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DePuy, Hip Replacement, knee replacement, lawsuit, New York TImes, Scorpio TS knee replacement implant., Stryker Corporation, UNited States, United States District Court
Stryker Scorpio knee implant injury claim goes to trial
August 24, 2011 by MassDevice staff
A case dismissal is overturned as Stryker fends off a lawsuit holding its subsidiary Howmedica liable for design, manufacturing and marketing defects in its Scorpio TS knee replacement implant.
A Fifth Circuit court overturned a lower court‘s decision to dismiss a case against a knee implant sold through Stryker Corp. (NYSE:SYK) subsidiary Howmedica Osteonics, and the case will move to trial.
Patient Lynn Brandau argued that Howmedica should be held liable for defects in design, manufacturing and marketing of its Scorpio TS knee replacement device, which she had implanted and then removed from her right knee.
Stryker attempted to have the case dismissed for being outside of the legal timeframe for bringing a complaint to court since Brandau first began to experience pain in January 2008 and didn’t file the claim until September 2010, missing the two-year window.
T
he court decided that “Brandau’s cause of action did not automatically accrue when she began to experience pain” and overturned the lower court decision, ruling in favor of Brandau, who argued she could not have known there was an issue with the implant until she had an X-ray in September 2008, court filings show.
Brandau first received the implant in October 2007, replacing her right knee. When the implant was removed in February 2009, it appeared that a threaded stem on the tibial facet had become loose and make the implant unstable.
In May of last year Stryker won a similar lawsuit against Howmedica’s Duracon Total Knee system brought by a patient who suffered an allergic reaction to the nickel contained in the device. Judge Glenn Suddaby of the U.S. District Court for Northern New York tossed the lawsuit, ruling that the patient failed to demonstrate “either a design defect or the existence of inadequate warnings,” according to court documents.
That followed another court win for Howmedica and Stryker, in which a Texas judge decided to toss a lawsuit over an allegedly defective hip implant. Stryker also won the dismissal of a whistleblower lawsuit in Michigan in 2010, after a judge ruled that plaintiffs failed to prove that Stryker sales reps initiated a kickbacks scheme.
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Had 6stryker implants including Scorpio and they failed now I am in a dilemma in Miami because the Stryker tka put in in 2010 is also failing.
From 2005 until 2011 I have had 6 failed replacements
I only weigh 130 pounds I am 51 so now what do I do
I do not know any south Florida attorneys to turn to
Hi Sandy
That is terrible. I don’t know what to say.
I am just going out the door to have my own revision done today!
I will be in touch in a few days.
Earl
I am back jack jieafa the stryker sales representative attended my 8 revision knee replacement surgeries yet did not make an adverse event report until I filed my own report years later. Why is this allowable. I contacted the FDA and they only agreed to monitor stryker for 3 months
Tuesday going in for 2nd total knee revision Stryker
Right now the stabbing pain on the inside of the knee is enough to make me bonkers but the nagging thought of what if this doesn’t work all that pain again not to mention loss of money and depression I am not looking forward to this
Sandy
Hi Sandy – well I didn’t reply because the day I replied originally I had just had my hip revision – 3 years and 2 weeks after it was done originally and so I know how you feel. Last year was the 5th hell year – I hope that this year is better for both of us? I hope your operation goes well – what is the replacement device?
Earl
Sandy
how is it going. Did you find a lawyer – there are a list of lawyers on my blog – left hand column – you could try?
Earl
I live in Canada and had a TKR on July 21. 1211. I have had six months of a range of “pain” and recently got all my hospital records and find that I have had Scorpio products implanted.
I have a had a sciatic branch nerve pain in my thigh and sometimes lower leg since the surgery. I have had so much scar tissue that I have not been able to flex my knee beyond 74 degrees, Istill have limited extension. WIth any physio prescribed execise the pain in the sciatic nerve branch increases. I feel that my knee has a sharp stinging pain, a deep point of pressure pain and is always heavy, feels enlarged and is still hot.
So six months after this surgery I am more crippled than before, I cana’t walk well enough to get good exercise and any specific forcing of the flexion or extension only increases the pain.
Am I a victim of faulty implants ?
Please help me gather more information.
Thanks,
Nancy
Hi Nancy
It is highly likely that something has gone wrong with the TKR but whether it is the new joint or not is hard to say. Have you had tests, scans etc ? Perhaps a second medical opinion?
There is not too much in the news about the Stryker hip. The lawyers handing the case mentioned may have more detail but I have not found anything in my daily searches.
Earl
Wow ! I didn’t expect much response or so fast, but thank you very much.
I am trying to get my doctor to speak with the Ortho. Surgeon, and then to schedule an MRI… The Ortho, has not been much help…saying that I have to force my knee, suck up the pain and keep doing it. I have so much scar tissue and it hurts to bend my knee. All that along with other OA mobility issues makes for a very unhappy person.
The surgical report does not tell if nerves were cut, nicked, twisted or any way impacted. Notes say everything was fine, I asked the surgeon what tendons they cut and he claims none, although they take out the anterior and posterior cruteate ligaments. I don’t understand where all the scar tissue has come from.
I am trying to find out what “ingredients” there are in these implants:Scorpio NRG PS Femoral Componant-HA; Scorpio NRG X3 Tibial Bearing insert-PS; Scorpio Universal Dome Patella; Series 7000 Standard Tibial Tray.
Do these things have nichol, cobalt ??? or any other potentially harmful componants.
You look kind of young for hip replacements…were you injured or has it been a overuse/wear and tear injury ?
Not sure at this time if I have any legal case here, so I am trying to gather as much information as possible.
Thanks again,
Nancy
Hi Nancy
they certainly are economical with anything that could threaten them!
I will see what I can find out for you.
I am 54 in February – but way too young. Wore out my hips with too much sport and the odd accident!
Cheers
Earl
Thank you Earlstevens58,
Like so many people who had an “active life style” we are now paying the price ! It makes me cringe when I see people pounding the pavement these days…only time will tell what their problems will be. Maybe the price of surgeries will go down due to greater volume ! Ha !
i am in Canada and luckily have a medical system that covers most of the costs. I have been looking at other sites about nerve pain and arthofibrosis and there are some people (doctors) doing a brisk business fixing people. I, unfortunately don’t have the luxury of traveling for that kind of thing.
Gotta run…thanks again for your input.
Nancy
Yes – keeping fit and chasing the “body image” has caused lots of issues for this generation.
Earl
Hi my dad is in hospital now as he has an infection in his knee, they are going to need to take the stryker knee replacement out, is this possible? as he is so worried he may lose his leg as the doctor has said this could be an option. Please someone help me find out as much as I can
Regards Meegan
Hi Meegan
Doctors always like painting the worst picture. Replacing a knee is very straight forward. So try to relax a little on that. If you are worried about the quality of the surgeon the you should get a second opinion.
Earl
Thank you Earl, I dont know the name of the which one he has, but it is the larger knee which runs from the top of his leg to the bottom, not just the standard smaller knee as you may be thinking. I dont know how they are going to remove it as it is concreted into his bones. I will find the name of it and let you know
Meegan
my mother had total knee replacements done in 2000 and 2001. Both stryker scorpio and smith and nephew genesis ii were used.
they have completely failed and she doesnt want painful revisions.
can she still get compensated since it’s been so long ago?
If yes who can you recommend. thanks.
Hi
that is terrible – unfortunately it would seem that the statue for limitations have passed.
After 10 years many surgeons would argue that this is just a routine revision as 10 – 20 years seems to be the range of time they will last.
It seems that your mum needs to find a good surgeon who will talk her through the process – it should be much better than putting up with the pain!
Earl
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