Stryker LFIT V40 Femoral Head Early Failure and Injuries

In August 2016, hip replacement manufacturer Stryker recalled its LFIT CoCr V40 Femoral Heads after numerous reports of failed implants. Patients who have a Stryker hip implant may experience a variety of negative side effects and symptoms, including chronic pain, joint dislocation and device corrosion. Metal particles from corrosion may cause blood poisoning, organ problems and even certain types of cancers. These injuries may result from design defects in the femoral head of the implants and usually require additional surgery to correct. Due to these dangers, Stryker is involved in multiple product liability lawsuits from patients who received hip implants with a Stryker LFIT CoCr V40 Femoral Head.

Stryker LFIT V40 Product Defects

• Higher failure rate than industry standards due to taper lock failures
• Excessive wear, resulting in metal corrosion
• Spontaneous dissociation (separation) of the device

Patient Complications Caused by the Stryker LFIT Hip Replacement

Complications from the LFIT CoCr V40 hip surgeries have caused many patients to suffer more hip discomfort than they experienced prior to the replacement. The side effects caused by the corrosion of the metal components scraping against each other may include:

• Inflammation, pain and loss of mobility.
  ‍Deterioration of the implant can cause tissue irritation in the hip and joint, resulting in pain and difficulty moving.
• Joint instability.
  Product defects in the implant can cause the joint to loosen and lose stability. This may cause extreme pain and difficulty moving. A slip and fall accident is also more likely, which could result in further serious personal injuries.
• Dislocation of the hip implant.
  A defective Stryker LFIT hip replacement device may dislocate, causing extreme pain and disability. This injury requires emergency treatment and often immediate revision surgery.
• Implant fracture.
  Sometimes, the implant may fail completely by breaking at the stem, which may require emergency surgery and prolonged healing times.
• Metal debris in the bloodstream.
  The eventual corroding of the cobalt and chromium structure of the implant can also cause the release of metal debris into the bloodstream. This is called metallosis. Metallosis may cause soft tissue growths, cardiomyopathy, liver and kidney problems, bleeding and possibly cancer, among other severe symptoms.

Patient Lawsuits

On Friday, November 2, 2018 Stryker announced a settlement resolving lawsuits in New Jersey state court and Massachusetts federal court. Details have yet to be announced.