Endoprosthetic bone joint device

Claim 2

An endoprosthetic bone joint device comprising: a first hinge component having a female bearing part of annular form with a first slot along the longitudinal axial direction thereof to communicate the radially inner and outer surfaces of said annular form, and a first intramedullary stem extending laterally from said female bearing part relative to said axial direction; at least one annular bush seated in said female bearing part, which bush has a second slot formed in similar manner to, and aligned with, said first slot; and a second hinge component having a male bearing part including an axle coaxially rotatably seated in said bush, and a second intramedullary stem extending laterally from said male bearing part relative to said axial direction, said second slot having substantially parallel opposed side faces; said axle being a clearance fit relative to said first slot, and an interference fit relative to said second slot, for assembly of said device by passage of said axle through said slots; and one of said male and female bearing parts being of forked form to embrace the other one of such parts.

Claim 3

A device according to claim 1 wherein said bush is rotatably seated in said female bearing part to allow disalignment of said slots.

Claim 4

A device according to claim 1 wherein said female bearing part is of forked form having two arms of annular form with their respective first slots longitudinally aligned, and each of said arms having seated therein a respective bush with opposite end portions of said axle respectively seated in said bushes.

Claim 5

A device according to claim 3 wherein the radially inner surface of each of said arms is substantially circular cylindrical and outwardly tapered around the longitudinally outermost end thereof to define a countersunk rim, and each of said bushes is of substantially circular cylindrical form having radially extending flanges around the longitudinal ends thereof, a first one of said flanges extending radially further than the second one of said flanges, and said second flange being tapered in complementary manner to said countersunk rim and seated therein as a snap fit.

Claim 6

A device according to claim 1 wherein said male bearing component comprises an axle-supporting member extending radially from said axle, and said second stem extends from said member in off-set relation with said axle and generally mutually orthogonal relation with said axle and said member.

Claim 7

An elbow joint device according to claim 5 wherein said stems are each inclined over at least a longitudinal portion thereof towards a common end of said axle.

Claim 8

A device according to claim 1 wherein said hinge components are made of metal and each bush of plastics material.

Claim 9

An endoprosthetic bone joint device comprising: a first hinge component including a forked female bearing part with two fork arms of annular form having like longitudinally-aligned respective first bores therethrough and like longitudinally-aligned respective first slots radially communicating said first bores with the outer surfaces of said arms, and a first intramedullary stem extending laterally and remotely from said female bearing part relative to said first bores; two bushes respectively seated in said first bores, said bushes being of similar annular form to said fork arms, having respective second bores coaxial with said first bores, and having respective second slots radially aligned with said first slots; and a second hinge component including a male bearing part in the form of an axle having its respective opposite end portions coaxially rotatably seated in said second bores, and a second intramedullary stem extending laterally from an intermediate portion of said axle, said axle being a clearance fit relative said first slots, and an interference fit relative to said second slOts, for assembly of said device by successive passage of said axle through said first and second slots wherein said bushes are rotatably seated in said first bores to allow disalignment of said first and second slots thereby inhibiting release of said axle therethrough.

Claim 10

An endoprosthetic bone joint device comprising: a first hinge component including a forked female bearing part with two fork arms of annular form having like longitudinally-aligned respective first bores therethrough and like longitudinally-aligned respective first slots radially communicating said first bores with the outer surfaces of said arms, and a first intramedullary stem extending laterally and remotely from said female bearing part relative to said first bores; two bushes respectively seated in said first bores, said bushes being of similar annular form to said fork arms, having respective second bores coaxial with said first bores, and having respective second slots radially aligned with said first slots; and a second hinge component including a male bearing part in the form of an axle having its respective opposite end portions coaxially rotatably seated in said second bores, and a second intramedullary stem extending laterally from an intermediate portion of said axle, said axle being a clearance fit relative said first slots, and an interference fit relative to said second slOts, for assembly of said device by successive passage of said axle through said first and second slots wherein said bushes are rotatably seated in said first bores to allow disalignment of said first and second slots thereby inhibiting release of said axle therethrough.