A motion filed recently seeks to consolidate all federal product liability lawsuits concerning the recalled Stryker Rejuvenate and ABG II hip implants. Lawsuits involving large numbers of affected people are sometimes consolidated into an MDL in order to better manage the cases; one court handles all discovery and pretrial proceedings, conserving resources and encouraging consistent rulings between lawsuits with similar legal issues. While saving time and money on the part of an overburdened court system is one goal of an MDL, allowing individuals who have been harmed by a defective product or drug to have their lawsuit heard in a timely manner is equally important.

With the recent recalls of all-metal and partial metal hip implants due to metal toxicity and implant failure, recipients of the Stryker Rejuvenate could be forced to undergo revision surgery to replace the recalled hip implant device. For the general population, the levels of cobalt and chromium in the bloodstream-from naturally occurring sources—are approximately 0.5 parts per billion. Patients who have been implanted with a device with metal parts could find those levels considerably higher. The generally accepted “danger” level is considered to be anything over 7 parts per billion however many doctors believe that number is much lower—between 2 and 3 parts per billion.

For those who have received a recalled Stryker ABG II or Rejuvenate hip implant there are a number of issues to be aware of. Both the ABG II and the Rejuvenate were recalled in July of 2012 due to the risks of corrosion and fretting. While not “true” metal-on-metal hip implants (which are responsible for large numbers of problems among recipients) these two recalled Stryker models have a metal neck juncture as well as metal trundles which can corrode when body fluids become trapped beneath. This corrosion can lead to inflammation, pain, tissue and bone loss and the need for revision surgery as well as metal toxicity and the resulting adverse symptoms.

On January 15^th, the New Jersey Superior Court issued an order which established a multi-county litigation regarding hip replacement lawsuits for the recalled Stryker Rejuvenate and ABGII. Judge Brian R. Martinotti will preside over the litigation in the Bergen County Superior Court. Strykerrecalled two of its hip implant devices on July 6, 2012, only three months following the Urgent Field Safety Notice sent to surgeons and hospitals in April of 2012.

Recipients of a Stryker ABG II hip implant device can suffer serious health issues as a result of a recalled device. The ABG II, along with the Rejuvenate, was recalled in July of 2012 due to the potential for fretting and corrosion. When fretting and corrosion occur, tiny metal particles can shear away from the implant, burrowing into surrounding tissues or entering the bloodstream. When shards of cobalt and chromium lodge into the hip tissue, it can result in pain, immobility, tissue degradation and death, bone loss, fracturing bones and loosening of the device, and even total hip failure. When such failure occurs, revision surgery will be necessary to remove the ABG II implant and replace it with a ceramic or polyethylene hip implant device.