At Altman & Altman, LLP, our hip implant defect lawyers represent clients throughout the US that have been injured because of faulty or dangerous medical devices. One of these devices, the Stryker Rejuvenate hip replacement system, is causing many patients post-implant complications.
Unlike many of the other hip replacement devices that have been associated with serious side effects, the Stryker Rejuvenate isn’t a metal-on-metal device. It does, however, have parts that are metal-on-metal and has been linked to a greater risk of metallosis.
Metallosis is a medical condition that causes metal debris to build up in the body’s soft tissue. It can lead to pain, hip joint failure, mobility limitations, bone dissolution, pseudo-tumors, chromosomal aberrations, and bone dissolution. The Stryker Rejuvenate hip replacement system is also associated with an early failure rate that is unusually high, meaning that some patients are having to get their implants replaced way earlier than is acceptable (within five years rather than in 15 to 20 years), which is forcing them to undergo revision (replacement) surgery. As a result, they are once more exposed to the risks that are involved with this type of surgical implant procedure. They also must then undergo rehabilitation and learn how to function with their replacement implant.
Typical possible hip replacement surgery complications -blood clots, implant misalignment, joint dislocation, noisy hip, leg length differential, the implant coming loose, infection, fracture, and allergic reactions-are tough enough to deal with without a medical device posing additional risks such as the ones associated with the Stryker Rejuvenate. While hip replacement devices are generally associated with older people, the Stryker Rejuvenate system was marketed with younger patients in mind. The modular device is supposed to be customized to create a more personalized fit for each person.
Last year, however, Stryker announced it was voluntary recalling both its Rejuvenate Modular and ABG II modular-neck stems over reports of corrosion and fretting. Patients complained that the ABG II modular-neck hip stems, with its plastic-on-ceramic design that is arranged in metal-on-metal fashion, was causing local tissue reactions and/or pain and swelling in the hip area. Also, there have been concerns that the device’s metal parts might cause high levels of chromium and cobalt to enter the body. Cobalt can damage bones and the cells of the body, leading to bone loss, inflammation, and other serious side effects.
You want to work with a Stryker hip implant injury law firm that understands the severity of the complications involved, can determine what caused them, and knows what needs to be done in order to successfully pursue damages. While hip implant procedures can take a toll whether a patient is an elderly senior or younger, it should not be because a medical device manufacturer was negligent.
Related Web Resources:
Hip Implant Risks, Mayo Clinic
Activities After Hip Replacement, Ortho Info
More Blog Posts:
First of DePuy Hip Lawsuits Go to Trial, Drug Injury Lawyers Blog, January 25, 2012
Johnson & Johnson Settles First Three DePuy Hip Implant Lawsuits for $600,000, Boston Injury Lawyer Blog, August 25, 2012
Zimmer KnexGen and DePuy Knee Implants Linked to Patient Injuries, Boston Injury Lawyer Blog, August 6, 2012