Stryker LFIT V40 Hip Implant Lawsuit | 2026 Latest Updates

The Stryker LFIT V40 femoral head, a hip replacement part made by Howmedica Osteonics, is the subject of product-liability lawsuits. Plaintiffs allege corrosion where the head meets the stem, metal debris, implant failure and revision surgery. The cases are consolidated in MDL No. 2768 before Judge Indira Talwani in the District of Massachusetts. The MDL is made up of individual injury actions. The JPML made no finding on the merits. Stryker recalled certain heads made before March 2011 in 2016, and FDA ended that recall in 2017. A separate recall of the 28mm -4 head began in 2021.

Latest Stryker LFIT V40 Lawsuit Updates

October 15, 2021: FDA Records Recall of 28mm LFIT V40 Head

On October 15, 2021, Stryker‘s Howmedica Osteonics unit started a Class 2 recall of the 28mm -4 LFIT V40 Head. It covers catalog number 6260-9-028, lots 86953401 and 86953503, per the FDA record for Z-0313-2022 [1]. The recall remains open. This recall is separate from the 2016 recall of other V40 heads, which is described below.

June 5, 2019: JPML Sends Florida Action to MDL 2768

On June 5, 2019, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation moved a Florida federal action into MDL 2768 over the plaintiff’s opposition. The case is Lakeland Regional Health Systems v. Howmedica Osteonics Corp., C.A. No. 8:19-247. The Panel said it involves injuries from implantation of an LFIT V40 femoral head and falls within the MDL’s ambit [2].

May 2, 2017: FDA Terminates 2016 Recall

On May 2, 2017, FDA terminated the 2016 recall of the V40 femoral heads. FDA recall number Z-0378-2017 carries the termination [3]. The termination is separate from the injury claims pending in MDL 2768.

April 5, 2017: JPML Creates MDL 2768

On April 5, 2017, the JPML centralized LFIT V40 femoral head cases in the District of Massachusetts before Judge Indira Talwani [4]. It became MDL No. 2768. At the time, 33 cases were pending in seventeen districts. Howmedica Osteonics opposed centralization, and the Panel said centralization would serve the convenience of the parties and witnesses.

August 29, 2016: Stryker Starts Voluntary Recall

On August 29, 2016, Stryker started a voluntary Class 2 recall of LFIT Anatomic V40 femoral heads. The recall covered 42,519 units. An updated recall notice followed on October 11, 2016, because additional customers and lot numbers were identified.

What Is the Stryker LFIT V40 Femoral Head?

The LFIT V40 femoral head is a prosthetic hip replacement device. FDA’s recall record describes it as a modular component “designed to be locked onto a femoral hip stem trunnion during surgery for total hip replacement”. FDA’s hip implant page says hip joint deterioration “can lead to pain, stiffness or difficulty walking”. Patients may then be advised to undergo total hip replacement [5]. The lawsuits concern heads used in that surgery.

Who May Be Affected?

People who received a Stryker LFIT Anatomic CoCr V40 femoral head in a hip replacement may be affected. The 2016 recall covered lots made before March 2011. Those heads came in 36, 40 and 44 mm sizes. The catalog numbers are 6260-9-236, -240, -244, -340, -440, -344 and -444. The MDL also covers claims over non-recalled V40 heads. Your own implant, surgery and symptoms decide whether you qualify, and that takes an individual legal review. You can also read about medical device lawsuits.

Reported Injuries or Damages

Plaintiffs in MDL 2768 allege that the V40 head can corrode where it meets the femoral stem. The MDL transfer order ties this to stems made from a different alloy, such as TMZF. Plaintiffs allege this corrosion leads to excessive metal debris, disassociation of the head from the stem, trunnion fracture and implant failure. They also allege other serious health consequences and the need for surgery to remove and replace the implant. These are allegations only. The recall reason is a separate record. In it, Stryker told FDA it received several complaints describing harm secondary to taper lock failure.

Recall and Regulatory Background

FDA lists two Class 2 recalls involving LFIT V40 heads, Z-0378-2017 and Z-0313-2022. For the first, customers were asked to quarantine the affected devices. The second covers only the 28mm -4 head, and customers were told to quarantine the devices and return them to Stryker. A recall does not prove liability or decide any claim.

Evidence to Preserve

Keep records that show which implant you received and what happened afterward:

• Implant stickers, catalog numbers and lot numbers from the operative report or implant card
• Hospital and surgeon names, and the dates of the implant and any revision surgery
• Medical records, imaging and metal-ion blood test results
• Photographs of symptoms, and any removed device if it is returned to you
• Receipts, bills and insurance records
• A log of pain, mobility limits and missed work
• Letters or notices about the recall
• Communications with the hospital, surgeon or Stryker

Filing Deadlines

Filing deadlines come from state law. They vary with where you live and when the implant failure, revision surgery or diagnosis happened. A missed deadline can end a hip implant claim, even a strong one. A lawyer can tell you which deadline fits your situation, so ask early. The page on product liability lawsuits gives more background on how these claims work.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are Stryker LFIT V40 Lawsuits Class Actions?

Stryker LFIT V40 lawsuits are not class actions. People who say the V40 head failed bring them as individual injury actions, and no class has been certified. One example named in the JPML order, Doc. 103, is Layne v. Howmedica Osteonics.

How Many Stryker LFIT V40 Cases Were Pending in 2017?

In 2017, the order centralizing the Stryker LFIT V40 cases listed six actions on its schedule, pending in three districts. It also named 27 more potentially related actions. The court publishes no current case count.

What Does the Research Say About Stryker LFIT V40 Failures?

Research on Stryker LFIT V40 failures includes FDA’s recall record for Z-0378-2017, which lists the FDA-determined cause as “Under Investigation by firm.” The recalling firm named there is Stryker Howmedica Osteonics Corp.

Was the Stryker LFIT V40 Recall Limited to the United States?

No, the 2016 recall of the Stryker LFIT V40 femoral head was not limited to the United States. FDA’s recall record for Z-0378-2017 says the heads were distributed nationwide and internationally, so affected heads may have reached patients outside the country.

References

1. https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfRes/res.cfm?id=190228
2. https://www.jpml.uscourts.gov/sites/jpml/files/MDL-2768-Tag-Along-Transfer-05-19.pdf
3. https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfRES/res.cfm?id=149782
4. https://www.jpml.uscourts.gov/sites/jpml/files/MDL-2768-Initial_Transfer-03-17.pdf
5. https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/implants-and-prosthetics/metal-metal-hip-implants