Stryker Hip Implant Failures Under Investigation

SAN FRANCISCO, CA, June 18, 2013

Patients who have Stryker Orthopaedics' Rejuvenate and AGB II hip implant systems, which were recalled in July 2012, have been advised to consult with their surgeons. Unfortunately, they are at serious risk of having to undergo another operation to remove the defective implant and replace it with a new device.

Stryker recalled the Rejuvenate and ABG II implants after they showed signs of dangerous metal wear and corrosion. These defects can cause debilitating pain, swelling and tissue death.

Stryker marketed the Rejuvenate and AGBII hip implants as safe and effective. The implants were made up of components that were made out of different kinds of metals. Stryker claimed its unique technique of matching titanium and cobaltchrome would resist corrosion and fretting. Instead, once the prostheses were put to use in patients, they wore and corroded at a rate that was not safe or acceptable, and which produced corrosion, debris and ions. This in turn causes the death of tissue and bone around the patient's hip, pain and the premature failure of the implant.

Approximately 20,000 Stryker Rejuvenate and ABG II devices were implanted between 2009 and 2012. A few months before issuing its recall, Stryker acknowledged there was a problem in an "Urgent Field Safety Notice" sent to doctors.

Similarities Between Stryker Rejuvenate, ABG II and the DePuy ASR Hip Systems

Stryker Orthopaedics recalled its Rejuvenate and ABG II modular hip implant systems on July 6, 2012, roughly two years after Johnson & Johnson's DePuy Orthopaedics division recalled its ASR metal-on-metal hip system.

The cause of Stryker hip system failures and patient injuries are very similar to those associated with DePuy ASR hip implants. However, the Stryker Rejuvenate and ABG II systems do not involve a three-part metal ball-and-cup design like the other hip implants that have been the subject of recalls, such as the Zimmer Durom Cup and the DePuy ASR.

The Defective Design of the Stryker Hip Stems

The Stryker Rejuvenate and ABG II systems have a different design for the femoral component compared to other metal-on-metal hip implant devices.

Most metal-on-metal "monobock" hip implant devices have three components: a femoral stem with a ball on the end and a cup that is placed in the acetabulum of the pelvis.

The Stryker Rejuvenate and ABG II have four parts: a femoral stem, a metal femoral neck, a femoral ball and an acetabular cup. Stryker touted the advantages of this modular femoral design (i.e. multiple-component design) as providing greater options to the implanting surgeon.

Although this design does provide surgeons with more options, there is also a greater potential for the metal components to wear against each other, fret or corrode at their mating points. This occurs because there are multiple neck parts of slightly different sizes, shapes and tolerances available to the doctor to choose from. Failure from fretting and corrosion typically occurs at the places where the various Stryker hip stem neck parts join together. The use of different metals may have worsened the problem.

Injuries From Stryker ABG II and Rejuvenate Modular Neck Stems

Friction from normal patient movements and the highly-salty nature of the surrounding bodily fluids can cause these metal junctions to corrode and release metal ions into nearby tissue or the bloodstream. This can cause a variety of serious health consequences, including extreme pain, tissue death, metallosis, and various adverse soft-tissue reactions. Revision surgery is the only cure for a failed Stryker hip implant and exposes a patient to additional pain, discomfort and infection risks.

Unfortunately for patients, doctors must typically remove and replace the entire femoral component, which can involve breaking open the femur.

Attorneys Representing Stryker Hip Implant Patients

The Law Firm of Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger specializes in defective medical device cases, including those involving all-metal hip implants.

Earlier this year, the Walkup Law Firm won the first DePuy ASR hip implant case against medical device maker Johnson & Johnson. Our efforts resulted in an $8.3 million verdict on behalf of our client who was injured by a defectively designed all-metal hip implant.

If you have a Stryker hip stem implant or would like to know more about these devices, contact the Walkup Law Firm online or call us at 888-799-3968 and speak with partners Michael Kelly, Matthew Davis and Khaldoun Baghdadi.

Website: www.walkuplawoffice.com