As medical technology advances and our population ages, increasingly people are undergoing hip replacement surgery to improve mobility and get relief from chronic pain caused by arthritis and other chronic diseases. In fact, total hip replacements have become increasingly common procedures in the United States. In the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Kurtz et al. has predicted that by 2030, the number of total hip replacements performed annually in the United States will rise by 174% to 572,000. (Kurtz, et al. 2007).

In many cases, hip implant surgery is uneventful, and patients make a full recovery. These patients can typically expect their new hip to last for at least ten years. 

However, some patients do not fully recover from the surgery or begin to experience symptoms of pain, swelling, a limited range of motion, leg length discrepancy, and other complications. Often symptoms arise after years of being pain free because the implant loosens. This loosening allows the implant to grind against the bone and release traces of metal into the surrounding tissue and bloodstream, which can ultimately lead to tissue damage and device failure. This implant failure requires a revision surgery, in which the device is removed and a new implant takes its place.  When this happens, patients naturally wonder what went wrong. Did the surgeon make a mistake? Was the implant defective? Has it been recalled? 

Sometimes, device failure is the manufacturer's fault because the implant was defectively designed or manufactured, and/or the warnings were insufficient. For example, thousands of lawsuits are now pending against Stryker, the manufacturer of the LFIT V40 femoral head, and against Exactech, the manufacturer of Connexion GXL hip replacement liners. 

Do you feel pain or have reduced mobility after hip implant surgery?

If you are experiencing complications following the insertion of the LFIT V40 femoral head, click here, to learn more about the LFIT V40 lawsuits.

If you are experiencing complications following the implant of the Connexion GXL hip replacement liner, click here to learn more about the Exactech lawsuits.

If you are unsure of what type of hip implant device you have, click here to learn how to find out what type of hip implant you have.