A woman has filed a Stryker LFIT V40 femoral head recall lawsuit against Howmedica Osteonics Corp. after she was forced to undergo hip implant revision surgery to remove the defective part.

Plaintiff Pamela Q. was implanted with the Stryker LFIT Anatomic CoCr V40 Femoral Head and the Accolade TMZF Stem in her right hip in mid-February 2012. The femoral head was removed on Sept. 28, 2017.

According to the Stryker LFIT V40 femoral head recall lawsuit, Pamela experienced excessively high levels of cobalt and chromium that were found through blood tests. She alleges these metals were introduced into her system through the action of the differing metals of the femoral stem and head scraping against each other.

Failure Reports Lead to Stryker LFIT V40 Femoral Head Recal

The cobalt and chromium Stryker V40 femoral heads were used in conjunction with a variety of Stryker hip implant systems, but were marketed with the Accolade TMZF stem. That stem consisted of a proprietary titanium alloy that was marketed as a stronger and more pliable choice than competing parts made of similar alloys.

The Stryker V40 femoral head is a modular ball made of a cobalt and chromium alloy. Stryker claimed that when used together, the V40 head and the TMZF stem resulted in superior hip mobility with a decreased risk of dislocation. Doctors who have studied the failed pairings of the head and stem say Stryker only should have marketed the Accolade TMZF Stem with ceramic heads.

The Stryker LFIT V40 femoral head recall was issued in August 2016, after Stryker received a larger than expected number of reports of taper lock failure. Complications noted in these reports included dislocation, adverse local tissue reaction, periprosthetic fracture, and the need for revision surgery, according to Pamela’s Stryker lawsuit.

Plaintiffs in the Stryker metal hip litigation allege the metal-on-metal design causes friction that results in the release of tiny metal shavings. As these small metal particles fret away and settle into the surrounding tissue, inflammation and fluid retention can occur as the body attempts to rid itself of the invading metal particles. Over time, affected tissue dies and metal poisoning enters the bones and the blood stream.

Patients who have received a hip implant that includes parts covered by the Stryker LFIT V40 femoral head recall can undergo a simple blood test to see if they have elevated levels of metals in their blood, which would indicate metallosis (metal poisoning) and corroding components.

Patients could have increasingly higher toxic levels of cobalt and chromium in their blood streams as their metal hips corrode, but not even be aware of the problem.

According to a study published in the July 2012 issue of the medical journal Orthopedics, 95 percent of patients needed revision surgery within three years due to failed metal-on metal hip systems.

Signs you’re experiencing problems due to the parts covered in the Stryker LFIT V40 femoral head recall include:

• Impaired mobility
• Chronic pain
• Inflammatory response
• Local tissue reaction, swelling
• Dislocation
• Instability of the joint
• Implant loosening
• Periprosthetic fracture (broken bone around the implant)

If you have undergone a second hip replacement surgery due to the metal parts covered in the Stryker LFIT V40 femoral head recall, you could be eligible for compensation through legal representation.

The Stryker LFIT V40 Femoral Head Recall is Case No. 1:18-cv-10152-IT and is part of the Stryker LFIT V40 Femoral Head MDL, 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.