Howmedica Osteonics Corp. faces a married couple’s Stryker hip replacement lawsuit over allegations that the device caused severe adverse effects and complications.

Plaintiffs William and Margaret K. file the Stryker hip replacement lawsuit in Massachusetts federal court joining a growing multidistrict litigation (MDL) against the company.

According to the Stryker hip replacement lawsuit, William, along with his wife, Margaret, are residents of the state of Georgia. William says that he became implanted with the LFIT CoCr V40 Femoral Head on his left hip on or around May 11, 2009, at Shore Medical Center in Somers Point, NJ.

William says that during the Stryker hip replacement procedure he was also implanted with an Accolade TMZF femoral stem. Due to adverse effects, however, he says the device was explanted from him on March 13, 2017, at Emory University Medical Center.

According to William, damages he suffered include injuries to himself and economic loss. Margaret’s claims for damages include loss of consortium and loss of services.

The Stryker hip replacement lawsuit was filed on multiple counts including negligence, negligence per se, defective design, manufacturing defect, failure to warn, breach of express warranty, breach of warranty as to merchantability, breach of implied warranties, Violation of Massachusetts Consumer Protection Act, Violation of Consumer Fraud and or Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices Under State Law, negligent misrepresentation, loss of consortium, unjust enrichment, and punitive damages.

The plaintiffs demand a trial by jury.

Overview Stryker Hip Replacement

William’s claim is filed as part of a large MDL centered on allegations that the metal-on-metal hip implant causes severe adverse effects such as corrosion, fretting, and metal toxicity.

Howmedica Osteonics, founded in 1970, develops knee, hip, and upper extremity spinal systems to allow for increased permanence and durability for damaged, diminished, and worsened bone socket joints. The company operates as a subsidiary of Stryker Orthopedics.

The metal-on-metal (MoM) hip implant device, however, has led thousands of patients to filed lawsuits for complications they’ve suffered that have included pain, dislocation of the hip implant device, and inflammation.

On Aug. 29, 2016, the company announced a voluntary recall of the LFIT Anatomic V40 Femoral Head. The company released an “Urgent Medical Device Recall Notification” to surgeons across the U.S. implanting patients with the device.

The voluntary recall was announced because of severe adverse effects associated with the device. Some of the issues reported with the LFIT V40 includes dissociation of the femoral head from the stem, excessive wear debris, lack of range of motion, and loss of bone fixation.

For many patients having been implanted with the device, they were able to confirm that they were implanted with a defective V40 metal device by checking the levels of cobalt and chromium levels in their bloodstream. This is caused by the LFIT V40 femoral head and TMZF femoral stem rubbing together, which releases metal ions into the bloodstream and surrounding tissues.

The Stryker Hip Replacement Lawsuit is Case No. 1:18-cv-10419-IT, in the U.S. District Court of for the District of Massachusetts. The Stryker V40 Lawsuit is In re: Stryker LFIT V40 Femoral Head Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 17-md-2768-IT, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts.