A 2012 recall of Stryker Rejuvenate and ABG II hip implant systems has sparked a number of lawsuits due to side effects and complications associated with devices implanted in patients since 2010.
If you have experienced side effects, complications or the need for revision surgery after being implanted with one of these Stryker hip implant devices, you could be eligible for compensation.
Stryker Rejuvenate and ABG II hip implant systems were designed to replace damaged hip components to eliminate pain and return normal range of motion to patients with hip damage. While most hip implant devices include a single-piece neck and stem, Stryker’s innovative devices include modular, interchangeable neck and stem components. This design was meant to provide surgeons with components that more naturally match a patient’s natural hip architecture, while also providing better stability with a minimum of bone stress. A variety of size options allows surgeons to custom-fit the devices to each patient.
The company claims the device stems were manufactured using a proprietary alloy blend process that more closely resembles human bone tissue. The alloy was said to contain titanium, iron, molybdenum and zirconium, a formula that resists the corrosion and fretting noted in other devices that causes metal flaking of small particles into tissue, the bloodstream or bones.
After devices were implanted in patients, beginning in 2010, market data showed evidence of fretting and device corrosion. Both Rejuvenate and ABG II hip implant systems were recalled in 2012 as a result. Stryker recalled the devices on July 6, 2012 after more than 60 adverse event reports concerning metal toxicity were sent to the FDA.
Though not technically considered metal-on-metal hip implant devices, because they do not contain metal ball and socket components, Stryker’s hip implant products show many of the same side effects of metal on metal hip implant devices. Because the neck pieces are composed of chromium and cobalt and are coated with titanium alloy, the devices are prone to fretting and corrosion.
Stryker issued an urgent safety communication to surgeons and hospitals in April of 2012, listing several potential hazards including ion generation and excess metallic debris and fretting and corrosion of the modular neck junction.