Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 24
Claim 1
Independent Claim
183 words
Apparatus for definitive cutting of the proximal end of a femur prior to cementing in a prosthesis comprising: (a) an elongated prosthesis stem having a pair of opposed ends, one of said ends having at its termination, an essentially flat surface lying within a plane essentially at right angles to the adjacent longitudinal axis of said stem; said essentially flat surface having extended therefrom a pair of elongated cylindrical members having parallel axes, said axes being essentially at right angles to said essentially flat surface; (b) a block adapted for detachable mounting on said elongated cylindrical members, said block having an elongated keyway slot disposed therein, said keyway slot having a principal longitudinal axis lying essentially at right angles to said parallel axes when said block is mounted on said cylindrical member; and (c) a rectilinear cutter having a principal linear axis, said rectilinear cutter having on one surface thereof a projecting longitudinally disposed keyway of geometry and cross section adapted for mated fitting within said keyway slot thereby to slideably retain said keyway within said keyway slot while permitting longitudinal movement therebetween.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
183 words
Apparatus for definitive cutting of the proximal end of a femur prior to cementing in a prosthesis comprising: (a) an elongated prosthesis stem having a pair of opposed ends, one of said ends having at its termination, an essentially flat surface lying within a plane essentially at right angles to the adjacent longitudinal axis of said stem; said essentially flat surface having extended therefrom a pair of elongated cylindrical members having parallel axes, said axes being essentially at right angles to said essentially flat surface; (b) a block adapted for detachable mounting on said elongated cylindrical members, said block having an elongated keyway slot disposed therein, said keyway slot having a principal longitudinal axis lying essentially at right angles to said parallel axes when said block is mounted on said cylindrical member; and (c) a rectilinear cutter having a principal linear axis, said rectilinear cutter having on one surface thereof a projecting longitudinally disposed keyway of geometry and cross section adapted for mated fitting within said keyway slot thereby to slideably retain said keyway within said keyway slot while permitting longitudinal movement therebetween.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
45 words
Apparatus according to claim 1 in which said elongated prosthesis stem includes adjacent said one of said ends, a sacrificial portion of said stem comprised of plastic and adapted for drilling and receiving pins to temporarily rigidly affixed said stem in position within a femur.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
31 words
Apparatus according to claim 1 in which said rectilinear cutter includes an operating handle extending from said cutter in a direction essentially perpendicular to said principal linear axis of said cutter.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
28 words
Apparatus according to claim 1 in which said block includes a pair of cylindrical recesses adapted for mating with and receiving therewithin said pair of elongated cylindrical members.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
37 words
Apparatus according to claim 4 in which said pair of cylindrical recesses are adapted for slideable mating with said pair of elongated cylindrical members, thereby to permit slideable movement of said block with respect to said stem.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
28 words
Apparatus according to claim 1 in which said essentially flat surface includes therein a cylindrical recess for receiving and affixing one of said pair of elongated cylindrical members.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
13 words
Apparatus according to claim 6 in which said cylindrical recess includes internal threads.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
29 words
Apparatus according to claim 7 in which said one of said pair of elongated cylindrical members is partially threaded with threads adapted for threaded engagement with said internal threads.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
17 words
Apparatus according to claim 1 in which said block is slideably mounted on said elongated cylindrical members.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
19 words
Apparatus according to claim 1 in which said rectilinear cutter includes two separated cutting surfaces lying in different planes.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
20 words
Apparatus according to claim 10 in which said different planes are angularly disposed at an angle greater than 90 degrees.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
47 words
Apparatus according to claim 10 in which said rectilinear cutter includes a planar surface parallel to said principal linear axis, said planar surface being disposed adjacent one of said cutting surfaces for contacting a part of said essentially flat surface when cutting has progressed a predetermined amount.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
36 words
Apparatus according to claim 1 further including a reciprocating power source, and wherein said rectilinear cutter includes a predetermined region at one end of said principal linear axis adapted for engagement with said reciprocating power source.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
42 words
Apparatus according to claim 1 further including a reciprocating power source, and wherein said rectilinear cutter includes a pair of predetermined regions at opposite ends of said principal linear axis adapted for manual engagement and for engagement with said reciprocating power source.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
113 words
A method of definitively cutting the proximal end of a femur prior to cementing in a prostheses comprising: (a) making an initial rough cut of the antero-medial aspect of the femur thereby to expose the femoral canal of said femur; (b) preparing said femoral canal of said femur to temporarily receive a prosthesis stem; (c) inserting said prosthesis stem within said femoral canal; (d) using a projection from said prosthesis stem as a first spindle for rotationally cutting a portion of the antero-medial aspect of said femur; (e) mounting on said projection a rectilinear cutter; and (f) activating said rectilinear cutter to produce a rectilinear cut on the intertrochantic area of said femur.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
113 words
A method of definitively cutting the proximal end of a femur prior to cementing in a prostheses comprising: (a) making an initial rough cut of the antero-medial aspect of the femur thereby to expose the femoral canal of said femur; (b) preparing said femoral canal of said femur to temporarily receive a prosthesis stem; (c) inserting said prosthesis stem within said femoral canal; (d) using a projection from said prosthesis stem as a first spindle for rotationally cutting a portion of the antero-medial aspect of said femur; (e) mounting on said projection a rectilinear cutter; and (f) activating said rectilinear cutter to produce a rectilinear cut on the intertrochantic area of said femur.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
45 words
The method according to claim 15 further including using a second projection from said prosthesis stem as a second spindle for rotationally cutting another portion of the intertrochantic area lying in the same plane as that made by the cylindrical cutter on said first spindle.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method according to claim 16 further including mounting said rectilinear cutter on said first and second spindles.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
53 words
The method according to claim 16 in which activating said rectilinear cutter to produce a rectilinear cut includes moving said cutter progressively along said projection and said second projection thereby to retain said cutter in contact with said intertrochantic area of said femur as the intertrochantic area of said femur is progressively cut.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method according to claim 16 further including drilling holes laterally through the walls of said femur and into said prosthesis stem after said prosthesis stem has been inserted within said femoral canal.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method according to claim 19 further including inserting pins through said holes to temporarily affix said prosthesis stem in place within said femoral canal.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method according to claim 15 in which activating said rectilinear cutter to produce a rectilinear cut includes moving said rectilinear cutter reciprocatingly along a linear axis.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
44 words
The method according to claim 15 in which activating said rectilinear cutter to produce a rectilinear cut includes moving said cutter progressively along said projection until the advancing edge of said cutter lies in the plane which was defined by said first circular cutter.