NEW YORK, Sept. 25, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Seeger Weiss LLP advises that on July 6th, 2012, Stryker issued a voluntary recall of its Rejuvenate Modular Hip System and ABG II Modular-Neck stems due to mounting evidence that its design has led to major complications in hundreds of patients. According to the Stryker press release, these implants have an increased risk of “fretting and corrosion at the modular-neck junction."The development is the latest in a string of recalls related to hip replacement devices that utilize metal-on-metal components, which have been linked to instances of metallosis, muscle damage and complete hip implant failure.
Hip replacement surgery, otherwise known as arthroplasty, is currently one of the most commonly practiced orthopedic surgeries in the United States, with the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality estimating that more than 285,000 hip replacements are performed each year within the country. In an article published on December 27th, 2011, the New York Times categorized the hip replacement crisis as “the most widespread medical implant failure in decades.”
There has been a sharp rise in the number of problems associated with the use of prostheses featuring either all-metal designs or designs that contain parts that produce metal-on-metal friction. While the Stryker Rejuvenate is not a metal-on-metal hip device, it has a metal neck piece that can, under some conditions, rub against a metal stem, causing metallic debris to come loose, and in some instances, cause metallosis.
Metallosis is an adverse tissue reaction to heavy metals in the body. It can cause pain, limited mobility, failure of the hip joint, pseudo-tumors, dissolution of the bone, DNA changes and chromosomal aberrations.
The result is that injured hip replacement patients are starting to file claims against Stryker. “The abundance of evidence against the integrity of the metal-on-metal design raises serious questions as to whether Stryker practiced due diligence before releasing their product to the market,” says Chris Seeger, partner at Seeger Weiss LLP. “If it is established that Stryker put company profits ahead of patient safety, then legal action may be necessary to provide justice for those injured.”
As industry leaders with decades of experience successfully representing plaintiffs in these types of injury cases and recovering large financial awards, the partners at Seeger Weiss LLP have the expertise to provide just compensation for individuals who have suffered injuries as the result of faulty hip implants. If you or a loved one has suffered an injury due to Stryker hip replacements, visit http://www.hipimplantrecall.com/ or call 888.584.0411 for a free case evaluation.
Contact: Patricia Issacson, 212-584-0700, PIsaacson@seegerweiss.com
SOURCE Seeger Weiss LLP
