In 2016, Cartiva – a subsidiary of the medical device giant Stryker – boasted that its medical device was a game changer for treating arthritis in the foot. However, shortly after its introduction to the market, doctors across the country started sounding the alarm that their patients were experiencing significantly higher rates of complications than Cartiva promised. However, Cartiva refused to take the product off the market.
As a result, a Chicagoland podiatrist continued to use the device on patients for years. And in 2021, the doctor implanted the Cartiva device in Robyn Gold’s foot and failed to tell her the truth about its risks and complications. Immediately after surgery, Ms. Gold experienced a significant increase in her pain. A second opinion revealed Ms. Gold needed to have the device removed and she underwent a fusion surgery shortly thereafter. Ms. Gold retained Pullano & Siporin to investigate this failure thereafter.
Pullano & Siporin retained orthopedic surgeons, podiatrists and biomedical engineers to determine (a) why Ms. Gold experienced so much pain with the Cartiva implant and (b) whether the Cartiva implant is “revolutionary,” like the manufacturer initially claimed, or actually a dangerous and defective device. The findings have been startling and resulted in our law firm filing a lawsuit against the manufacturer of the Cartiva implant and Ms. Gold’s podiatrist.
Now, after a year of litigation, Cartiva has finally pulled the device from the market and issued an URGENT recall. The company wrote: “Stryker has become aware of recently published data and post market reports indicating that patients implanted with Cartiva SCI may experience a higher-than-expected occurrence rate when compared to data submitted in the 2016 PMA of the following documented hazards: revision, removal, implant subsidence, displacement, nerve damage or fragmentation. Cartiva SCI devices have been observed in some cases to be revised/removed at higher rates than previously observed in the initial Cartiva SCI premarket and post-approval studies.”
The URGENT recall is a significant step in the process of ensuring this can never happen again in the future. Thanks to people like Ms. Gold who are willing come forward and fight for their rights, others will not have to experience the agony she has endured and will endure for the rest of her life. Additionally, product manufacturers of all types of medical devices are on notice that they must change the way they do business or face significant financial consequences.
Not all law firms are equipped to handle the complex nature of medical device defect litigation. In Illinois, Pullano & Siporin is believed to be the only law firm actively litigating these cases and has retained all the necessary experts to do so successfully. As a result, we are the only law firm with the expertise, dedication, and resources to advocate for those affected by Cartiva implant complications – ensuring you get the justice and support you deserve.
As a result, if you have been diagnosed with arthritis in your foot, or conditions like hallux rigidus or hallux limitus, and a doctor implanted a Cartiva device in your foot, you may be entitled to compensation. By contacting Pullano & Siporin, you can play a significant role in making sure manufacturers of medical devices do not put their profits over the well-being of the public again.
There are significant benefits to retaining a law firm that has already retained all the necessary experts in medical device litigation. Hiring all the necessary experts to win is costly in these types of cases. Sometimes it can become cost-prohibitive to pursue a case as a result. But, when the law firm has already retained the most highly qualified experts who have already begun combing through all the relevant documents to build the case, those costs can be spread out amongst all the plaintiffs pursuing claims. This makes it much more cost effective for each plaintiff to pursue their claim for the wrongs committed against them. The more people that come forward, the more product manufacturers will be on notice – change your ways or face the financial consequences.
Time is of the essence for other victims of Cartiva’s defective implants to bring their claims. Now that the recall has been issued, the statute of limitations has arguably started to run. Patients who have felt severe or increased pain after a Cartiva implant surgery need to come forward now, before their claim is time-barred.
Our firm is already fully equipped with the most qualified experts and well-prepared to help. To contact us, please call us at (312)551-1100 or email us at info@pullanolaw.com.