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BOCA RATON, Fla. — Baker Legal Team, a South Florida personal injury and product liability firm, has launched a new website and announced a nationwide legal practice focused on claims involving the Cartiva Synthetic Cartilage Implant (SCI), a medical device used to treat arthritis in the big toe.
The firm said it is now accepting case evaluations from patients who received the implant between July 2016 and October 2024 and later experienced complications such as implant failure, subsidence, displacement, fragmentation, chronic pain, nerve damage, or the need for revision or fusion surgery.
The Cartiva SCI was the subject of an FDA Class II recall initiated by Stryker in October 2024 and later published under FDA Recall No. Z-0598-2025.
The Cartiva Synthetic Cartilage Implant is a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) hydrogel device designed to treat hallux rigidus and hallux limitus, conditions involving degenerative arthritis of the first metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint.
The implant was approved through the FDA Premarket Approval (PMA) process in July 2016 and marketed as a motion-preserving alternative to toe fusion surgery.
According to FDA records, the recall initiated by Stryker on Oct. 31, 2024, and later classified as a Class II recall, covered all U.S. distributed lots from July 2016 through October 2024.
The FDA listed the underlying cause of the recall as “device design” and cited increased reports of revision surgery, removal, subsidence, displacement, pain, nerve damage, and fragmentation.
Cartiva-related lawsuits filed across the United States have been consolidated into federal multidistrict litigation (MDL No. 3172) in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas.
The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation centralized the cases in February 2026, assigning them to U.S. District Judge Kristine G. Baker.
The MDL is expected to coordinate pretrial proceedings involving claims related to device design, labeling, FDA submissions, and post-market performance. Individual plaintiffs will retain their separate cases.
Fair — “see our Cartiva Lawsuit Update” reads like a placeholder link, not something a person would actually write. Here’s a version that flows better and works the year in naturally:
The MDL has moved through several case-management orders since consolidation — our 2026 Cartiva Lawsuit Update covers where things stand now and what comes next.”
Patients filing lawsuits allege the Cartiva implant may:
Plaintiffs also allege that adverse event rates were underreported prior to approval and during post-market surveillance.
Clinical studies cited in litigation include the original MOTION trial published in Foot & Ankle International (2016), which reported secondary surgeries in 11.2% of implant patients and conversion to fusion in 9.2%.
More recent studies have reported higher rates of complications, including implant subsidence and reoperation. These findings remain subject to scientific and legal dispute.
In its October 2024 Field Safety Notice, Stryker stated that post-market data and published studies indicated a higher-than-expected rate of complications compared to pre-approval data.
The notice referenced revision, removal, subsidence, displacement, pain, nerve damage, and fragmentation as reported outcomes associated with the device.
Baker Legal Team said potential claimants may include patients who:
The firm noted that statutes of limitations vary by state and may be affected by the timing of the recall.
Robert Baker, founding attorney of Baker Legal Team and a board-certified civil trial lawyer, said the firm created the new practice area to provide information and legal support to affected patients nationwide.
“Patients were told this device would preserve motion and help them avoid fusion surgery,” Baker said. “For many, the outcome has reportedly been the opposite, leading to additional surgeries and ongoing complications.”
The Cartiva Synthetic Cartilage Implant is a cylindrical hydrogel device designed to replace damaged cartilage in the big toe joint while preserving motion. It is implanted into a drilled cavity in the metatarsal head and is intended to function as a cartilage substitute.
The device was acquired through multiple corporate transactions, including Wright Medical Group’s purchase of Cartiva, Inc. in 2018 and Stryker Corporation’s acquisition of Wright Medical in 2020.
Baker Legal Team is a Florida-based personal injury and product liability law firm with experience in complex litigation, including mass torts and defective medical device cases. The firm reports more than $400 million in client recoveries.
The firm is headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida, with additional offices in Stuart, Weston, and Coral Springs.
Website: https://bakerlegalteam.com
Phone: (561) 320-0000
This article contains information regarding ongoing litigation and allegations that have not been proven in court. No conclusions of liability have been reached. The content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or create an attorney-client relationship.
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