An Illinois woman has filed a Stryker LIFT femoral head lawsuit against the manufacturers of her hip implant claiming that the device was defective and that she now suffers from constant pain.

Plaintiff Jean H., a resident of Chicago, had a total left hip replacement in 2011 at the age of seventy-six. Her hip replacement system consisted of the Citation Hip Stem and the Stryker LFIT femoral head. However, not too long after she underwent surgery, Jean says she began to experience “discomfort and complications” in the area of her hip replacement.

According to the Stryker LFIT femoral head lawsuit, in 2015 Jean underwent hip revision surgery.  During the surgery, doctors discovered that there was an adverse local tissue reaction and corrosion at the head and neck junction of her hip replacement. Additionally, Jean had elevated cobalt levels in her blood.

Jean claims in her Stryker LFIT femoral head lawsuit that had she known about the risks of pain, inflammation, swelling and damage to surrounding tissue that could occur as a result of the “defective” hip replacement devices, she would not have chosen to have this system implanted in her.

Jean claims that she has suffered “harm, including but not limited to, physical injury and bodily impairment, debilitating lack of mobility, and conscious pain and suffering.” She believes that this harm and suffering has come as a direct and proximate result of the Stryker LFIT femoral head and the Citation Hip Stem.  Various claims in the lawsuit allege that the injuries suffered by the Jean “were caused by the defective design, manufacturing defect, warnings, construction, and/or reasonably dangerous character of the” Stryker LFIT femoral head.

The Stryker LFIT femoral heads have had a lot of problems since they were approved to be used in Stryker hip replacement systems. Many patients have required early revision surgery and have experienced early failure of their devices.

These devices have also been known to shed bits of chromium and cobalt into the surrounding tissue and blood of the patient. This excess metal can cause a condition known as metallosis. This is a condition that can lead to toxicity in the body that can cause broken bones, pain, and tissue death. Revision surgery may be necessary when this occurs.

In this Stryker LFIT femoral head lawsuit, the Jean believes that the manufacturing company continued “to misrepresent the [Stryker LFIT femoral heads] as high-quality, safe and effective hip replacement products in their marketing and promotional materials.” Jean believes that Stryker knew or should have known about the potential complications for years previous and have put countless patients in danger.

Jean is seeking damages for past, present and future mental pain and suffering as well as hospital, medical and pharmaceutical expenses.

This Stryker LFIT Femoral Head Lawsuit is Case No. 1:17-cv-05951 in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division.