A Stryker V40 femoral head recall covers parts made before 2011 that could cause harm.

Patients implanted with a Stryker metal hip could experience damage to tissue surrounding the implant because of the corrosion. Another possible severe side effect is metal poisoning, also known as metallosis.

Stryker sent an “Urgent Medical Device Recall Notification” letter to surgeons on Aug. 29, 2016 regarding the Stryker V40 femoral heads made before 2011.

The recall notice warned of potential problems such as the femoral head dislocating from the hip stem and excessive metal debris, but the letter did not tell doctors how to properly monitor patients.

The V40 femoral head has been used in conjunction with a variety of Stryker hip implant systems, but was marketed in conjunction with the Accolade TMZF stem, which was made with a proprietary titanium alloy that was marketed as being stronger and more pliable than other such alloys.

The V40 femoral head is a modular ball/head made of a cobalt/chromium alloy. Stryker claimed that when used together, the V40 head and the TMZF stem allowed maximum hip movement with a lowered risk of dislocation.

In fact, Stryker should not have marketed the Accolade TMZF Stem with anything but ceramic heads, say experts who have analyzed the failed hip implants.

The Stryker V40 femoral head recall was necessary because the metal-on-metal design causes friction that can result in small metal shavings. When tiny metal particles fret away, the surrounding tissue can become affected and react with inflammation and fluid retention. In addition, surrounding tissue can die and metal poisoning can set into the bones and the blood stream.

A simple blood test can let patients know if they have elevated levels of metals in their blood, which would indicate metallosis and device corrosion.

Patients might be experiencing increasingly toxic levels of cobalt and chromium in their blood streams as their metal hips corrode, but not be aware of it.

Stryker V40 Femoral Head Recall Not the Company’s First

Stryker had similar metal-on-metal problems with its Rejuvenate and ABG II modular hip implant systems that were recalled in 2012. Those systems used the same TMZF titanium metal in the femoral stem, and the modular necks of both systems were made of chromium and cobalt.

Their recalls were due to fretting and corrosion at the taper junction where the different metals were scraping against each other.

With the Stryker V40 femoral head recall, the company has been accused of failing to conduct thorough device tests before the product entered the market. The V40 femoral head allegedly was poorly designed and does not maintain a proper fit once implanted in patients.

If you or someone you love is suffering from defective parts in this Stryker V40 femoral head recall, you could be eligible for compensation for pain and suffering, lost wages, hospitalizations and other expenses.