Stryker hip lawsuits related to the recent recall of Rejuvenate and ABG II hip stems are expected to cost the company dearly, according to Stryker's own annual report.   So far, the company has estimated the legal liability related to the hip replacement lawsuits filed in the wake of the recall could cost it as much as $390 million. 

The Stryker hip replacement recall was issued in July 2012, after data indicated the Rejuvenate and ABG II hip stems were prone to fretting and corrosion at the modular neck junction.   By the time the recall was issued, the components had already been implanted in tens of thousands of people.  Now, those individuals are at risk for adverse local tissue reactions, pain, and swell – all of which may require revision surgery to replace the failing hip.

Not surprisingly, dozens of hip replacement lawsuits have already been filed against Stryker by patients who received a recalled Rejuvenate or ABG II hip stem.  In February 2013, the Supreme Court of New Jersey centralized all Stryker hip lawsuits related to the recall in a consolidated proceeding in Bergen County Superior Court.  As of March 2013, at least 81 hip implant claims were pending in that litigation. A number of hip replacement lawsuits have also been filed in various federal courts by Rejuvenate and ABG II recipients.  In May 2013, a panel of federal judges will meet to decide if federal Stryker hip lawsuits warrant consolidation in a single jurisdiction.

Plaintiffs in Stryker hip lawsuits allege that the company did not do enough to test the Rejuvenate and ABG II hip stems, and failed to provide adequate warnings of their potential health risks.  Claimants further allege that the metal shed as a result of fretting and corrosion of the hip components can lead to a variety of health problems, including:

• Damage and death to surrounding tissue
• Bone loss
• Formation of pseudotumors
• Loosening of the implant
• Premature failure of the device

Stryker has advised recipients of the Rejuvenate and ABG II stems to undergo blood tests for metal ion levels, as well as imaging screens – even if they are not having any problems, to ensure their hips are functioning properly.  While the company has offered to reimburse affected patients for certain costs related to the recall, attorneys representing clients in hip replacement lawsuits have cautioned they first seek legal advice before agreeing to anything.  In fact, it would be best not to communicate with Stryker, or its representatives, at all before talking with an attorney.