Cartiva® Class Action Lawsuit | Cartiva Lawyer, Attorney

Lawsuits have been filed by people who were injured when their Cartiva toe implant caused pain or other complications that required surgery.

What You Can Do & How We Can Help

The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting Cartiva Toe Implant induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know was injured or needed surgery for a Cartiva Toe Implant that failed, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Class Action Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.

Cartiva Toe Implant Lawsuits

A growing number of lawsuits allege that design flaws with the Cartiva toe implant are causing severe pain and other complications after surgery. These problems often result in additional procedures, long-term problems with mobility, and worse outcomes for big toe arthritis.

What is the Problem?

The Cartiva toe implant is a Synthetic Cartilage Implant (SCI), which means that it is made of a man-made material called a hydrogel that is supposed to mimic natural cartilage.

When it was approved in 2016, Cartiva claimed that it had a 90% success rate. It was heralded as a breakthrough for people suffering from big toe arthritis, providing patients with an easy alternative to toe fusion surgery that would eliminate pain and preserve their flexibility.

Instead, doctors and patients are complaining about high rates of bad outcomes. In many cases, the Cartiva implant slips back inside the toe bone, rendering it useless to prevent bone-on-bone pain from arthritis.

When complications occur, patients typically must undergo another surgery to remove the Cartiva device, fix damage to their toe joint, or undergo a toe fusion surgery. These patients are often angry because they were hoping to avoid toe fusion in the first place by choosing Cartiva, and were instead left with worse problems when it failed.

Studies Find Alarmingly High Rates of Cartiva Failure

In 2019, researchers at Cedar Sinai Hospital published a study in which 30% of Cartiva implant patients were dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with the outcomes. About 50% of patients needed corticosteroid injections after the surgery due to pain and other problems. Patients also reported complications, such as:

Cartiva implant slips inside bone (called “subsidence”)
Chronic pain
Infection
Implant fracture
Bone loss or bone over-production
Cysts
Needing surgery to remove the implant
Needing toe fusion surgery

Study: 64% of Cartiva Implants Failed Within 4 Weeks

In 2019, the University Foot & Ankle Institute published a report by Dr. Bob Baravarian who warned that he had seen about 50% of Cartiva implants fail, resulting in the need for surgery to remove the implant and replace it with another device.

In 2020, a study by the American Orthopaedic Food and Ankle Society warned that 64% of Cartiva implants failed within 4 weeks of surgery. At 19 months post-surgery, a shocking 79% of Cartiva implants had failed.

Examples of Cartiva Toe Implant Lawsuits

In October 2022, a lawsuit was filed by Cathy A., a woman from Texas who received a Cartiva implant in November 2018. About two years later, the implant failed and she needed two revision surgeries to correct complications – Case Number 1:22-cv-01037-RP.
In June 2022, a lawsuit was filed by Sally P., a woman from Wisconsin who developed complications and needed surgery to remove her Cartiva toe implant in August 2020. – Case Number 2:22-cv-00685.
In May 2022, a lawsuit was filed by Gina N., a woman from North Carolina who needed surgery to remove a Cartiva toe implant in June 2019. She also required a total toe replacement with bone void filler. – Case Number 5:22-cv-00072.
In March 2022, a lawsuit was filed by Tammie T., a woman from California who received a Cartiva toe implant in 2017. The implant slipped inside her bone (a complication called “subsidence”). The lawsuit indicates that she will require surgery to remove the Cartiva device, fix bone problems in her toe, and fusion surgery. – Case Number 2:22-cv-00516-KJM-AC.

Can I Join a Class Action Lawsuit?

The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is nationally recognized as a class action law firm. We are currently filing individual lawsuits for people who were injured or needed surgery for a Cartiva Toe Implant that failed, broke, moved out of position, caused severe pain, or other complications.

About Class Actions

Class actions are useful when a lot of people are seeking compensation for other reimbursement for a similar legal claim (such as purchasing a defective product).

In most class actions, a single person called a class representative files the lawsuit on behalf of a much larger group of people. If that person is awarded compensation by a jury verdict, judge, or settlement, everyone who is eligible to join the lawsuit gets a payout.

Why Our Law Firm is Filing Individual Lawsuits as Opposed to a Class Action

Our law firm is filing individual lawsuits so we can focus on helping people with the most serious injuries from the Cartiva toe implant. If you decide to file a lawsuit, our law firm may be able to help you seek financial compensation for your economic and non-economic losses. This may include reimbursement for your medical expenses, pain and suffering, mental anguish, lost income or earning potential, long-term disabilities (such as loss of mobility), and more.

Do I have a Cartiva Class Action Lawsuit?

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Cartiva Class Action Lawsuit