Tennessee Injury Lawyer Blog
Tennessee residents and people all across the United States have heard about the Stryker hip implant recall from the news, television, the internet or some other source. Many people have also been personally affected by these hip implants and may have needed additional surgery to replace the defective hip implant. Hip implants and other types of medical devices like them are typically needed for people who suffer from arthritis or massive bone fractures.
In this case, Richard Lynn Torbett claims that after receiving the Rejuvenate hip device, he suffered serious injuries, which required him to need a revision surgery in order to correct these problems. During the surgery, his doctors discovered that he had a deep pocket of swelling around his joint. He also had a large amount of fluid swelling around the joint, and finally, had fretting and corrosion around the joint as well. The release of cobalt and chromium from the fretting and corrosion also caused him to suffer damage to tissue around the medical device and elevated blood serum levels of cobalt and chromium. He will continue to need medical treatments, rehabilitation, and medicine because of these injuries.
He seeks to hold Stryker Orthopedics liable for his medical expenses, pain, and suffering, and seeks in excess of $75,000 in damages.
The Stryker Company released the Rejuvenate hip implant in February 2009. Stryker claimed that the titanium alloy used in the device was stronger than other titanium alloys, and had been tested and proven to resist the effects of fretting and corrosion.
The device was also marketed as providing options that enhanced stability and intra-operative flexibility, providing surgeons with more options to better personalize the implant to a patient’s unique anatomy.
In April 2012, Stryker released an urgent safety notice to surgeons and hospitals in the United States. In the notice, the company stated that it had received reports of premature Rejuvenate device failure because of heavy metal contamination. The notice specifically mentioned failures occurring at the neck junction between the two-part neck and stem, due to fretting and corrosion. This was exactly the same fretting and corrosion that Stryker had warranted would not occur because of the Rejuvenate design and composition.
Stryker stated that these issues could cause tissue necrosis (tissue death), metallosis, adverse soft tissue reactions, and the formation of pseudotumors (deep pockets of swelling). In July 2012, the company issued a voluntary Stryker hip replacement recall of all Rejuvenate and ABG II modular stems, stating the components had been linked to reports of premature failure due to heavy metal fretting and corrosion.
Many medical devices and implants like the Stryker hip implants are designed properly and are very effective and beneficial to patients in helping them to lead fulfilling and active lives. However, sometimes medical devices do have defectives and problems. When this occurs, it is necessary to hold the company responsible for any design defectives that may have caused the problems as well as their failure to properly warn doctors and patients about the potential risks involved. It is important to hold them accountable for any negligence on their part.
Patients all across the country have suffered from the Stryker implant recalls, even people in Tennessee. If you feel that you or someone you love may have a claim after receiving one of these defective implants, then you should call on of your Tennessee Stryker Hip Implant Recall Lawyers. We will listen to your case and help you to determine the best course of action to take in getting you the compensation you need for your injuries.
