Depuy Synthes Products, Inc.

Stratec Medical Ag

Synthes Gmbh

Rudolf Koch

Raymond Schmitt

Stefan Knueppel

Arthur T Martella

A bone fixation member can be configured to secure first and second bone segments of a target bone together in a compressed approximated position. The bone fixation member can include a strap made of a first material, a locking head extending from a proximal end of the strap, and a leader portion extending from a distal end of the strap. The locking head can have a housing and a strap receiving slot that extends through the housing, slot is configured to receive a distal end of the strap. The housing can be tapered such that a distal end of the housing has a thickness that is greater than the thickness of a proximal end of the housing. The leader portion can be configured to be more flexible than the strap. The leader portion can be made of a second material that is different than the first material.

Bone fixation member systems and methods of use

An implant assembly can include an implant configured to be coupled to at least one bone part. The implant can include an implant body that defines at least one unsmooth surface. The assembly can further include a cap configured to be coupled to the implant body such that the cap overlies the at least one unsmooth surface. The cap can include a shell that defines a cavity that is configured to receive at least a portion of the implant body such that the shell flexes relative to the implant body as the cavity receives the at least a portion of the implant body to thereby couple the cap to the implant. The cap defines an outer surface that is curved.

Caps for implants, implant assemblies, and methods of use

A hip-joint socket having an outer shell ( ) with a central axis ( ) that is to be anchored in the hip bone. The outer shell is detachably mounted, in a geometrically locking manner, on a plastic intermediate shell ( ) exhibiting a hollow-spherical inner side ( ). The hip-joint socket also has a wear-resistant inner shell ( ) with a spherical outer side ( ) and a central axis ( ) that is designed to receive a joint ball of a femur shaft. The outer side ( ) of the inner shell ( ) can be undetachably mounted in a geometrically locking manner to rest against the inner side ( ) of the intermediate shell ( ) such that the two central axes ( ) coincide. Mutually engaging elements are present at the inner shell and intermediate shell ( resp. ) that consist, on one hand, of a prismatic salient ( ) configured at the vertex ( ) of the inner shell ( ) on the outer side ( ) and, on the other hand, of a prismatic recess ( ) configured at the vertex ( ) of the intermediate shell ( ) on the inner side ( ). The salient and recess reliably preclude the mutually contacting inner and intermediate shells ( resp. ) from rotating about their central axes ( ) and from canting relative to each other. The salient ( ) and the recess ( ) are configured in substantially congruent and symmetrical manner relative to the central axes. The hip-joint socket offers minimal design height subjected to optimally distributed resting forces.

Growing community of inventors

Oberdorf, Switzerland

Rudolf Koch