Problems with Stryker hip replacements have recently centered around the LFIT V40 prosthetic femoral head. In a typical total hip arthroplasty (THA)—commonly known as a hip replacement—the top of the femur is amputated. This is the ball of the ball and socket hip joint.

The socket—known in anatomical terms as the acetabulum—is prepared and lined with a cup which is adhered either by bone cement, in-growth of natural bone tissue, or a combination of both.

The prosthetic femoral head attached to a stem is inserted into the femur bone using the same methods. Once done, the THA is complete and is purportedly supposed to relieve the pain and range of motion compromise that a person with an arthritic or injured hip would have experienced prior to surgery.

According to the website Very Well Health, it is to be expected that an artificial joint would not last forever. For the most part, the average life of a hip prosthetic is 15 to 20 years. There is a relationship between the age the patient has the surgery and how long the prosthetic can be expected to function well. This has a lot to do with activity levels.

Very Well Health says that according to an unnamed study, 94 percent of patients over 65 had hip prosthetics last at least 15 years. This should be compared to 80 percent of patients whose THAs were done younger than 65.

LFIT V40 Stryker Hip Replacement Problems

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Stryker Howmedica company initiated a recall of their LFIT V40 femoral head on Aug. 29, 2016. The recall affected 42,519 units of this vital THA component designed to be compatible with different Stryker hip replacements.

The manufacturer claimed that it received a higher than normal number of complaints regarding failure of the taper lock between the femoral head and its stem. This failure led to loosening, pain, loss of mobility, and need for a total hip revision surgery.

Stryker Hip Replacements Linked to Metal Poisoning

In addition to the purported taper lock failure, the prosthetic femoral head directly articulated with the prosthetic liner of the acetabulum. Both of these components are made of various alloys of metal, typically a combination of cobalt, chromium, and titanium. This design was part of a generation of hip prosthetics known as metal-on-metal (MOM), which failed at unusually high rates.

In a separate article regarding MOM hip implants, the FDA expressed serious concerns. They noted that the metal of the LFIT V40 femoral head, as well as other metal hip prosthetics, slide against the metal of the acetabular liner during ambulation and the friction is capable of releasing minuscule metal debris that lodges in surrounding tissue. The loose metal can cause metal poisoning by leaching into the bloodstream.

Over time, the metal debris can cause inflammation and pseudotumors which can interfere with range of motion and lead to serious pain. Without intervention, the uptick in blood levels of metals can lead to certain cancers and a rare type of heart disease.

The only way to address this situation is to have a total hip revision surgery in which the prosthetic is removed and replaced with an alternative. For those that have experienced this type of failure, this surgery is usually necessary within a three-year window of time.

Hip revision surgeries can present more risks than the original operation in there may be a loss of bone tissue, according to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. This loss can interfere with the adherence of a different hip prosthetic and reduce its longevity of operation. Additional risks include the potential for blood clots and leg length discrepancies.

History of Metal Hip Implant Problems

Prior to the LFIT V40 femoral head recall, Stryker recalled its Rejuvenate Modular-Neck and ABG II Modular-Neck  hip implants due to potential corrosion when paired with other metal hip implant components.

According to an April 2012 Urgent Field Safety Notice issued by Stryker, the ABG II and Rejuvenate parts could fret away tiny parts of metal that could result in an adverse local tissue reaction, metal poisoning, tissue or bone death, and pain. Stryker has paid nearly $1 billion to settle lawsuits regarding alleged injuries from the ABG II and Rejuvenate hip implants.

Many patients who have received LFIT V40 femoral heads have suffered the same painful injuries as those who had the Rejuvenate and ABG II systems. Because of history repeating itself with the alleged design flaws, lawsuits accuse Stryker parent company HowMedica Osteonics of negligence.

Earlier this year, a man who received a hip replacement in October 2009 has filed suit. James M. claims he started to feel pain in his hip, leg, groin, buttock and lower back in 2016. In 2017, he said he was diagnosed with metal poisoning when an MRI showed debris from the metal components scraping together inside his body.

He had received the LFIT V40 femoral head and the Stryker Accolade TMZF femoral stem, both of which were made of different metallic alloys.

In August 2017, James alleges he underwent a hip revision surgery, but according to his lawsuit, he still suffers pain and weakness in the affected leg.