Concerns Raised About Stryker Femoral Heads

Stryker Corporation is a leading manufacturer of components for orthopedic surgery, and is one of the largest makers of hip implants.

However many of the firm’s products have come under fire in recent years — and subject to various recalls and lawsuits. During the summer of 2016 the company announced via a letter to surgeons, a voluntary recall involving certain models of the company’s LFIT CoCr V40 femoral heads – a component used in many of its hip systems. The device went under further scrutiny when the FDA issue a Class 2 recall on it late last year https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfRes/res.cfm?ID=149782

These heads, which fit into the hip socket and attach to the femoral stem, are used in total hip replacement procedures. On August 29, 2016, the recall stated Stryker had received higher than expected complaints involving the femoral heads, and that the device might cause hip replacement failure. Most complaints about the hip implant device relate to its high incidence of taper lock failure, specifically in LFIT V40 devices manufactured before 2011.

Canadian authorities have also expressed concerns about the product. Health Canada, the Canadian public health agency, issued a recall notification regarding certain models of the LFIT CoCr V40 femoral head. Additionally, the Australian Government Department of Health published a Hazard Alert regarding certain Stryker LFIT V40 femoral heads.

Surgeons who received the notice were informed patients could experience such symptoms and hazards as loss of mobility, internal metallic debris, dislocation of the device, pain, inflammation, joint instability, annoyance, local tissue reaction, periproshtetic fracture among others.

If you have undergone hip surgery please be alert for symptoms — and if you have experienced or have suffered any of the above symptoms from this device, please contact your physican as soon as possible.

Stryker has also been under fire for complaints related to other hip implant devices, and announced recently announcing the recall of the Rejuvenate Modular and the ABG II modular-neck hip implants due to the risk of wear-and-tear and corrosion at the modular-neck junction, which can cause swelling, pain and device failure. Both are metal-on metal devices which can potentially trigger metallosis – an adverse reaction to metals in the body which can result in pain, limited mobility, failure of the hip joint, tumor-like growths, dissolution of the bone, DNA changes and chromosomal aberrations in some patients. Typically, the syndrome occurs when metallic debris builds up in the soft tissue surrounding the artificial hip. The recalled devices are capable of deteriorating and releasing metal debris over time. Corrosion or fretting of the device releases microscopic metallic ions into the body, causing an autoimmune response.
https://www.caseygerry.com/areas-of-practice/pharmaceutical-and-medical-device/#tab-1-4-current-litigation

CaseyGerry is currently accepting cases for theLFIT CoCr V40 femoral heads, as well as other Stryker hip implant devices. If you believe you have been injured by a Stryker product, please contact us so we can assess your situation and determine the best recourse. Contact our office at (619) 238-1811 or visit caseygerry.com