Ceramtec Ag, Innovative Ceramic Engineering

Cerasiv Gmbh Innovatives Keramik-Engineering

Gerd Willmann

Hans-Georg Pfaff

Ralph Autenrieth

Herbert Richter

Martin Wimmer

Werner Deppisch

Christian Worne

Prostheses with artificial joints have only a few metallic and ceramic materials whose compatibility with human or animal tissue has been established. These materials, however, cannot be combined with one another in any manner if a friction pairing occurs as a result, for example, in the case of artificial joints. With artificial joints, joint partners are required to have good mechanical properties as well as tribological properties. According to the invention, a sintered material is thus provided which is comprised of zircon oxide with an addition of 0.1 to 40 wt. % aluminum oxide. This sintered material enables an artificial joint of a prosthesis whose other ceramic materials are comprised of aluminum oxide or zircon oxide with the given proportions of aluminum oxide to be assembled with joint partners.

Artificial joint of a prosthesis

A ceramic socket or ceramic socket insert for a hip joint prosthesis is tested prior to implantation in a human body by subjecting the portions of the interior of the socket or socket insert to a load that generates stresses that are greater than the physiological load. This may be accomplished either by pressing a hemispherically-shaped deformable material such as polymer or plastic into the interior of the socket or socket insert or by exposing the interior of the socket or socket insert to a fluid under pressure. The interior of the socket or socket insert may be sealed off with a test punch that has a supply line for the fluid. To reduce the amount of fluid that is required, the test punch may have a bulge that projects into the interior of the socket or socket insert and leaves only a gap for the fluid. In the method of testing, the interior of the socket or socket insert is subjected to a load that generates stress such that a defective socket or socket insert is destroyed and a non-defective socket or socket insert survives unharmed.

Method of testing ceramic cotyloid cavities for hip joint endoprostheses

Growing community of inventors

Leinfelden, Germany

Gerd Willmann