After a recent Stryker hip implant recall, a growing number of patients are filing lawsuits against the manufacturer over device failure and injuries.

Plaintiffs claim that Stryker failed to adequately test its hip implant devices prior to placing them on the market, then further failed to warn patients of long-lasting or even permanent complications until the Stryker hip implant recall itself was recently issued.

Stryker Hip Implant Basics

Many patients undergo hip replacement surgery in order to alleviate pain in that area, often caused by arthritis and hip fractures. Hip replacements are one of the more common surgeries. Many hip replacements are done with metal-on-metal implants, like the Stryker hip system.

Despite the undeniable popularity of the Stryker hip implant, these devices have actually been connected with several serious side effects. Patients injured due to the Stryker hip implant have begun filing lawsuits against the medical device manufacturer. In response, Stryker issued a Stryker hip implant recall.

Stryker Hip Implant Recall

The Stryker hip implant recall affects a number of Stryker’s products, including the Accolade TMZF, Accolade 2, Citation stems and Meridian stems. Each of these products contains a component, the LFIT V40 femoral head that, according to the Stryker hip implant recall, can cause it to fail and lead to serious complications.

The Stryker hip implant recall comes in response to reports of serious complications, including metallosis. Basically, metallosis occurs when two components of a metal-on-metal device rub together. This releases metal particles—in this case, cobalt and chromium particles—into the bloodstream, sometimes to an excessive degree.

Excessive amounts of metal particles in the blood can kill off surrounding tissue and nearby bone.

According to Stryker, complications linked with the Stryker hip implant include:

• Disassociation of femoral head from hip stem
• Fractured hip stem trunnion
• Excessive metallic debris
• Insufficient Range of Motion (ROM)
• Insufficient soft tissue tension
• Noise
• Loss of implant: bone fixation strength
• Excessive wear debris (polymeric)
• Implant construct with a shortened neck length

Serious complications like dissociation can often require revision surgery in order to replace the defective implant and alleviate symptoms. Of course, any additional surgery will bring its own risks, such as infection or further complications, as well as additional medical expenses.

Filing a Stryker Hip Implant Lawsuit

After learning of the Stryker hip implant recall, a growing number of patients are coming forward with allegations of serious damages caused by their defective devices.

Plaintiffs claim that Stryker failed to adequately test its devices prior to entering the market, and further allege that the manufacturer failed to warn both patients and the medical community about the risks linked with the devices.

In some cases, patients who have suffered from a device defect of the Stryker hip implant recall have been forced to undergo revision surgery to alleviate complications.

If you or someone you love was implanted with a metal hip implant containing the Stryker LFIT V40 femoral head recall part and have suffered from these or other side effects, you may be able to file a lawsuit. While filing a Stryker hip implant recall lawsuit cannot take away the pain and suffering of hip implant defects, it can help to alleviate the financial burden of medical expenses and lost wages from these injuries.