Stryker Orthopaedics Hip Replacement

Stryker Orthopaedics manufactures medical devices for a variety of joint and bone replacement operations. Annually, the company has sales in the billions and operations in over 100 countries around the world. Unfortunately, Stryker has sold various models of hip replacement devices that have been recalled and continue to be recalled including the Stryker Rejuvenate Modular Neck System, Stryker ABG II Modular Neck Stem, and Stryker LFIT V40 Femoral Head. The recalled products affect 10s to 100s of thousands of patients who were implanted with the hip replacement device prior to the recall. The products are failing at a higher than usual rate and often do last half of their estimated useful lifespan.

Stryker LFIT V40 Femoral Head Recall

In 2016, an urgent medical device recall notification letter was sent out to medical professionals who were using the LFIT V40 Femoral Head at the time identifying a number of reports that had been received that the device was failing at an alarming rate. Issues reported included: disassociation of femoral head from hip stem, fracture of the stem, corrosion of the trunnion, excessive metallic debris and several other metal-on-metal hip implant problems. The recalled units numbered over 40,000 and was later expanded even further in 2018.

Metal-on-Metal Implant Design Problems

Stryker’s line of hip implant medical devices include a number of metal-on-metal products which are known for grinding on each other and allowing for shards of metal and debris to accumulate around the product. The Stryker Rejuvenate, LFIT V40 Femoral Heads, and ABG II hip systems are constructed with cobalt, titanium, and chromium. Some of the adverse side effects from this metal-on-metal construction can include:
– Necrosis – tissue and bone death from metal toxicity (metallosis)
– Metallosis – tissue poisoning from metal ions and fragments
– Osteloysis
– Bone fracture and weakening
– Revision surgery to correct and replace the implant due to pain or inflammation
– Reconstructive surgery

Hip Replacement Metal Toxicity

Stryker joint implants made with metal-on-metal construction are failing the patients at high rates just a few years after their initial surgery. The metal joints movement and grinding is rubbing away the protective coating and releasing metal and other dangerous particles into the implant area and bloodstream. This can often result in pain, inflammation, and a variety of other metallosis (metal poisoning) symptoms including:
– Skin rashes or metal hypersensitivity
– Kidney problems and kidney failure
– Cardiomyopathy which can include symptoms of fluid buildup, bloating, swollen legs & feet, and heart failure
– Shortness of breath
– Loss of appetite
– Difficulty sleeping
– Thyroid issues like neck discomfort or fatigue
– Other sensory and neurological damage

Symptoms of Hip Implant Failure

If you received a Stryker Hip Implant or Replacement and now are exhibiting one or more of these symptoms, it may be a indication of a recalled Stryker hip implant failure:
– Severe pain in the hip joint replacement area
– Severe pain in the leg where the implant took place
– Inflammation and Swelling around the hip joint
– Difficulty standing, walking, and getting up
– Decreased motion and flexibility of the hip
– Femoral head dislocation including the femoral ball socket dislocated from hip socket
– Grinding feeling or clicking, popping, snapping sounds from the hip replacement area
– Swelling and fatigue

How to File a Stryker Hip Implant Lawsuit

If you or someone else received a defective Stryker Femoral Head or have had hip issues since your hip implant surgery, your pain and suffering may be the result of negligence from the manufacturer. Stryker did not thoroughly test their hip implant products and was able to race to the market with a defective product through a 501(k) clause in the FDA’s medical device rules. With thorough testing, these defective hip implants would have never made it into patient’s bodies.

Now thousands are having to have corrective surgeries and live with severe pain and discomfort. If you received a Stryker hip implant and are now suffering from one or more of the symptoms above, call the drug attorneys at the Willis Law Firm for a private and free consultation. The defective medical device lawyers will quickly determine whether you have a potential claim on behalf of your injuries at no cost to you. Contact us today.