Johnson & Johnson Professional, Inc.

Allan Ritchie

Salvatore Caldarise

Frank R Foley

John W Besemer

Stephen Ferrer Wilson

Anthony P Sanders

Laurel Rogers

C M Jayashankar

A bone prosthesis has a growth enhancement coating recessed in and protected by its surface topography. The topographic features define gaps under a few millimeters which are readily spanned by new bone growth, while the features protect the coating from abrasion or physical damage. The topographic features substantially surround the coated regions, and prevent migration of flakes spalled during implantation or microparticles shed by the coating as it is resorbed or incorporated in new bone over time. In a preferred embodiment, edge features cast in the surface of a metal prosthesis include dovetail, undercut or skewed faces which firmly interlock with newly-growing bone to form a strong and shear-free, substantially rigid attachment. The prosthesis may be cast in a mold having a complex surface interlock texture, and these molds may be mass produced by an iterative three-dimensional printing technique to build each mold up in layers in the form of a suitable casting negative. The prosthesis is then cast of molten metal in the mold, and the mold material is broken away and cleaned off, e.g., by an etch. A growth enhancer such as hydroxyapatite (HA) is plasma-sprayed to selectively deposit on and completely cover the floors of the recesses formed in the casting. Preferably, the upper surfaces about the recesses are polished, and the recess walls are overhung so they are masked from the coating process, causing the HA coating to adhere only in the protected floor regions. The HA floors are at the bottom of pits or macropores, at a depth of under three millimeters, and preferably one-half to two millimeters, so that new bone growth spans the gaps and penetrates into the prosthesis over an extended surface textured region.

Bone prosthesis with protected coating for penetrating bone intergrowth

An acetabular trial insert is provided in which the appropriate anteversion angle of the acetabular cup of a hip prosthesis may be determined automatically by placing an inner cup within an outer cup and providing a mechanism which will hold the inner cup in position after the trial has been reduced and the hip rotated through an intended range of motion.

Acetabular trial

A bone plug for intramedullary insertion into the canal of a bone to restrict the bypass of cement during implant surgery is described. The bone plug is made of a bioabsorbable material and has a tapered central body providing the primary support for the plug. A plurality of radially extending disc-like fins extend from the body at spaced locations. The taper provides the distal fin with a greater degree of flexibility due to the long cantilever, thus permitting an ease of insertion into the intramedullary canal while the larger diameter body and shorter proximal fins lend structural stiffness to resist the migration of the device.

Absorbable medullary plug

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New Milton, United Kingdom

Allan Ritchie