Stryker LFIT Femoral Heads

Another Defective Hip Recall from Stryker

Another recall announcement was made by Stryker Orthopaedics in August of 2016 regarding the company's line of LFIT V40 femoral heads manufactured before 2011.  On August 29, 2016, Stryker sent an "Urgent Medical Device Recall Notification" letter to surgeons.  The letter explained Stryker had received higher than normal problems involving taper lock failure with the recalled femoral heads.   The taper lock is the part of the hip device that connects the femoral head to the femoral neck during total hip replacement procedures.  The LFIT ("Low Friction Ion Treatment") V40 Femoral Head is compatible with many different models of commercially available Stryker femoral stems including the Accolade TMZF and Secur-Fit Max.  The estimated number of Stryker LFIT V40 femoral heads that have been implanted into patients is in excess of 100,000.  It is alleged that Stryker knew of the defective nature of the product and failed to properly warn doctors and patients, and failed to timely remove the product from the market when it knew of the dangerousness of its product.

Reports indicate the LFIT device has been corroding and fracturing at an alarming rate in patients worldwide.  Stryker has not disclosed the cause of the failure, but it is alleged to be due to a design or manufacturing defect that was present before 2011.  A taper lock failure at the stem/head junction can cause patients to experience loss of mobility, pain, inflammation, local tissue reaction, dislocation, excessive metal corrosion leading to cobalt/chromium poisoning, joint instability, and extensive hip revision surgery.  The chart below highlights the models and sizes were specifically noted in the recall notice.  

If you or someone you love has received a LFIT Anatomic CoCr V40 Femoral Head as part of a total hip replacement procedure, you should talk to your orthopedic surgeon about appropriate medical monitoring.   Patients who are experiencing pain or unusual symptoms may require physical examination and diagnostic evaluation including x-rays, MRI, and metal ion blood testing.

Previous Stryker Hip Recall 

Stryker is no stranger to problems with its hip implant products.  In 2012, Stryker voluntarily recalled its Rejuvenate modular neck hip implant stems due to widespread issues including high implant failure rates, pain, swelling, and significant tissue damage in patients.  The recalled Rejuvenate products had metal-on-metal modular neck stems.  In 2014, Stryker announced a $1 billion Settlement Agreement that compensated eligible U.S. patients who were forced to undergo revision surgery due to a failure of their recalled Rejuvenate Hip System.

How do you find out if you have a recalled metal hip implant?

Contact your orthopedic surgeon or the hospital where the surgery took place.  If you are unable to determine the type of hip implant you received, our Tampa hip replacement lawyers will provide you with a medical release form to sign so that we may obtain the brand name and model numbers of the hip implant components that were utilized during your surgery.

Tampa Hip Replacement Lawyers

The Tampa hip replacement lawyers at Alley, Clark & Greiwe have extensive experience in representing persons injured by defective metal-on-metal joint replacement products and other defective medical devices. We are currently accepting claims of persons implanted with the Stryker LFIT femoral head who suffered premature implant failure.  If you or a loved one have been implanted with a recalled hip device and have undergone revision surgery or suspect that you may need to undergo surgery in the future, please contact our firm for a free consultation on your legal rights.

Helpful Consumer Links

Click here to read the Hazard Alert dated 9/27/16 from the Australian Government

Click here to read the Health Canada's Medical Device Recall Notice dated 8/24/16

Click here to read the Class 2 Device Recall Notice from the FDA.