US4645507A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Prosthesis
Assignee: Waldemar Link GmbH and Co KG
•
Filing: 1985-09-03
•
Granted: 1987-02-24
•
Expires: 2005-09-03
Abstract
Abstract A prosthesis which is particularly well-suited for use in the region of the hip joint has a shaft which carries a bearing at one end. The bearing has a rim at its junction with the shaft. The end of the bearing opposite the rim has a saddle-shaped portion including a pair of protrusions which flank a depression. The depression has a pair of bearing surfaces separated by a protuberance which is formed in the depression and extends from one of the protrusions to the other. The prosthesis is installed at a hip joint by inserting the shaft into the end of the femur nearest the pelvis. The shaft is pushed into the femur until the rim on the bearing contacts the end of the femur. One of the protrusions is passed through an opening in the wall of the pelvis so that the wall is received in the depression of the bearing. The wall is contoured so as to conform to the shape of the depression and the protuberance therein and rests on the surface of the protuberance as well as the bearing surfaces of the depression. When the prosthesis has been installed in this manner, relative pivotal movement of the femur and the pelvis is possible. The prosthesis makes it possible to obtain relative pivotal movement of the femur and the pelvis even when the pelvis has been damaged or has deteriorated to such an extent that the natural socket can neither be repaired nor replaced.
Inventors
- 👤 Eckart Engelbrecht
- 👤 Elmar Nieder
- 👤 Arnold Keller
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 17:34
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61F; A61F2/00; A61F2/02; A61F2/30; A61F2/32; A61F2/36; A61F2002/30001; A61F2002/30108; A61F2002/3011; A61F2002/30112; A61F2002/30138; A61F2002/30143; A61F2002/30199; A61F2002/30301; A61F2230/00; A61F2230/0002; A61F2230/0004; A61F2230/0017; A61F2230/0063; A61F2230/0095
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 29
Claim 1
Independent Claim
158 words
An articular prosthesis for implanting in a region of a joint, where a natural joint socket has deteriorated to such an extent that it can no longer pivotally support a bone and where the natural joint socket is incapable of being replaced with an artificial joint socket, comprising: an elongated anchoring element sized so as to be secured in an interamedullary canal and formed at one end of said anchoring element is a substantially U-shape bearing element; said bearing element having a pair of protrusions forming leg portions of said U-shape and a base portion, disposed between said protrusions, forming a bearing surface; and said bearing surface being sized generally to cooperate with an edge face of a pelvis bone at a location other than the original joint between the pelvis and the femur and wherein said bearing surface of said base portion directly engages the edge face thereby permitting functional pivotal movement between the pelvis and femur.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
158 words
An articular prosthesis for implanting in a region of a joint, where a natural joint socket has deteriorated to such an extent that it can no longer pivotally support a bone and where the natural joint socket is incapable of being replaced with an artificial joint socket, comprising: an elongated anchoring element sized so as to be secured in an interamedullary canal and formed at one end of said anchoring element is a substantially U-shape bearing element; said bearing element having a pair of protrusions forming leg portions of said U-shape and a base portion, disposed between said protrusions, forming a bearing surface; and said bearing surface being sized generally to cooperate with an edge face of a pelvis bone at a location other than the original joint between the pelvis and the femur and wherein said bearing surface of said base portion directly engages the edge face thereby permitting functional pivotal movement between the pelvis and femur.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
12 words
The prosthesis of claim 1, wherein said anchoring element comprises a shaft.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
12 words
The prosthesis of claim 1, wherein said protrusions are of unequal length.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
87 words
The prosthesis of claim 1, said anchoring element being elongated and having a longitudinal axis; and wherein said bearing element is provided with a cavity which at least partly circumscribes said bearing element and defines a clearance permitting relative pivotal movement of the femur and pelvis, said protrusions having respective external surface portions located in a common plane bounding said cavity, and said common plane substantially paralleling said axis and being spaced from said anchoring element by a distance substantially equal to the depth of said cavity.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
19 words
The prosthesis of claim 1, wherein said anchoring element has a smaller cross section than said bearing element through.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
54 words
The prosthesis of claim 1, said bearing element having a first portion which is designed to abut the femur and a second portion which includes said protrusions and said bearing surface, the distance between said first and second portions being determined by the distance between the femur and the edge face of the pelvis.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
14 words
The prosthesis of claim 1, wherein said anchoring element has a circular cross section.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
14 words
The prosthesis of claim 1, wherein said anchoring element has a polygonal cross section.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
39 words
The prosthesis of claim 1, wherein said anchoring element has an insertion end remote from said bearing element and said insertion end is provided with a guide portion to facilitate insertion of said anchoring element into the femur member.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
11 words
The prosthesis of claim 1, wherein said anchoring element is cylindrical.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
25 words
The prosthesis of claim 1, wherein said anchoring element includes a tapered portion which decreases in cross section with increasing distance from said bearing element.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
22 words
The prosthesis of claim 11, wherein said anchoring element further includes a cylindrical portion between said tapered portion and said bearing element.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
11 words
The prosthesis of claim 11, wherein said tapered portion is conical.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
43 words
The prosthesis of claim 1, wherein one protrusion of said bearing element is designed to project through an opening in the pelvis and said bearing surface is designed to pivotally engage that edge face of the pelvis which bounds the opening from above.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
35 words
The prosthesis of claim 1, wherein said bearing element is provided with a cavity which at least partly circumscribes said bearing element and defines a clearance permitting relative pivotal movement of the femur and members.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
29 words
The prosthesis of claim 1, wherein said anchoring element is elongated and has a pair of longitudinally spaced ends, said bearing element being mounted at one of said ends.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
27 words
The prosthesis of claim 1, wherein said bearing element is provided with a depression and at least part of said bearing surface is located in said depression.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
24 words
The prosthesis of claim 17, wherein said protrusions and said depression are arranged along a predetermined line which extends transverse to said bearing surface.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
21 words
The prosthesis of claim 17, said protrusions having free ends remote from said depression; and wherein said free ends are rounded.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
30 words
The prosthesis of claim 19, said protrusions and depression being arranged along a predetermined line; and wherein said free ends are rounded in a direction transverse to said predetermined line.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
60 words
The prosthesis of claim 17, said protrusions and depression being arranged along a predetermined line; and wherein said bearing element is provided with a cavity which is at least partly circumscribes said bearing element and defines a clearance permitting relative pivotal movement of the femur and pelvis, at least a portion of said cavity extending transversely of said predetermined line.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
29 words
The prosthesis of claim 17, wherein said bearing surface comprises a protuberance which is arranged in said depression and said protuberance is provided with part of said bearing surface.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
35 words
The prosthesis of claim 22, wherein said part of said bearing surface which is provided on said protuberance is shaped so as to provide for a linear contact area with the pelvis during pivotal motion.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
20 words
The prosthesis of claim 17, wherein said depression has a cross section substantially in the form of a circular arc.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
20 words
The prosthesis of claim 17, wherein said depression has its greatest depth at a location near one of said protrusions.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
40 words
The prosthesis of claim 25, said anchoring element being elongated and having a central longitudinal axis which passes between said protrusions; and wherein said depression is spaced from said axis and arranged on a side remote from said other protrusion.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
15 words
The prosthesis of claim 25, wherein said one protrusion is longer than said other protrusion.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
27 words
The prosthesis of claim 17, wherein said part of said bearing surface is substantially in the form of a circular arc and merges smoothly into said protrusions.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3748662A
Cited
US3879767A
Cited
US3852831A
Cited
US3979778A
Cited
US4156944A
Cited
US4280231A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1990-02-23 | 1990-08-25 | 1991-02-24 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1994-02-23 | 1994-08-25 | 1995-02-24 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1998-02-23 | 1998-08-25 | 1999-02-24 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |