Stryker LFIT V40 Lawsuit
(Hip Implant)
Problem summary
Once believed to last longer and offer superior stability and range of motion over other implants, metal-on-metal hips have since been all but discontinued, due to a higher-than-expected rate of failure associated with corrosion, implant loosening, fractures and other debilitating complications. In fact, many all-metal hips have been removed from the market due to high rates of premature failure, including Stryker’s LFIT V40 femoral head component, and patients across the country who received Stryker hip implants between 2005 and 2012 are being advised to find out if their procedure involved the use of an LFIT V40 femoral head. Patients who undergo hip replacement surgery expect their prosthetic hips to reduce their pain and improve their mobility. Unfortunately, many patients implanted with LFIT V40 components are finding that their hip implants are failing prematurely and causing them severe pain, joint instability and other problems requiring revision surgery. As a result, Stryker faces a growing number of lawsuits alleging that the company knowingly sold defective LFIT V40 parts used in hip replacement procedures.
About Stryker LFIT V40 Hip Implants
Stryker’s LFIT Anatomic Cobalt Chromium Alloy (CoCr) V40 hip features a femoral head component designed to be locked onto a femoral hip stem trunnion for a total hip replacement, and is the device is typically used with the Stryker Accolade TMZF, Accolade 2, Meridian and Citation hips. In August 2016, Stryker recalled more than 42,000 LFIT V40 femoral heads for taper lock failure, a problem affecting the part of the implant that connects the femoral head to the femoral neck, and one that appears to be common with this device. In one 2017 study published in The Journal or Arthroplasty, researchers looked at 28 patients with either gross trunnion failure or head-neck taper corrosion of the LFIT femoral head and the Accolade femoral stems, all of whom suffered adverse local tissue reactions requiring revision surgery.
The “LFIT” part of Stryker’s LFIT V40 devices stands for Low Friction Ion Treatment, a technology the company developed to reduce frictional forces that occur in hip replacements and stimulate the anatomic joint by allowing increased lubrication. Stryker claimed that LFIT hips are designed to maximize range of motion, enhance stability and minimize dislocation. However, the company has received an unexpectedly high number of reports of hip implant failure in patients who received the LFIT V40 component. In response to these reports, Stryker issued an Urgent Field Safety Notice to healthcare providers in 2016, citing a number of potential health hazards, including the risk of “excessive metallic debris” being shed into the body as the metal hip components rub against one another during normal wear and tear.
In May 2018, Stryker issued an updated safety alert that expanded on the 2016 warning, which the FDA eventually classified as a Class II recall, indicating that certain sizes of its LFIT V40 femoral heads may come apart, a problem called “dissociation.” This involves the femoral head breaking free of the stem that connects it to the thigh bone, which can cause considerable pain and the need for corrective surgery to replace the implant. The 2018 safety alert added eight more sizes of LFIT V40 femoral heads to the seven affected by the initial 2016 warning, and at that time, Stryker indicated that it had seen “higher than expected” failure rates with the hip implant components.
Free Confidential Case Review
Stryker LFIT V40 Hip Injuries
- Fractured hip stem trunnion
- Excessive metallic debris
- Disassociation of femoral head from hip stem
- Implant failure
- Device dislocation
- Tissue death
- Leg length changes
- Implant loosening
- Bone fractures
- Adverse local tissue reaction
- Inflammation
- Joint instability
- Decreased mobility
- Need for revision surgery
- Metal blood poisoning
- Bone necrosis
Call Now for a Free Stryker LFIT V40 Case Review
Stryker LFIT V40 Settlements & Litigation
In 2014 and 2016, Stryker agreed to pay more than $2 billion to settle thousands of lawsuits over its recalled Rejuvenate and ABG II hip implants, but with its 2016 recall of more than 42,000 LFIT V40 components, the company faces a new wave of product liability lawsuits alleging that Stryker’s faulty prosthetic hips caused implant recipients to suffer serious injuries. As of May 2018, more than 100 LFIT V40 lawsuits had been centralized in New Jersey as part of a multi-county litigation (MCL) and another 271 lawsuits filed in federal courts across the country had been consolidated in Minnesota as part of a multi-district litigation (MDL). Ultimately, tens of thousands of patients may be affected by the recall of Stryker’s LFIT V40 femoral head components, but many patients do not know what specific parts were used in their hip replacement. If you received a Stryker hip implant between 2005 and 2012, and you think the surgery may have involved an LFIT V40 device, contact a knowledgeable defective hip implant lawyer today for legal help.
Free Case Review
Members of our legal team are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If you or a loved one would like a free evaluation of your potential case, please give us a call or complete our no obligation case review form.