Another Styker Accolade lawsuit is filed against Howmedica Osteonics Corp. by a man alleging severe adverse effects due to the Stryker hip implant device.

Plaintiff Michael P. files the lawsuit joining an increasing multidistrict litigation against Howmedica. The Stryker Accolade lawsuit was filed in Massachusetts federal court on Dec. 11, 2017.

Michael, a resident and citizen of the state of New York, says that he was implanted with an LFIT Anatomic CoCr V40 Femoral Head and Accolade TMZF in his right hip on May 6, 2008. He was implanted with the Stryker hip implant device at Berkshire Medical Center, in Pittsfield, Mass.

According to the Stryker Accolade lawsuit, Michael says he suffered injuries as a result of the device’s implantation, including excessive levels of chromium and cobalt in his blood.

Michael files the Stryker Accolade lawsuit 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, negligent misrepresentation, unjust enrichment, and punitive damages.

Michael requests a trial by jury.

Stryker Accolade

Michael’s claim is filed as part of a large multidistrict litigation, or MDL, centered on allegations that the metal-on-metal hip implant, involving the Stryker LFIT V40 Femoral Head, causes severe injuries and complications.

Some reported issues surrounding the femoral head include dissociation of the V40 femoral head from the stem, loss of bone fixation, insufficient range of motion, and excessive wear debris. Other complications include metal toxicity, corrosion, and fretting.

Although Howmedica, a subsidiary of Stryker Orthopaedics, marketed and promoted the device touting its permanence and durability, plaintiffs say complications have resulted due to the interaction between the metal-on-metal LFIT V40 femoral head and TMZF stem.

Metal ions may be released from the interaction between these two parts. This metal may settle into a patient’s soft tissue and bloodstream, causing serious injuries such as infection, metallosis, pseudotumors, and tissue death.

Corrosion may develop between the head and the stem, as these parts are made of different titanium alloys. When corrosion becomes severe, the metallic debris may become embedded in the soft tissues surrounding the hips. The corrosion further results in dislocation of the femoral head from the stem.

Stryker announced a voluntary recall of LFIT V40 femoral heads, manufactured prior to 2011, on Aug. 29, 2016. The company released an “Urgent Medical Device Recall Notification” letter to surgeons implanting the device in patients and informed them of the recall after receiving a significant amount of complaints surrounding the LFIT V40.

The recall announced that certain lots of the Stryker V40 could potentially lead to excessive metal debris, dislocation of the femoral head from the hip stem, and fractured hip stem trunnions.

Serious injuries linked to the Stryker V40 femoral heads included inflammation, dislocation, fractures, and the need for revision surgery.

The Stryker Accolade Lawsuit is Case No. 1:17-cv-12436-IT, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts. The Stryker V40 MDL 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.