After many hours of agonizing pain and tight decisions, many aging patients have decided to get a hip replacement to improve their quality of life.

These patients may have a rough recovery, but may soon return to their full and active lifestyles they had before undergoing hip replacement surgery, and feel it was the best decision they could have made.

For others, however, a hip replacement didn’t allow them to return to their prior level of function- especially for some who got notice of a Stryker metal hip implant recall.

Stryker Metal Hip Implant Recall: Not the Company’s First

The Stryker metal-on-metal hip implant systems are made to last a minimum of fifteen years before needing replacement.

However, due to design defects, several models have been the target of a Stryker metal hip implant recall.

So far, the company has had two previous hip implant recalls, and this is the third.

The most recent Stryker metal hip implant recall is for the Stryker LFIT metal-on-metal hip implant.

Specifically, this implant has suffered from taper lock failures, which refers to the device breaking down where the femoral head connects to the femoral neck of the hip implant.

Seven models are included in the current Stryker metal hip implant recall and include the following systems with hip implants ranging in diameter from 36 to 44 mm and include various offsets: Accolade TMZF, Accolade 2, Citation and Meridian stems.

These models that are part of the current Stryker metal hip implant recall were manufactured prior to 2011.

Side Effects From Devices in the Stryker Metal Hip Implant Recall

The side effects experienced by patients affected by the current Stryker metal hip implant recall vary in scope and include the following:

• Severe pain and inflammation
• Joint instability or dislocation
• Loss of mobility and range of motion
• Dissociation of the femoral head from hip stamp
• Device fracture of the hip stem trunnion
• Metal poisoning (metallosis)
• Tissue damage and necrosis (tissue death)
• Implant loosening
• Broken bones near the implanted device

Typically, the only solution to the severe side effects experienced by patients with metal hip implant problems is to have a hip revision surgery.

This surgery is typically more painful than the first, requires longer recovery time, and there is less of a chance of the patient returning to full function based on some of the damage that has been caused by the initial hip implant.

Reasons for the Stryker Metal Hip Implant Recall

The previous Stryker metal hip implant recall notifications that went out to patients and the public stated that the problems were related directly to the metals that were used in the implant.

For the current recall, Stryker has not determined the cause of the metal hip implant failure, but it may be due to a manufacturing or design defect.

Taking Legal Action Following the Stryker Metal Hip Implant Recall

If you have experienced severe issues from your Stryker metal hip implant, you may be eligible to take legal action against the manufacturer.

An experienced attorney can review your case in a complementary consultation and can help you decide if filing an individual or class action lawsuit based on the Stryker metal hip implant recall is right for you.