Research done at the Anderson Orthopaedic Research Institute in Alexandria, Virginia has showed an extremely high failure rate for the Stryker Osteonics Howmedica Duracon Unicompartmental Implant System. The failure occurred in an integral part of the knee joint replacment, a plastic separator referred to as an insert. As the insert is responsible for cushioning the impacts experienced by the knee joint replacement device, it is imperative that the insert be as durable as possible. Extensive wear of the insert can result in failure of the entire knee joint replacement device, bone loss, and the release of foreign bodies into the patient. At the very least, extensive wear of the insert will result in the need for a revision surgery to remove the worn insert and to replace it with a new insert.

The inserts used in the Stryker Osteonics Howmedica Duracon Unicompartmental Implant System are manufactured from a type of plastic known as polyethylene. Polyethylene is commonly used for knee prosthesis inserts because of its extreme durability.

Between December of 1997 and January of 2000, a highly respected orthopedic surgeon at the Anderson Orthopaedic Research Institute performed 73 unicondylar knee arthroplasties using the Stryker Osteonics Howmedica Duracon Unicompartmental Implant System. Within 2 years, the implant inserts were severely worn and 51 percent had failed. Subsequent research by the orthopedic surgeon showed that the polyethylene inserts had been sterilized by exposure to gamma radiation in air and then stored for between 4.5 and 6.5 years before being implanted in patients.

In the first half of the 1990's it became widely known in the orthopedic implant industry that gamma radiation in air coupled with extended shelf life rendered polyethylene inserts defective. The gamma radiation caused the polyethylene to oxidize. Over time the oxidation resulted in the insert becoming inflexible and weak. The problem seemed to be especially severe if there were more than a few years between the gamma sterilization and implantation of the implant in the patient.

It is apparent that the orthopedic surgeon at the Anderson Orthopaedic Research Institute that conducted the study on the failed Duracon knee implants was shocked by the results of his research. He writes: "Although the senior author practiced orthopaedic surgery for almost 30 years, he was not prepared for the dilemma he faced on learning that his patients had received an implant with defective mechanical properties." He goes on to state that he was shocked by the catastrophic wear of the inserts that occurred within only 2 years. The author also stated that in performing his research, he learned that implants sterilized by gamma radiation in air had not been purged from all inventories. He cautions orthopedic surgeons to attempt to avoid implanting these implants in patients.

The trial lawyers of the Maglio Christopher & Toale Law Firm have been very active in investigating and litigating the above problem. If you believe that your Stryker Osteonics Howmedica Duracon Knee Implant failed because it was defective, the attorneys of the Maglio Christopher & Toale Law Firm will be glad to review your medical records to determine whether we feel there are sufficient grounds for us to represent you in pursuing a lawsuit against the manufacturer. Click here for our online potential case evaluation form.

Typically in order to review a case, we need the orthopedic surgeon's office chart, the operative reports for the original joint replacement surgery and the revision surgery, and the device record for the original surgery from the hospital chart (this shows the product and lot numbers of the components of the device). We also like to have the device. Therefore, it is essential that you get possession of the device as soon as it is removed. It may still be possible to do the case with no device, but it will be much more difficult.