Plaintiff Betty S. could be anyone’s mother. She alleges she needed help, but instead she suffered. She was scheduled for total left hip arthroplasty or replacement in December 2009.

Among the components of her new hip was a Stryker LFIT hip implant – an anatomic V40 Femoral Head – which is now  subject to a Class II medical device recall from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Betty S. filed suit in federal court on May 12, 2017. She brings her complaint for damages against Howmedica Inc., which does business as Stryker Orthopaedics, Stryker Corporation, and Stryker Sales Corporation (defendants).

The Stryker LFIT (Low Friction Ion Treatment) hip implant has been blamed for many problems after surgery in Betty. She alleges the device failed and ultimately needed to be replaced in the early summer of 2015 after she experienced years of pain, fatigue, and illness.

During the revision surgery, it was discovered that the Stryker LFIT hip implant had, according to the lawsuit, infiltrated her system with metal debris from implant wear and tear.

This debris led to high cobalt levels in her blood – a situation which could have been determined through a low-cost blood test, if she had known to ask for it. This blood test could have also discovered other metals such as chromium or titanium pointing to corrosion of the hip elements.

Betty’s Stryker LFIT Hip Implant Lawsuit is Case No. 6:17-cv-00068 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia.

Human Hip Joint Anatomy and Aging

In a total hip replacement, the top of the femur, or major upper leg bone, is amputated with its own hip ball, known as the femoral head. The natural femoral head typically fits into a socket in the hip cradle called the acetabulum. This sockedt is lined with cartilage in a healthy person.

As humans age, frequently this cartilage wears down and creates bone-on-bone contact which can be unbearably painful. Without the cushioning of natural cartilage in the ball and socket joint, weight-bearing activity becomes difficult to impossible.

The Parts and Process Involved in a Total Hip Arthroplasty

During a total hip replacement surgery, the acetabulum is replaced with an implant usually made of a strong metal. Inside the implant, an orthopedic surgeon will place a liner which can be made of plastic, ceramic, or metal.

This liner allows for smooth movement of the artificial femoral head within the socket. It is roughly equivalent to the naturally-occurring cartilage. Finally, the femoral ball which is attached to a stem is nailed and frequently cemented into the top part of the femur.

The Stryker LFIT Hip Implant

The key problems with the Stryker LFIT hip implant seem to come from the metal deterioration of the part cemented into the upper femur. These stems may corrode because of an incompatibility of materials between the femoral head and its anchoring rod.

According to the substantial documentation listed in Betty’s lawsuit, Stryker knew significant before her initial hip replacement that the Stryker LFIT V40 Femoral Head was having difficulties and there were significant risks associated with its use.

The complaint alleges that it wasn’t until August 2016 that a recall of Stryker LFIT V40 Femoral Heads was issued. Even so, it was for products manufactured prior to 2011 and not all distributed products in this line.