A woman from Arkansas has filed a Stryker hip replacement lawsuit against Howmedica Osteonics Corp. and its subsidiary Stryker Orthopaedics.

The plaintiff, Karla S., alleges harm resulting from the Accolade Hip System, which includes the Accolade TMZF and LFIT V40 head component.

According to the Stryker hip replacement lawsuit, the function of these components is to be used as a hip implant system to increase a patient’s range of motion and stability. The components and alleged Stryker hip system was purported to be highly versatile and durable, she claims.

The Stryker LFIT V40 is a metal femoral head implant. It is designed to work with hip stems such as the Accolade 2, Accolade TMZF, Meridian, and Citation models. It is comprised of cobalt and chromium alloy.

The Accolade TMZF was designed to be used in any number of bearing surface components and is comprised of and made of zinc, iron, titanium, and molybdenum.

Karla says shehad a total hip arthroplasty and was implanted with the LFIT V40 Femoral Head on Dec. 16, 2013.

According to the Stryker hip replacement lawsuit, “after the implantation of the LFIT V40, plaintiff began to experience progressive pain and severe discomfort. It was later determined that plaintiff’s hip was experiencing corrosion and that this was the cause of plaintiff’s pain.”

The Stryker hip replacement lawsuit maintains that Karla S. soon had to undergo revision surgery “due to the failed LFIT V40.”

According to the Stryker hip replacement lawsuit, patients like Karla S., had similarly suffered severe and debilitating pain due to the implantation of the LFIT V40. The Stryker hip replacement lawsuit alleges that the pain is due to the metal-on-metal design of the components that make up the Stryker Hip System.

The V40 Femoral Head and the Accolade TMZF’s metal-on-metal design purportedly leads to corrosion and metal debris that can become circulated into the bloodstream, a condition known as metallosis.

Other serious adverse effects of the metal-on-metal Stryker hip system include the loosening and dislocation of the Stryker Hip Systems and trunnion failure.

Another complication known as “taper lock failure” is also known to occur and is a condition that requires revision surgery. Taper lock failure occurs as the Stryker LFIT loosens and dislocates from the femoral hip joint.

According to the Stryker hip replacement lawsuit, Stryker had issued a voluntary recall in August 2016. The Stryker hip replacement lawsuit states that the company had sent an “Urgent Medical Device Recall Notification” letter to surgeons that had implanted patients with the Stryker LFIT V40 femoral heads. The letter was, moreover, sent to all surgeons who had implanted patients with the medical device prior to 2011.

According to the Stryker hip replacement lawsuit, “in the Recall Notice, Stryker stated it had received higher than expected complaints describing incidences of harm secondary to taper lock failure for specific lots of LFIT V40 heads.”

Additionally, the recall notice had listed several potential adverse effects. It had stated that such potential hazards including “dislocation of the femoral head from the hip stem, fractured hip stem trunnions, excessive metallic debris, and excessive wear debris.”

The Stryker Hip Replacement Lawsuit is Case No. 1:17-cv-11183-IT, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas.