| Doctors and patients using Stryker Trident PSL and Hemispherical Acetabular Cups have reported numerous complications with the defective medical devices manufactured by the Stryker Corporation, based in Kalamazoo Michigan and Stryker Canada, based in Hamilton, Ontario. In fact, Health Canada and the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) have reported that patients are not only experiencing squeaking with the ceramic on ceramic components, but are also having to undergo additional surgeries.
Complications with ceramic on ceramic components
Stryker's line of Trident PSL and Hemispherical Acetabular Cups is a line of hip implants which uses ceramic-on-ceramic components rather than metal-on-metal or metal-on-plastic components. Patients have complained about pain, difficulty in walking, pieces of the ceramic materials breaking off, wearing unevenly and squeaking – the latter of which can greatly affect the quality of a person's life. In fact, according to Stryker Defective Hip Implant attorneys and the FDA, Stryker received complaints from patients as far back as January 2005 including:
- improper seating of hip implants in broached bones resulting in bone fractures,
- Trident Hemispherical and Trident PSL cups which failed to function and hip implant components with poor fixation. In some instances, these problems have required revision surgeries, and
- squeaking noises of hip implants with ceramic bearing components; some of those problems
To listen to an actual Stryker hip implant squeak, click here.
Squeaking worst on Stryker products
The results of a study on ceramic on ceramic hip replacements were presented by Dr. Todd Swanson at the 2009 American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS) Annual Meeting. Swanson reported that Stryker's Trident Acetabular System caused hip replacement patients the most problems with squeaking. But what percentage of patients report squeaking? More than you might think. Here are the numbers being reported:
- 3%: Philadelphia’s Rothman Institute reviewed nearly 1,500 patients who had ceramic hip replacement surgery and concluded that 49 of those patients (3 percent) experienced audible squeaking.
- 7%: A study published in the Journal of Arthoplasty reported that seven percent of patients who had a total hip replacement using ceramic parts developed squeaking.
- 11%: Orthopedics Today reported that 11.4 percent of patients with ceramic hip implants experienced squeaking well above the average audible range.
In addition, Canada’s Times Colonist newspaper reported that one in every seven knee and hip replacement surgery patient ended up back in the hospital within one year of their surgeries. That's 14%. Of that number, over 10 percent had to have their surgeries completely redone.
Not very good statistics no matter how you look at it. If you've been injured by a defective hip implant, contact an experienced attorney to discuss your situation and evaluate your options. You may be entitled to compensation for medical bills, lost wages and pain and suffering.
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