Any patient with a
Stryker Rejuvenate hip implant should be aware of the potential risks involved, particularly those associated with cobalt and chromium poisoning. Rejuvenate recipients should take care to have their blood checked for levels of chromium and cobalt in order to determine whether fretting or corrosion has occurred. The Rejuvenate was recalled in July of 2012 with Stryker stating the Rejuvenate’s neck juncture had the potential risk of fretting and corrosion. Corrosion in a hip implant can lead to metal ion shear with those tiny shards landing in the surrounding tissue or entering the bloodstream.
Because the Rejuvenate design incorporates a ceramic ball, it was originally believed the potential for corrosion and metal ion release was very slim. While there is not the same level of metal surfaces to create corrosion, the neck juncture as well as the metal trunnions on either end of the neck can corrode and cause metal ions to release. Doctors may dismiss patient’s complaints of pain because they know the Rejuvenate does not have the metal ball and cup to rub against one another during periods of activity. Unfortunately any level of cobalt and chromium that becomes imbedded in body tissue or enters the bloodstream can have potentially serious health effects.
Even when the levels of cobalt and chromium are within “acceptable” ranges for your particular device, each body reacts to these heavy metals differently; a person with relatively low levels could suffer pain, metal toxicity and failure of their hip implant while a person with higher levels might experience none of the known symptoms. Cobalt and chromium can affect your entire system including the kidneys, cardiovascular system, thyroid, neurological system and can even disrupt DNA. Cobalt and chromium lodged in the tissues can lead to tissue necrosis and bone loss. Many recipients of a hip implant with metal components notes such symptoms as memory loss, shortness of breath, pain in the hip and groin region, irritability, fatigue, headaches, depression, balance disruption, hearing or vision loss, skin disorders, gastrointestinal problems, and even the inability to distinguish between sweet and salty tastes. Large cysts, known as pseudo-tumors can also occur from the cobalt and chromium released into the body.
The most conservative estimates point to at least three percent of all metal hip implant recipients eventually suffering harm from cobalt and chromium, while other research suggest that number may be considerably higher. Even at three percent, as many as 7,500 people per year could be affected by chromium and cobalt poisoning—not an insignificant number. In general, three months following the initial hip replacement surgery, the implant recipient should be relatively pain-free. Any new pain or increase in pain after that time should be promptly communicated to a physician and regular blood tests to test for chromium and cobalt levels should be considered mandatory.
If you have received a Stryker Rejuvenate hip implant you must see your physician and have your blood tested as well as undergo any other tests recommended by your doctor such as a bone scan, MRI and x-rays. Time is of the essence, so don’t leave your future to chance.