May 29, 2015 - What Should Patients With No Stryker-related Adverse Health Issues Do?
If you have not yet developed symptoms of Stryker Rejuvenate metallosis, Stryker ABGII metallosis or symptoms of metal toxicity, what should you do? Dr. James W. Pritchett, MD of Orthopedics International notes that some of the more common side effects for those with a Stryker metal hip implant are adverse tissue reactions. Often, these reactions present as pseudo-tumors. A pseudo-tumor is a non-infectious (usually), non-cancerous, space-occupying tumor in the hip region. Netherlands research concluded recipients of metal hip implants had as much as four times the risk of developing a pseudo-tumor.
Read about Stryker Hip Metallosis here...
Those with pseudo-tumors may not be aware of the tumor until it has grown quite large, causing hip or groin pain, swelling in the upper leg or the foot and ankle region, a clicking or popping noise in the hip area, or a nerve disorder which causes weakness or immobility. Pseudo-tumors can place pressure on the surrounding body parts, causing additional health issues. Often, when the removed pseudo-tumor is analyzed, tissue necrosis is evident. Even in cases where there are no pseudo-tumors present, the patient’s may experience tissue death from the increased levels of cobalt and chromium. Surgeons describe what they find as “thickened, fibrotic soft tissues,” with the underlying bone appearing to have a “dead surface.”
Some Patients with Tissue Necrosis Caused by a Stryker Implant May Have No Symptoms
A significant number of those experiencing tissue necrosis after being implanted with a Stryker Rejuvenate or ABGII will experience pain and inflammation, but other patients may not. Physicians stress the importance of follow-up testing among all Stryker hip implant recipients, regardless of whether the patient is asymptomatic or not. Many asymptomatic patients have shown significant levels of tissue death when tests were performed. Having a doctor take a look at an x-ray of the area may simply not be sufficient for those asymptomatic Stryker patients.
Did you know that the Stryker Hip Litigation has settled? You may be entitled to monetary compensation for your injuries - read more here...
What is Osteolysis?
Osteolysis can occur in patients with a recalled Stryker implant as well; osteolysis is the wearing down of the hip bones, making them thin and weak. Having an artificial hip implant, particularly one of the recalled Stryker implants, can cause the body to attack its own bone cells, preventing your body from making new bone. Often, there are no signs or symptoms of osteolysis until the tissue and bone has been severely affected. It is important that your healthcare provider perform the following tests in order to determine how badly Stryker osteolysis may have affected you:
· A bone biopsy should be done in order to test samples of your bone, and help determine whether you are suffering from osteolysis and how far it may have progressed.
· A CT or CAT scan should be done in order to identify thinning bones resulting from your recalled Stryker hip implant.
· An MRI may be necessary in order to get a better picture of your bones, ligaments and tendons.
· A PET scan will also show whether your bones are breaking down in response to osteolysis caused by a recalled Stryker hip implant.
Advocating for Your Health as an Asymptomatic Stryker Patient
It is extremely important to realize that not all doctors will be proactive in guarding your health, simply because you have a recalled Stryker ABGII or Rejuvenate in your body. Even if you’ve experienced no serious, adverse health symptoms related to your recalled Stryker implant, you could still be undergoing tissue damage and tissue necrosis, as well as developing high levels of chromium and cobalt in your bloodstream and your hip tissues.
Whether your Stryker implant has failed or whether you have experienced problems with the implant, it is important to have regular medical tests done and to speak to a knowledgeable Stryker hip attorney. When you consider the number of recalled Stryker hip implants which have already failed, it stands to reason that your implant stands a fairly high probability of causing you problems. Don’t wait until it is too late—contact an experienced Stryker hip lawyer today.