A new lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court in the District of Minnesota on Aug. 15, 2017, against Howmedica Osteonics Corp., makers of the Stryker Accolade hip stem.

The plaintiffs, a married couple by the names of Kathrine B. and Raymond B., are residents of Cushing, Minn. located in Morrison County. Howmedica Corp. is a subsidiary of the Stryker Co. and is headquartered in Mahwah, N.J.. It does business domestically in all fifty states.

The Stryker Accolade hip stem is part of a four-piece prosthetic unit used in total hip arthroscopy to replace a natural joint that has become dysfunctional and painful. The four pieces that make up the prosthetic unit are the Stryker Accolade hip stem, a femoral head, an acetabular liner, and an acetabular shell.

The hip joint’s natural femoral head and acetabulum are covered in thick, constantly lubricated cartilage. This prevents the femur from rubbing directly against the acetabulum, but when it becomes broken down, this is exactly what occurs. With bone-on-bone rubbing, a chronic condition of inflammation ensues and makes hip arthroscopy necessary.

In the narrative of the complaint, the process for an arthroscopy is described in detail. First, the top of the patient’s femur is amputated and the bone canal is hallowed, allowing for installation of the Stryker Accolade hip stem. Second, a prosthetic femur head is attached to the Stryker Accolade hip stem at the neck. Third, the acetabular shell is attached to the natural concave surface of the acetabulum. Finally, the shell is fitted with a liner that operates like the lubricated cartilage.

The Stryker Accolade hip stem was approved to for domestic markets by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in October 2002. It was designed to be used with the LFIT V40 femoral head made of cobalt and chromium.

The stem itself is non-porous and coated with a type of titanium. The combination of titanium on the stem and cobalt and chromium on the femoral head allegedly led to many cases of corrosion and fretting. This problem was believed to be caused, according to scientists, by the combination of metals unlike each other and minuscule motion at the stem and head intersection.

Stryker Accolade Hip Stem Lawsuit

In June 2008, Kathrine B. had a total hip arthroscopy with implantation of a Stryker Accolade hip stem and LFIT V40 femoral head on her right side. According to the narrative of the complaint, she was forced to undergo early hip revision surgery in July 2015. The orthopedic surgeon found evidence of corrosion and adverse tissue reaction to the implant.

The couple is bringing the following counts against Howmedica Osteonics Corp.: Count One –Negligence; Count Two –Strict Products Liability, Defective Design; Count Three –Strict Products Liability, Manufacturing Defect; Count Four –Strict Products Liability, Failure to Warn; and Count Five –Loss of Consortium.

The plaintiffs are seeking monetary damages from the defendants for past and future medical care related to cost of treatment for injuries sustained by the prosthetic. They also are requesting that all mental anguish, pain and suffering, as well as all court costs and attorney’s fees, be taken into consideration when determining damages.

The Stryker Accolade Hip Stem Lawsuit is Case No. 0:17-cv-03758-WMW-LIB in U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota.