Michigan-based Stryker Corporation is a medical technologies firm that designs implants for joint replacement, including hip and knee replacements. Such devices, including the Stryker Rejuvenate and ABG II modular hip replacement implants, were highly touted for increasing patient mobility and quality of life. After obtaining FDA approval in 2009, thousands of patients received hip implants, until Stryker recalled these defective medical devices in 2012. If you have been injured by a hip or knee Stryker implant, it is crucial to speak with an experienced medical malpractice attorney.
Cooper Schall and Levy, a premier personal injury law firm serving clients in the Philadelphia area, is currently handling product liability claims involving defective Stryker hip and knee replacement implants. Stryker Orthopaedics voluntarily issued a recall of certain hip replacement devices because of several defects associated with the products, including premature deterioration resulting in serious personal injuries. If you or a loved one has been harmed by a defective Stryker hip implant device, you may be entitled to significant compensation.
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Defective Stryker Implant:
Stryker’s Defective Metal-on-Metal Hip Implants
Stryker’s metal-on-metal Rejuvenate and ABG II hip implants were pitched as a long-lasting alternative to degenerative hip failure, particularly when compared with implants made from plastic or ceramic materials. Numerous problems have been reported, however, because the metal components can deteriorate and discharge metal debris into a patient’s bloodstream, resulting in a medical condition known as metallosis (metal poisoning). The metal debris can also accumulate in the body’s soft tissue.
A hip implant patient suffering from metal poisoning may have significant complications, such as tissue, organ, and bone death. In fact, thousands of Stryker hip implant recipients in the U.S. have suffered from pain, swelling, metal poisoning, and tumors. Patients who received these metal-on-metal hip implants reported serious side effects, such as:
- Bone chipping
- Bone fractures
- Bone loss
- Chronic pain
- Immobility
- Instability
- Squeaking and popping sounds
Symptoms of a failed hip implant include:
- Difficulty walking
- Pain near the replacement hip or around the hip joint
- Unexplained infection
- Swelling and inflammation
Complications from Stryker prosthetic hip implants typically require another surgery to replace the original implant and recovery is often difficult and painful. If you have been the recipient of a Stryker Rejuvenate, ABG II or similar modular hip replacement implant, you may be entitled to significant compensation.
Defective Stryker Knee Implants
The Stryker Triathlon knee implant device was designed for use during a total knee arthroplasty procedure. Approved by the FDA in 2005, the implant was used exclusively with Stryker’s ShapeMatch Cutting Guide, which was intended to assist surgeons in positioning of the knee implant and also help mark the places where patients’ knee bones were to be cut for surgery.
The FDA issued a recall of ShapeMatch Cutting Guide in 2013 due to a software defect, which could display incorrect cutting parameters, resulting in surgeons performing the knee replacement procedure incorrectly. Ultimately, patients experienced a number of complications with their Triathlon implants, including:
- Joint instability
- Joint fracture
- Chronic pain
- Swelling and infection
- Limited mobility or total immobility
These complications typically require additional surgery, including a repeat total knee replacement procedure. Because Stryker may have been aware of the defect in its cutting guide prior to FDA recall, the medical technology company may be held liable for failing to warn doctors using the Triathlon system of the potential risks.
How Much Can I Recover in a Stryker Implant Hip or Knee Replacement Claim?
Although thousands of individuals have sustained injuries defective Rejuvenate and ABG II modular hip replacement implants and Triathlon knee implants, each case is unique. Nonetheless, Stryker has a duty to design, produce, and market products that do not cause harm to patients. When medical devices like the Stryker hip and knee implants fail, we believe patients deserve to be compensated for their injuries and can do so within the confounds of the MCARE statute.
The experienced defective medical device attorneys at Cooper Schall and Levy will fight tirelessly to help you recover damages such as:
- Lost wages
- Medical expenses (doctor’s visits, hospital payments, additional revision surgeries)
- Prescription and other medication costs
- Pain and suffering due to temporary or permanent disability, disfigurement, and loss of enjoyment of life
Contact Our Philadelphia Stryker Implant Attorney
If you have been injured by a defective Stryker hip or knee replacement implant, we will take the time to explain all of your rights and determine the best course of action. Depending on the circumstances and the nature of your injuries, we may file a lawsuit on an individual basis or as a mass tort (a single wrongful action that causes injury to many different people), which is an effective way to recover damages in defective medical cases.
Above all, we will stand by you every step of the way and fight to help you obtain just compensation. Please contact our office today for a free consultation. You will not pay any attorney’s fees until we recover for you.
Cooper Schall & Levy medical malpractice lawyers serve Philadelphia, Pennsylvania as well as neighboring counties such as Montgomery County and Delaware County and cover neighborhoods such as Norristown and Drexel Hill.
