A Pennsylvania woman has filed a product liability lawsuit against Howmedica Osteonics Corporation, Stryker Corporation and Stryker Sales Corporation after sustaining personal injury due to the Stryker V40 femoral head of her metal hip implant.

Plaintiff Lois K. states that she had a total right hip replacement done in October 2009 where the Stryker V40 femoral head was implanted in her body. After the procedure, Lois developed right leg and hip pain, weakness and numbness in her right leg and difficulty in later inability to flex her right hip or extend her right knee.

Following her pain and physical problems, Lois was referred to an orthopedic oncology clinic and later underwent an examination and CT scan. The results revealed that she had fluid collection extending from her pelvis into her hip that was believed to be the result of a pseudotumor caused by her 2009 hip replacement. This was a likely cause of her femoral nerve palsy and would require a revision procedure.

In June 2015, Lois underwent a partial right hip revision and “during the aforementioned procedure a black excrescence was discovered around the trunnion of the prosthetic, and the trunnion itself had been eroded smooth. It was also discovered that the trochanteric area had become a vascular and necrotic.” Even after her revision procedure, Lois states that she continued to experience pain and weakness in her leg.

In August 2016, Stryker issued a recall for its products, and this included the Stryker V40 femoral head that was implanted in Lois.

The potential hazards linked to the recalled Stryker V40 femoral head device included “dissociation of femoral head from hip stem, excessive metallic debris, insufficient our OEM and excessive wear debris, causing potential harms to patients, including, inter alia, loss of mobility, pain requiring revision, inflammatory response, adverse local tissue reaction, dislocation, joint instability, revision to alleviate hazardous situation, and pain associated with implant loosening.”

According to the Stryker V40 femoral head lawsuit, Lois herself suffered the following issues as a result of having the recalled device implanted in her body: revision, right hip replacement, right hip pseudotumor, metallosis, elevated cobalt levels, right leg pain, right leg weakness, compressive neuropathy at femoral nerve, right femoral nerve palsy, right quadriceps dysfunction, right knee pain, patella baja, shock to the nerves and nervous system and other serious and severe injuries.”

In addition to the structural physical pain and weakness caused by the Stryker V40 femoral head implant, it can also cause metal poisoning to occur in the body. This happens because the metal parts of the implant touch during normal activity, and this causes metal particles to slough off and enter into nearby tissue in the blood stream, where it can cause local tissue damage as well as systemic issues such as endocrine disruption and organ failure.

The lawsuit states that Lois has suffered a number of damages including great pain, inconvenience, embarrassment, mental anguish, disfigurement, medical expenses, lost earnings and earning capacity and loss of pleasure of life. She brings forth counts of strict liability and negligence against the product manufacturers.

The Stryker V40 Femoral Head Lawsuit is Case No. 2:17-cv-01263 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania.