March 16, 2017 - When Stryker first introduced the Stryker Rejuvenate in early 2010, the company claimed the device would last much longer than other metal hip implants, potentially as long as 15-20 years. This Stryker hip sustainability was a great selling point for the device, as it was marketed for younger, more active patients. Soon after patients were implanted with the Stryker Rejuvenate and ABGII, adverse event reports began coming in to the FDA. Patients complained of symptoms of Stryker hip metallosis, Stryker hip blood poisoning, Stryker hip pseudotumors and Stryker hip infection.
Finally, in July 2012, a Stryker hip recall was issued for both the Rejuvenate and the ABGII. Stryker hip failure rates were in question, and the manufacturer noted excessive levels of Stryker hip corrosion and fretting. Many patients were forced to undergo Stryker Rejuvenate hip surgery in order to have their Rejuvenate removed and replaced with a safer model. Since more than 20,000 Rejuvenate and ABGII devices were sold prior to the Stryker hip recall, many patients with one of these devices ended up with Stryker hip side effects—or worrying about when their recalled hip implant would eventually cause adverse health issues.
The Stryker Rejuvenate Recall
In particular, the neck junction of the Rejuvenate was found to have excessive corrosion and fretting, which could release tiny cobalt and chromium ions into the body. Those ions which remained close, digging into the hip tissues, eventually led to Stryker hip metallosis symptoms in many patients, including severe inflammation, pain in the groin, hip or thigh areas, degradation or necrosis of tissue and bone, loosening of the implant and the need for Stryker Rejuvenate revision surgery.
Those same metal ions could also travel to the bloodstream, leading to serious symptoms associated with chromium and cobalt blood poisoning. Some of those symptoms include diminishing vision and hearing, gastrointestinal disorders, neurological disorders, cardiovascular disorders, renal and thyroid disorders, DNA disruptions, the development of pseudotumors, infection, reproductive disorders, skin rashes, irritability, depression and anxiety.
So How Long Will Your Rejuvenate Last?
If you have not yet experienced difficulties associated with your Stryker Rejuvenate, you may be wondering how long you can expect your apparent good luck to last. More than 4,000 lawsuits were filed against the company by those who had suffered adverse health symptoms or were forced to undergo Stryker Rejuvenate revision surgery. By November 2014, Stryker decided to offer a settlement to those eligible patients who had undergone revision surgery as a result of injury associated with their Rejuvenate or ABGII.
Those plaintiffs with a filed case who had not undergone revision surgery were not included in the Stryker hip settlement, however a judge ruled in April 2015 that the statutes of limitations for those plaintiffs would be suspended, potentially allowing them to take part in the settlement agreement if they later had revision surgery.
Most recently, Stryker announced late last year that U.S. plaintiffs who underwent revision surgery (to remove/replace a Stryker Rejuvenate and/or ABGII metal on metal hip implant) prior to December 19, 2016 could be eligible to participate in the settlement agreement laid out in November of 2014.
Nobody knows whether most or even all patients with a Rejuvenate device will eventually suffer adverse symptoms associated with the implant, however speaking to a knowledgeable Stryker hip lawyer can help you determine your best course of action.