Saturday, October 6, 2012

How Stryker Hip Implant Recipients Can Get the Help They Need

Even though the flaws with the metal-on-metal hip implants have been widely publicized, there are still likely thousands of recipients of the device who have no idea they potentially have a veritable ticking time bomb inside their bodies. The Stryker ABGII and the Stryker Rejuvenate have been recalled after an Urgent Product Safety Bulletin was sent out to doctors and hospitals advising them of the excessive metal debris and ion generation possible from these two hip implants. While Stryker claims fretting and corrosion are rare occurrences, the adverse reports from physicians and patients tell a different story.

The Product Correction Bulletin

Many surgeons had to perform revision surgery on their patients who had received a Rejuvenate or ABGII and noted that some removed devices had something that looked like “black rust” on them, that corrosion of the device was seen frequently as well as tissue degradation, elevated metal ions in the bloodstream and even high degrees of metallosis. In a Product Correction Bulletin on 04/25/12, Stryker Officials stated that those patients with high ph levels could experience higher rates of corrosion of the metal implant or patients with infection or diabetes could also suffer increased corrosion and fretting.

Poor Surgical Techniques

Stryker also attempted to place some of the responsibility directly on the surgeons who implanted the devices. Stryker noted in the aforementioned bulletin that excessive fretting and metallic debris could relate directly to surgical error and that inadequate cleaning of the neck taper portion of the device could lead to ion generation, excessive metal debris and corrosion at the modular neck junction. The corporation further claimed that improper technique when implanting the device could lead to early failure. Despite all these claims, the fact is that the Rejuvenate and ABGII labored under specific problems and were causing health problems in recipients.

The Flaws in the Metal Hip Implant Design

Just like some other metal-on-metal hip implant devices, the Stryker Rejuvenate and ABGII have the potential for the metal parts to rub against each other during periods of activity, leading tiny metal particles to shear away from the device. These particles can become lodged in the surrounding hip tissue leading to extreme inflammation, chronic and severe pain, tissue damage and even tissue death. Recipients who experience these symptoms will likely have to have their Stryker implant removed and revision surgery performed. Aside from being extremely expensive, revision surgery to remove a Stryker Rejuvenate or ABGII can be very difficult as the neck is implanted deeply into the femur.

Metal Toxicity

Many of those who are forced to undergo revision surgery find themselves unable to perform many of the day-to-day tasks they were previously able to do. The tiny metal ions can also find their way into the implant recipient’s bloodstream where they can cause any number of serious health problems. Those who have metal toxicity from a metal hip implant could develop heart, kidney, thyroid, neurological and even vision and hearing issues. Metal toxicity is very serious, but the symptoms may not manifest for several years.

Getting the Help You Need

If the hip implant recipient has not sought legal advice, they may find themselves barred from recovery because they have exceeded the statute of limitations. Recipients of the Stryker Rejuvenate and Stryker ABGII should first seek medical attention to safeguard their health then should seek qualified legal assistance to ensure they are protected in the event their Stryker implant fails or they develop metal toxicity.

Author: Sullo & Sullo Attorneys

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