Failed Cartiva Implant Resulted in Need for Removal, Big Toe Fusion Surgery: Lawsuit

Complaint claims that Cartiva Inc. deliberately concealed high failure rates associated with its synthetic cartilage implant used for big toe arthritis.

An Illinois man indicates in a recently filed lawsuit that doctors removed his Cartiva toe implant after discovering the device had failed, causing him to suffer increasing pain and less range of motion, which was the exact opposite of what he was told to expect.

The allegations were raised in a complaint (PDF) brought by Joe Krolicki in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on March 31, pursuing product liability claims against Cartiva, Inc. as the defendant.

The Cartiva SCI (synthetic cartilage implant) is a small medical device placed in the big toe joint, which is molded from polyvinyl alcohol-based hydrogel (PVA). The big toe implant has been promoted by the manufacturer as an effective alternative to fusion surgery for patients with hallux limitus or hallux rigidus, which are both forms of degenerative arthritis that attack the first joint of the big toe.

However, due to incidents like Krolicki’s, the cylindrical toe implants have been linked to high failure rates, which have caused some recipients to experience severe pain, implant loosening and other complications, frequently resulting in the need for revision surgery and permanent fusion of the toe. In October 2024, the high Cartiva failure rates led to the announcement of a Cartiva recall by the manufacturer.

Since then, a growing number of Cartiva lawsuits have been brought by individuals who had the device placed in their foot, each raising similar allegations that the big toe implant was defectively designed and contained risks that were not adequately disclosed to the medical community and patients.

According to Krolicki’s complaint, he was first implanted with a Cartiva device in 2018. However, after the surgery, he began to experience worsening pain and decreased range of motion in the toe.

Eventually, another doctor determined that the Cartiva implant had failed and recommended the implant be removed.

Krolicki indicates the manufacturer knew about the problems for years, but intentionally hid the complication risks from federal regulators and patients.

“The actual success rate patients experience was significantly less than what Defendant marketed and initially claimed,” the lawsuit states. “Since the Cartiva device has been used in the market, Defendant was notified that doctors were unable to replicate the success rates in practice that Defendant claimed existed in promotional materials.”

The lawsuit indicates Krolicki suffered loss of range of motion, loss of mobility, nerve damage and debilitating pain. He presents claims of strict product liability and negligence.

Cartiva Implant Lawsuits

In the wake of the 2024 recall, which removed all Cartiva implants from the market, a growing number of individuals like Krolicki are now reaching out to lawyers to determine whether they may be eligible for financial compensation through a Cartiva implant lawsuit, claiming that they may have avoided painful complications, or the need for revision surgery, if the manufacturer had been honest about the implant’s failure rates.

The first Cartiva lawsuit trial is scheduled to begin on October 28. The second Cartiva SCI trial will be held in February 2026, involving claims by a West Virginia woman who says the implant failed just weeks before the recall was announced.

Although the outcomes of these trials will be closely watched by those involved in Cartiva proceedings, the results will not be binding on any other Cartiva SCI lawsuits.

To follow the latest updates on this litigation, sign up to receive AboutLawsuits.com Cartiva lawsuit updates delivered to your email inbox as soon as they are published.