September 13, 2016 - Every person reacts differently to heavy metals in their body. Because of this, it can be difficult to determine which patients who received a recalled Stryker Rejuvenate or ABGII will react with the greatest level of adverse symptoms or suffer Stryker hip failure. Following the Stryker hip recall in July 2012, thousands of patients with a Rejuvenate or ABGII filed lawsuits against Stryker for injuries suffered from the implant devices. In November 2014, Stryker offered a Stryker hip settlement base award, subject to Stryker hip settlement enhancements, for those patients who had undergone Stryker hip revision surgery.
Other patients who had not undergone revision surgery were not included in this settlement agreement, however Stryker did suspend the statutes of limitations for those with a recalled Stryker implant, in order to cover those who may require revision surgery in the future. In the meantime, patients with a Stryker Rejuvenate or ABGII may wonder how they can prevent Stryker hip metallosis and associated hip failure. One patient may experience serious metallosis and metal toxicity symptoms, despite having relatively low levels of chromium and cobalt, while another, with much higher levels, could experience no overt symptoms despite high heavy metal levels.
Factors Which Influence Stryker Hip Failure
Although doctors have identified specific factors which appear to cause those with an ABGII or Rejuvenate to be more likely to suffer adverse symptoms, such as metallosis or hip failure, there may be no definitive actions patients can take to absolutely prevent such problems. Doctors have noticed that patients with Stryker hip implants on both the right and left sides are at a higher risk of total hip failure. Metallosis seems to strike female patients more often than male patients, and patients who are implanted with a recalled Stryker implant while they are suffering from a suppressed immune system, could be more prone to developing metallosis.
Stryker hip failure appears to strike those who are severely overweight more often than those who are at a normal weight, so losing weight might improve your chances of preventing hip failure. Stryker hip failure also appears to strike more active patients at a disproportionately higher rate than less active patients, however because physical activity is known to prevent many other diseases, cutting back activity levels does not seem wise. Stryker hip failure and Stryker hip metallosis seem to occur more often to those with a known metal sensitivity, however many people who are sensitive to heavy metals are not aware of this fact until after they have a metal hip device implanted in their body.
Finally, those who have known kidney issues, or are taking high doses of corticosteroids at the time of their implant, or after the implant, appear to be more likely to suffer Stryker hip failure. Most of these issues the patient either had no knowledge of, or has no control over, therefore there is really little you can do to absolutely ensure your recalled Stryker hip implant will not fail. Eating right, staying at a healthy weight and getting regular exercise are good for your health in general, so staying as healthy as you can may help delay Stryker hip failure, but there are simply no guarantees. There are definite advantages to staying in close contact with your physician and with speaking to a Stryker hip lawyer in order to explore your options regarding a potential settlement.