Arkansas orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Win Moore III, was shocked when he received a one-page letter from Stryker Corp. in 2012 announcing a problem with its metal-on-metal hip replacement systems. With more than 20 years of experience, the surgeon at Baxter Regional Bone and Joint Clinic, has performed hundreds of surgeries.
Nearly One-Fourth of Surgeon’s Patients Receiving Stryker Metal-On-Metal Hip Implants Needed Revision Surgery
The medical device recall referenced two products — the Rejuvenate and AGB II modular-neck hip stems. Moore and his staff identified 59 patients affected by the Stryker recall. Of those, 14 patients required revision surgery.
The surgeon reportedly was extremely concerned about the criteria for determining when a hip implant required removal. According to Moore, Stryker was not helpful.
One problem with the devices, the orthopedic surgeon learned, involves “fretting,” meaning that tiny particles of cobalt and chromium flake off from the metal-on-metal joint and drift into nearby tissue. The body then attacks the metal debris, resulting in inflammation, pain and other issues.
When harmful cobalt levels reach a certain point, the metal-on-metal hip device has to be removed and replaced. And patients have to be monitored for life to detect whether the cobalt levels in the blood become dangerous at some point in the future. In fact, some patients feel fine even when their chromium or cobalt levels have become unacceptable. That’s why monitoring is so important.
Contact Waters Kraus Paul & Siegel to Learn More About Filing a Metal-on-Metal Hip Implant Lawsuit
Waters Kraus Paul & Siegel is a national plaintiffs’ law firm devoted to helping families in personal injury and wrongful death cases involving metal-on-metal hip implants manufactured by a number of companies, including Stryker, Zimmer, Biomet and DePuy. If you have suffered injuries or the death of a loved one associated with metal-on-metal hip replacements, contact us by email or call us at800.226.9880 to speak with one of our medical device attorneys, like Sara Coopwood in the firm’s Texas office, and learn more about how we can assist you with a metal-on-metal hip replacement lawsuit or claim.
