Dissociation due to hip surgery tends to be rare but can happen. Stryker Corp. was recently in the news due to a collective lawsuit that (in some cases) resulted in dissociation. The other complication being addressed as a result of specific Stryker metal implants is metallosis (you can read more about metallosis here).
Metal Dissociation Described
In this case, dissociation is caused when metal parts are ground down by other metal parts. The wear and tear can create a sharp shape that can cause serious injury. It is also possible for the two metal pieces that usually join to cause a hip implant to separate.
When complete dissociation happens, patients that have received a hip implant can be caught off guard and without warning. Often, those impacted by dissociation fall or have other injuries that occur without any signs of warnings. Because there are no real signs that dissociation is occurring, it is hard to determine whether or not dissociation will become a problem. In most cases, Metallosis is far more common.
Stryker Lawsuit
At the time of this writing, Stryker has not recalled any metal hip parts. However, there is something that you can do if you believe that injuries have occurred as a result of your Stryker hip implant, please contact us today.
