Cartiva Toe Implant Lawsuit

People who are filing Cartiva toe implant lawsuits say that their implant failed, leading to persistent pain, mobility issues and even the need for additional surgeries. Some of these lawsuits have been consolidated into multidistrict litigation (MDL) to process multiple cases together.

The implant is used to treat big toe arthritis, which can cause pain and stiffness and may require surgical treatment in severe cases. The Cartiva implant was meant to serve as an alternative option to fusion surgery, which is the typical procedure used to treat this issue.

A Cartiva implant is about the size of a bullet and is intended to reduce pain and help the patient maintain their range of motion. This isn’t possible with fusion surgery, which alleviates pain but leaves the patient without the ability to move their big toe.

After being introduced in 2016, the Cartiva implant was used by more than 22,000 patients over the following years.

But lawsuits claim that the implant had disastrous effects when it slipped into the bone.

Those impacted claim that this resulted in persistent pain for patients and limited their range of motion, worsening the very conditions the implant is designed to alleviate.

Surgeries to remove the failed implant and to fuse the arthritic joint were sometimes necessary.

Lawsuits say that the implant went on to fail in about two-thirds of all patients. Stryker issued a recall for all Cartiva toe implants in October 2024 as failure rates continued to rise. The FDA listed it as a Class II recall, which is issued when a device “may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences.”

You may qualify to file a Cartiva toe implant lawsuit if you were implanted with the device and later experienced complications due to its failure.

This includes implant failure that requires surgery to remove the implant or fuse your joint, as well as pain and loss of mobility.

One lawsuit filed for a man who had a Cartiva device implanted in his right foot notes that his condition did not improve and that he required surgery to remove the implant, fuse his toe bones and “correct the toe deformity and bone loss caused by the Defective Device.”

How to File a Cartiva Toe Implant Lawsuit

Drugwatch can help you receive a free case review to find out if you qualify to file a Cartiva toe implant lawsuit.

Be sure to gather any information that may be relevant to your case. This can include medical records documenting your implant issues, surgeries and treatments.

Don’t worry if you aren’t sure where to begin with collecting medical records. A lawyer can help you determine what you need and how to track it down.

If you are planning to have your Cartiva implant removed or have already had removal surgery, you should reach out to your doctor about preserving the implant. It may be a key part of the evidence for your case. A lawyer can assist you with this process.

There has not yet been a global settlement agreement for the Cartiva toe implant lawsuits. Settlement negotiations have been ongoing for individual cases over the last couple of years and Cartiva says that it has successfully agreed to settlements for some cases early in the legal process.

In a positive development for people who have filed lawsuits, the Cartiva cases were consolidated into multidistrict litigation (MDL) in February 2026. This is a key legal step used when many similar lawsuits are expected to be filed.

An MDL placed all of those cases before one judge for coordinated proceedings. This helps avoid contradictory rulings and can lead to faster, more consistent results.

MDLs typically culminate in bellwether trials, where several lawsuits considered to be representative of the wider litigation are selected to go before a jury. The outcome of those cases can play a major role in influencing settlement talks.

If Cartiva and its parent company, Stryker, for example, were to lose multiple Cartiva implant bellwether cases, it could decide to negotiate a wider settlement for many people instead of risking taking more cases to trial.

There are several different symptoms and potential issues that may result from a Cartiva toe implant failure.

The device usually fails when it slips into the bone. Symptoms of this condition may include increased pain, loss of mobility and a reduced range of motion.

Some of the symptoms that it’s meant to alleviate may not get better, or even worsen.

The Cartiva toe implant lawsuits were consolidated into a federal MDL based in Arkansas in February 2026. While only a handful of cases were filed into the MDL at the time of that decision, many more are expected to be filed there in the coming months.

Cartiva, which is owned by Stryker, says that it has successfully settled some individual cases before they advance in the legal process. A global settlement has not yet been reached.