Following the Stryker hip replacement recall in July, 2012, more questions have arisen regarding the formation of pseudotumors, metal poisoning and chromium and cobalt toxicity. Hip implant problems have rapidly become the rule rather than the exception, particularly among those with all-metal implants or implants such as the Rejuvenate and ABG II which have metal components. Research has indicated that pseudotumors are also much more likely among those with hip implants which contain chromium or cobalt. In one analysis, the only significant predictor for pseudotumors was serum cobalt levels above 5 µ/ml; patients with elevated cobalt levels were four times more likely to develop pseudotumors than those with lower levels after adjusting for age, gender, allergies and other factors.

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.