Paul Tassin  |  January 19, 2017

Category: Legal News

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Stryker-LFit-V40-recallReports of device failures have led hip implant manufacturer Stryker to issue a Stryker LFIT V40 recall.

In August 2016, Stryker sent out a notice to health care providers alerting them to reports of failure involving the taper lock in certain specific sizes of the company’s LFIT V40 femoral heads.

These artificial femoral heads are parts of the entire implant system used in hip replacement surgery. The heads are designed to take the place of the upper end of the femur bone. The other end of the femoral head fits into an artificial acetabular cup to be implanted inside the pelvic bone.

In the company’s notice of the Stryker LFIT V40 recall, Stryker says it received a higher than expected number of reports of taper lock failure in the affected implants.

Specific hazards that may be associated with these femoral heads include disconnection of implant parts from each other, weak connection between the implant and the surrounding bone, fracture of the hip stem trunnion, and shedding of metal debris into the tissue surrounding the implant.

Malfunctions like these and others could lead to problematic symptoms for patients implanted with the recalled femoral heads.

Stryker alerts care providers that they can expect to find signs and symptoms of implant failure including loss of mobility, dislocation, instability of the joint, inflammatory response, loosening of the implant, bone fracture near the implant, leg length discrepancy, and pain severe enough to require revision surgery.

Parts Affected by Stryker LFIT V40 Recall

This recall affects parts manufactured prior to 2011. Specific sizes of femoral heads affected by the Stryker LFIT V40 recall range from 36 to 44 millimeters, with offsets ranging from +4 to +12.

By now, the affected femoral heads are no longer in health care providers’ inventories, so the recall will not require any products to be returned to Stryker. Many patients have already been implanted with the devices at issue.

The Stryker LFIT V40 recall is not the first time the company has recalled parts of its hip implant systems.

In July 2012, Stryker issued a voluntary recall of its Rejuvenate and ABG II hip implant systems. Those systems had been the subject of reports of corrosion, shedding of metal material, and failure at the point where the implant’s neck meets the stem.

Implants that shed metal debris and set it loose inside the body have been the subject of a large number of hip implant lawsuits. Loose metal inside the body can be toxic. It can cause a condition known as metallosis, in which the tissue near the hip implant may be damaged or die.

Plaintiffs whose hip implants failed report suffering from symptoms like pain, discomfort, poor mobility, and inadequate range of motion. Some have had to undergo revision surgery to remove and replace their implants, exposing to a whole new set of potential surgical complications.

These plaintiffs generally argue that manufacturer Stryker failed to adequately warn them about the ways in which things could go wrong with their hip implant. Had they been better informed of the risks involved, they say they would not have agreed to be implanted with a Stryker implant.

Do YOU have a legal claim? Fill out the form on this page now for a free, immediate, and confidential case evaluation. The hip implant attorneys who work with Top Class Actions will contact you if you qualify to let you know if an individual lawsuit or class action lawsuit is best for you. [In general, metal hip implant lawsuits are filed individually by each plaintiff and are not class actions.] Hurry — statutes of limitations may apply.

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