Protek Ag

Sulzer Brothers Limited

Sulzer Medizinaltechnik Ag

Heinz Wagner

Roland Willi

Heinrich Stutz

The acetabulum (1) comprises a semispherical support shell (2d) whose inner surface (20) has at least three retaining means (2b) which protrude into the interior. Furthermore, the acetabulum (1) comprises a semispherical inner shell (3) which can be inserted into the correspondingly dimensioned semispherical support shell (2d). The outer surface (30) of the inner shell (3) has at least one recess (3b) extending in a helical manner, in such a way that the inner shell (3) can be rotated into the support shell (2d) with a screw motion, thereby resulting in operative connection between the protruding retaining means (2b) of the support shell (2d) and the recess (3b) extending in a helical manner of the inner shell (3), so that the inner shell (3) is retained in the support shell (2d).

Artificial acetabulum

An artificial hip joint socket for fastening to a pelvic bone includes a metallic outer cup for an artificial hipjoint socket forming a concavity for receiving a hip. This cavity terminates at an equatorial edge. Supporting flaps for fastening to said pelvic bone are provided at the equatorial edge of the metallic outer cup. These supporting flaps define holes drilled for bone screws to pass through and as openings for checking the clearance from the bone. The supporting flaps are provided with preset lines of grooves for enabling preferential bending of said flaps along said at least one of said preset lines of grooves to conform said supporting flaps and metallic outer cup to said pelvis. In the preferred embodiment, the preset lines of grooves run exclusively in the region of the supporting flaps undisturbed by defined holes in the flap. The preset lines of grooves are arranged on the outer surface of the flaps toward the pelvis. Round depressions are preferably provided at the intersections between said preset lines of grooves.

Outer cup for an artificial hipjoint socket

With the invention is shown a meniscus platform for an artificial knee joint, which consists of a metal platform (1) and a metal slide member (3) sliding thereon at right angles to the tibia axis (17), which on its upper side comprises sliding surfaces (4, 5) and a guide bead (8) for the condyles (13, 14) of a femur part (11). The sliding movement between the metal slide member (3) and the metal platform (1) is restricted by a guiding pin (10) in the metal platform, which engages in an oblong hole (9) in a slide member (3) made of metal. The metal slide member (3) can rotate around the guiding pin (10) and can be displaced along its oblong hole (9). The rotational movement of the slide member (3) is restricted by a limiting recess (15), which encloses a part of the eminentia (19) in the region of the rear cruciate ligament.

Meniscus platform for an artificial knee joint

The cap for a femur head can be imbedded without the use of cement and includes an outer shell of hemispherical shape so that forces an be transferred in various positions of the joint without any discontinuity in the surface. In addition, an inner shell is secured within the outer shell and is provided with a conically tapered internal surface at the outer edge and an internal self-tapping screw thread for screwing onto a stump of a femur head. The shell also has an internal curved surface for abutting against the stump to inhibit continued threading of the cap onto the stump. Internal cutting rings may also be provided internally of the inner shell for cutting into the osseous tissue of the femur head.

Cap for a femur head

The hip joint prosthesis consists of two cups which are anchored together in the direction of the polar axes by a snap connection. The inner cup is made of cobalt alloy and outer cup of titanium. The outer cup carries a straddling dowel which projects into the bone tissue and which is subdivided into radially deflectable segments having sharp edges thereon. The inner cup has a shaped body which projects into the dowel and which is shaped so as to expand the deflectable segments upon rotation of the inner cup within the outer cup. Each dowel segment is provided with a notch to receive a corner of the shaped body so as to hold the body in a holding position in a snap-fit manner.

Hip joint prosthesis

The artifical acetabulum is formed of an outer metal shell having an annular shoulder, an acetabular body having an annular flange seated on the shoulder and a threaded ring threaded into the shell in order to clamp the flange of the acetabular body against the shoulder of the shell. The acetabular body is constructed in an asymmetric manner with an extension to prevent dislocations of a joint head and can be rotated into precise position before tightening of the threaded ring in place.

Growing community of inventors

Schwarzenbruck, Germany

Heinz Wagner