A new Stryker hip replacement lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island on Sept. 19, 2017.

The plaintiff in this case is Phillippe B., a resident and citizen of Providence County in the State of Rhode Island.  Phillippe says he underwent his total hip arthroscopy at Miriam hospital in Providence, Rhode Island. The following summer, less than a year later, the plaintiff became aware of growing pain in hips which referred down to his groin area. He was able to get the pain treated at that time, but the underlying cause was left unidentified.

At issue in this Stryker hip replacement lawsuit is the LFIT Anatomic Co-Cr V40 femoral head, which is a component in the Stryker Accolade hip system implanted in the plaintiff’s left hip on November 24, 2009. The hip system also included a TMZF femoral component and a Trident acetabular system.

The named defendants in this case are the Stryker Corporation, Stryker Sales Corporation, and Howmedica Osteonics Corporation. The Stryker Corporation and Stryker Sales Corporation are incorporated in the State of Michigan and based out of Kalamazoo, Michigan. The latter is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the other. Howmedica Osteonics Corporation is incorporated in the State of New Jersey and is headquartered in Mahwah, New Jersey. It, too, is a subsidiary of Stryker.

The Stryker Hip Replacement Lawsuit Allegations

According to the narrative in this Stryker hip replacement lawsuit, Phillippe B. experienced a series of left hip dislocations beginning on Oct. 9, 2016, six years after the first bout of pain with his new hip prosthetic. The dislocations were remedied in the emergency room on the first occasion and also on three subsequent visits.

The decision was made to perform a type of revision surgery to his acetabular region with the hopes of ascertaining the problems causing the hip to dislocate.

According to the legal documentation in this Stryker hip replacement lawsuit, the plaintiff had this operation on Nov. 29, 2016. The surgeon reportedly discovered metallosis under the femoral head, which resulted from a build-up of metal debris from the metal-on-metal parts of this hip system.

Metallosis can have far-reaching effects in that the debris can leach cobalt and chromium into the bloodstream itself and, in higher concentrations over time, it can do extensive damage to the heart and other anatomical systems.

In addition to finding metallosis in the plaintiff, the surgeon discovered a concentration of clear fluid and development of membranes in the joint space of the hip.

This Stryker hip replacement lawsuit was sparked by the plaintiff after his painful history with this prosthetic and by hearing about the defendant’s recall of the LFIT V40 femoral head, which was issued on Aug. 29, 2016.

Metallosis was one of the problems identified with the component in the recall. The plaintiff believes he could not have known about these problems any earlier because his medical team was relying upon the safety of the medical device as promoted and marketed by the manufacturer.

Phillippe B. is bringing the following counts against the defendants: Count One –Strict Product Liability; Count Two –Negligence; and Count Three –Breach of Implied Warranty. He is asking for a trial by jury and a favorable judgment on all counts in an amount sufficient to invoke the jurisdiction of the court plus interest and costs.

The Stryker Hip Replacement Lawsuit is Case No. 1:17-cv-00429-WES-PAS in U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island.