Stern Law Handling Stryker Knee Implant Cases
The experienced medical device attorneys at Stern Law are currently handling cases involving Stryker knee implants. If you had a total knee replacement using a Stryker implant and developed a subsequent injury, contact our office today to see if you could be entitled to compensation from the manufacturer.
What is a Stryker Triathlon Knee Implant?
The Triathlon implant is a single-radius, high flexion knee replacement device to be used during a total knee arthroplasty procedure. It was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2005 and was used exclusively with Stryker’s ShapeMatch Cutting Guide. The ShapeMatch Gutting Guide was intended to assist surgeons in patient-specific intraoperative positioning of the knee implant and to guide surgeons in marking the places where patients’ knee bones were to be cut for surgery.
FDA Recall
In April 2013, the FDA issued a Class 1 Recall (the highest class of recall) for the ShapeMatch Cutting Guide in the Stryker Triathlon knee implant system. Because of a software defect, the FDA warned, the ShapeMatch Cutting Guide might display incorrect cutting parameters, which could result in surgeons performing the knee arthroplasty incorrectly.
Prior to the FDA’s recall, Stryker disseminated correspondence to surgeons and medical facilities warning against the use of the ShapeMatch Cutting Guide in any knee replacement procedures until further notice.
Stryker Knee Implant Injuries
The software defect of the ShapeMatch Cutting Guide lead to patients experiencing a number of complications with their Triathlon implants. In our experience litigating these cases, we have represented clients with the following knee implant injuries:
- Joint instability
- Joint fracture
- Chronic pain
- Swelling and infection
- Limited mobility or total immobility
Most of these complications will require additional surgery, and many ultimately require a repeat total knee replacement procedure. Law firms across the country, including Stern Law, have filed lawsuits against Stryker alleging it had knowledge prior to 2012 of the defect with its cutting guide and failed to take action to warn doctors using the Triathlon system of the potential risks.
How Do I Know if I Have a Case?
In order to file a lawsuit against Stryker, a person must be able to prove he or she had a Triathlon implant placed in conjunction with a ShapeMatch Cutting Guide. Generally before surgery, surgeons will discuss the implant they intend to place, but do not always call the implant by its brand name. They also generally do not discuss all the surgical instruments they intend to use. For this reason, you might not have any idea what implant you have or what the surgeon used to place it. Many of our clients do not know what kind of implant they have when they first contact us about their cases, and we always tell them not to worry.
When you sign up with Stern Law, we will track down that information for you. After we receive your potential claim, we will immediately order medical records from the day of your knee replacement surgery. Included in our records order, we request copies of the intraoperative notes and implant reports from your surgery. Those records will usually contain a product sticker or lot number that identifies the specific brand and manufacturer of your knee implant. We call this sticker or lot number “product identification.” The records will also contain a list of instruments used, which should include some reference to the cutting guide. Once we have identified all this information, we can begin to discuss how to move forward.
Stern Law Offering Free Consultations
Because we recognize that our clients likely already have costly medical bills related to their injuries, we ask for zero money up front. Your consultation is completely free, and we will investigate your claim without ever sending you a bill. If we decide we cannot pursue a claim for you, you will not have to pay anything.
Alternatively, if we decide we can move forward, we will generally advance the costs of any claim we end up pursuing on your behalf. The average person cannot afford the large expenses of a lawsuit, so we assume that financial risk and contract cases on a contingency fee basis. What this means is we only get paid if you get paid. If you do not receive an award from your lawsuit, you will not owe us a cent. We strive to make this process as easy for our clients as possible because we know they are already dealing with enough stress.
Contact Stern Law, PLLC
If you or a loved one had a Stryker knee implant surgery and developed a related injury, contact Stern Law, PLLC today. We have the skills and resources to protect your rights. Contact us by calling (844) 808-7529, and schedule your free consultation with a seasoned product liability attorney.
