Stryker Accolade Hip Lawsuits Filed Over Corrosion, Metal Toxicity

Individuals who received a Stryker Accolade hip replacement may face a risk of fretting and corrosion, which can cause the failure of the metal implant, according to a number of new product liability lawsuits filed against the medical device manufacturer.  

At least five complaints were filed in New Jersey state court last month, all involving similar allegations that the Stryker Accolade TMZF hip stem and LFIT anatomic V40 femoral head are defectively designed and manufactured.

The Stryker Accolade hip lawsuits were filed in the same court where hundreds of lawsuits are currently pending over problems with Stryker Rejuvenate and ABG II hip replacements, which were recalled in July 2012 amid reports that they may corrode, fret and fail within a few years after surgery.

According to a report by Law360.com, the lawsuits over Stryker Accolade implants raise similar allegations, indicating that the devices shed metal particles of chromium and cobalt into consumer’s bodies, resulting in metal blood poisoning, also known as metallosis, which caused tumors, and damage to tissue and bone.

The Stryker Accolade hip implant was introduced in March 2000, featuring a titanium stem that is single piece designed to be implanted into the patient’s femur.

Plaintiffs allege that the materials used in the Stryker Accolade hip have been known for decades to cause significant fretting and corrosion issues due to the combination of dissimilar metals. About the same time Stryker recalled the Rejuvenate and ABG II hip implants, plaintiffs indicate that the manufacturer abandoned use of TMZF titanium and now manufacture a new Accolade II stem with a different titanium alloy.

Stryker Rejuvenate Hip Lawsuits

There are currently more than 2,000 Stryker Rejuvenate hip lawsuits pending throughout the United States. Unlike traditional hip implants, which feature a single femoral component, the modular neck-stem system consists of two pieces that fit inside each other to allow the surgeon to customize the length of the femoral component based on the patient. However, the design has been linked to an increased risk of problems that may result from the release of microscopic metal debris as the chromium-cobalt neck rubs against the titanium femoral stem.

Although hip implants are typically expected to last 15 to 20 years, a Stryker Rejuvenate recall was issued in July 2012; less than two years after the design was introduced.

A number of Stryker Rejuvenate cases have already been settled as part of court-ordered mediation efforts designed to resolve the cases early in the litigation process.

If agreements are not reached to settle or otherwise resolve the Rejuvenate litigation, the first bellwether trials are expected to begin next summer.