STRYKER’S HIP IMPLANTS FAILURES
Stryker has designed hip replacement systems for decades. Several of its products have impressive records of success. However, the corporation’s ABG II and Rejuvenate implants experienced an increased rate of failure and led to shocking recalls.
Recently, some patients have begun to discover dangers with Stryker’s Tritanium hip implants, which can slacken and require surgical improvement. The corporation introduced its newest hip replacement product, the ADM X3 Mobile Bearing Acetabular System, in 2010. The ADM X3 is an acetabular element that uses a double mobility cup notion created from Polythene.
The Stryker Tritanium Acetabular Shell and its complications
The Stryker Tritanium Acetabular Shell, which restores the human hip socket, is built from a titanium alloy covered with a unique kind of porous foam. The foam enables bone cells to bind with it and grow, thereby increasing joint stability. However, a 2018 report in the journal Arthroplasty Today by doctors at NYU Langone Orthopedic Hospitals described five hip implant failures related to Stryker’s Tritanium cups between 2011 and 2016.
The Victims of Stryker Hip System Failures
The patients, who varied from ages 49 to 68 years old, had all acquired hip and groin pain within just a few months of their hip replacements. Subsequent imaging revealed the Tritanium components were loose. All five patients underwent surgery to correct the problem. Although some of the patients’ implants were fastened in place for extra support, the screws did not seem to reduce the risk of implant failure, according to the authors of the report.
Various researches have noted related problems with the Tritanium cups. A 2018 research in the Journal of Orthopaedic Proceedings established that more than a third of hips implanted with Tritanium shells showed changes on X-rays in between a year of surgery that could lead to “poorer clinical function.” The authors deduced that patients with these hip implants should be closely monitored for indications of breakdown and component loosening.
Stryker Hip Implant Recall
Furthermore, in July 2012, Stryker voluntarily recalled all of its Rejuvenate and ABG II hip replacements from the market due to the potential fretting and corrosion that could create pain, swelling and tissue injury. The corporation informed doctors to examine and perform blood work on patients who received the implants.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration categorized the recalls as Class II recalls and stated the reason for the recall to be “defective design.” Thousands of affected victims, filed hip implants lawsuit against Stryker because their implants ceased to function and they had to have amendment surgery. The corporation settled many of the lawsuits in a billion-dollar settlement in 2014, but more than 1,000 hip implant lawsuits are still pending.
PA & NJ Hip Implant Law Suit Attorneys
If you or someone you love has suffered as a result of an implant device or system, please contact our experienced mass tort legal team for a free consultation at 215-462-3330 or by using our online contact form.