Georgia Plaintiff Files Stryker Hip Lawsuit in California

A new lawsuit was filed by a Stryker hip lawyer on behalf of a Georgia resident due to problems with the Stryker Rejuvenate and ABG II hip stem systems. The case was filed on December 6, 2012, against Howmedica Osteonics and the Stryker Corporation in the San Francisco Superior Court alleging negligence and misrepresentation.

The products were introduced to the market in 2009 and this lawsuit joins an increasing number of plaintiffs claiming to have suffered from problems with the device since its release.

Plaintiff claims to have suffered from permanent injuries from Stryker hip implant

The plaintiff asserts that he suffered from severe, permanent injuries along with mental pain and suffering in the past, present and that is expected in the future. He has incurred expenses due to suffering, rehabilitation and pharmaceuticals, has lost wages and claims related damages.

He alleges that the manufacturers concealed the high rate of failure in their hip implants. In addition, they fraudulently marketed the metal-on-metal systems as being strong enough to resist corrosion and fretting. Among the thousands of patients who received these devices, many have reported severe pain and inflammation as a result of the implants.

Because of the large number of patients who received both systems since their release in 2009, the number of cases filed are expected to increase in the future. The attorney working on the initial lawsuit, filed in August of 2012, says that the FDA has received more than 60 adverse event reports in relation to these devices.

Metal-on-metal components said to rub against one another causing problems

The Rejuvenate and ABG II systems are both modular-neck hip implants and are designed to present a more flexible option to patients. The majority of hip implants consist of a one-piece neck and stem. Both the Rejuvenate and ABG II promise increased stability, better durability, and less stress on the bone than the one-piece systems.

Some patients who have received these devices, however, have complained of side effects such as swelling and severe pain in the hip area. According to doctors, the metal-on-metal components tend to rub against one another releasing dangerous levels of chromium and cobalt into the bloodstream. Cobalt has the potential to cause pain, inflammation, bone loss and to destroy cells. When patients suffer from these problems, many times hip revision surgery is necessary.

Stryker implements a voluntary recall of Rejuvenate and ABG II

From their 57,000 products, Stryker has generated more than $8 billion worldwide annually. The Rejuvenate and ABG II were initially marketed in November of 2009 following the FDA granting clearance to sell the device in June of the prior year.

The FDA announced that Stryker voluntarily recalled both implants on July 6, 2012. But the company is saying that the occurrences of complications are “extremely low.”

According to V.P. of the company Stuart Simpson, the modular-neck stems provide surgeons with an option to correct certain aspects of a patient’s anatomy and hip biomechanics, the risks associated with fretting and corrosion at the modular neck junction sparked the company’s voluntary decision to recall the device.