensation for your injuries, including medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering. A metal-on-metal hip implant specialist can determine if you have a case against Stryker or another metal-on-metal device such as the DePuy ASR, DePuy Pinnacle or Wright Conserve hip systems. The medical expenses alone for metal-on-metal hip implant side effects could amount in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, and patients suffering from these side effects deserve compensation.

If you would like more information about filing a Stryker hip recall lawsuit or filing a metal-on-metal hip implant class action lawsuit, go to our Metal on Metal Hip Replacement Implant Class Action Lawsuit Investigation page. You can submit your information, or your loved ones’, to metal-on-metal hip implant attorneys who are actively investigating all claims regarding metal hip implant cancer, tumors, metal poisoning and other metal-on-metal hip implant side effects. Hip implant attorneys are waiting to talk to you now and the consultation is free. These lawyers don’t get paid unless you win or settle.