A Michigan couple has joined the existing litigation over Stryker hip implants, alleging that the metal-on-metal hip implant is inherently defective and caused painful complications.

According to the Stryker hip implant lawsuit, plaintiff Sadie Steiner received a Stryker metal hip implant in March 2011 to replace her right hip.

However, her metal hip implant lawsuit contends that after receiving this Stryker hip implant, she went on to suffer painful complications.

As a result, in September, Steiner had to have the Stryker hip implant surgically removed and replaced. Her husband has also joined the case, seeking compensation for loss of consortium, a common complaint for a spouse in a medical lawsuit because the alleged injury has affected his relationship with his wife.

The Steiners’ Stryker hip lawsuit joins others in alleging that the hip implant is defective.

The Stryker artificial hip joint is a type of replacement hip joint. Sometimes, a human’s hip joint wears out, either from injury, disease, or a lifetime of wear and tear. In these cases, surgeons can replace the hip joint with an artificial joint. In most types of artificial hip joints, the moving surfaces of the joint are composed of ceramic or polymer.

However, a number of high-profile medical companies began to produce metal-on-metal hip joints in the 2000s. Since they were based on existing artificial hip joints, other than the fact that they had two metal surfaces rubbing against each other, the artificial hip joint makers were able to argue that they were based on existing medical technology. This in turn allowed them to use the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s controversial 501(k) program, which allows medical companies to bypass most of their usual testing protocols when a device is “substantially similar” to existing medical devices.

However, evidence has surfaced that metal-on-metal hip joints have higher failure rates and unique complications not seen in other types of artificial hip implants. Allegedly, when the interfacing surfaces of metal-on-metal hip implants move against each other, they can grind off microscopic flakes of metal. In this state, the metals of the hip implant can more easily dissolve in the body and form toxic metal ions. Allegedly, this has caused a host of medical complications, including hip implant failure, the formation of painful pseudotumors around the joint, and even cancer and heart problems.

Concerns over metal-on-metal hip implants like Stryker hip implants have led to massive hip implant lawsuits and recalls. The makers of different artificial hip implants are facing multidistrict litigations or MDLs over their hip implants. MDLs are coordinated groups of similar lawsuits that allege that plaintiffs have suffered similar harm from the same defendant. Due to medical, regulatory and legal scrutiny, the makers of metal-on-metal hip implants have stopped manufacturing this type of hip implant, and have issued recalls for their hip implants. The Stryker hip recall was in June 2012, a time frame in which other hip implant manufactures were recalling metal-on-metal hip implants.

The Stryker Metal Hip Implant Lawsuit is Sadie Steiner, et al. v. Howmedica Osteonics, et al., Case No. 03404, filed within the larger Stryker hip MDL In Re: Stryker Rejuvenate and ABH II Hip Implant Products Liability Litigation.