Many Stryker hip replacement surgeries could include components that are part of a Stryker Accolade recall.

The Stryker Accolade TMZF hip stem was recalled in 2009, 2011 and 2013 because of errors in manufacturing and in packaging.

The hip stem contains the same titanium alloy that was used in Stryker’s earlier models and may corrode or fret away when used in combination with cobalt chromium femoral heads.

The earlier models, the Stryker Rejuvenate and ABG II Modular hip implant systems, caused metal poisoning, also known as metallosis, because of a problem with the stem and femoral head connection.

Microscopic particles of metal were being shaved off the parts as they rubbed together within the body, causing cobalt and chromium to leach into patients’ systems. These problems allegedly continue with Accolade models.

Stryker’s LFIT V40 femoral head allegedly also can cause the similar release of these metals into the body, especially when used in combination with the Accolade stem.

In fact, some doctors say the injuries are identical to what were seen in the Stryker Rejuvenate recall cases.

As the metals enter surrounding tissue, the damage progresses to necrosis (tissue death) that causes pain and inflammation. Excessive metal debris entering the joint space can also cause bone loss.

The only way to stop metallosis is to undergo a revision surgery.

Some studies indicate that metal ions that are absorbed into the body can cause neurological problems, heart issues, and damage to the spleen, liver, kidneys and lymph nodes.

The Stryker Accolade recall also points to possible taper lock failure, which means the device fails at the point it connects with the femoral stem.

There are indications that the stem is too small to properly secure the head, leading to the need for revision surgery.

Indications Your Implant is Part of the Stryker Accolade Recall

When the metal-on-metal parts erode and cause metallosis, the effects are gradual. A patient who has received a Stryker hip replacement surgery that includes recalled parts are apt to experience:

• User annoyance
• Loss of mobility
• Pain
• Inflammation
• Local tissue reaction, swelling
• Dislocation
• Joint instability
• Loosened implant, resulting in pain
• Difficulty walking or standing
• Leg length difference
• Bone fracture around the implant
• Chromium and cobalt poisoning
• Noise coming from the implant

An MRI normally will show fluid that has built up in the joint, but it takes blood tests to check for high cobalt or high chromium levels.

The health journal Orthopedics published a 2012 study in that determined 95 percent of patients needed revision surgery within three years if their original metal-on-metal hip replacement surgery failed.

Before this Stryker Accolade recall, the hip implant manufacturer set up a $1.4 billion mediated settlement fund for patients who had received defective hip implants that were subject to earlier recalls.

If you have received hip implant surgery using components included in the Stryker Accolade recall, you could be eligible for compensation through a class action lawsuit.