Bristol-Myers Squibb Compnay

Zimmer Gmbh

Tracy R Gilliland

Jack D Jennings

Gregory C Stalcup

Clarence M Panchison

Steven L Meulink

James L Crumley

The present invention provides an improved prosthetic stem for implantation in a bone. Specifically, the present invention provides a prosthetic femoral stem having a strengthening rib protruding from the substrate thereof and being flush with a porous coating formed thereon. The strengthening rib is advantageously positioned so as to increase the cross-sectional moment of inertia of the prosthetic femoral stem and thereby decrease the stress on the anterio-lateral surface of the femoral stem. A protrusion in accordance with the present invention may also be utilized with a prosthetic femoral stem absent a porous coating. In such an embodiment, the height of the protrusion is such that the protrusion will be surrounded by the cement mantle formed when the prosthetic femoral component is cemented in a femoral canal.

Prosthetic stem with strengthening rib

The invention is directed to a method of attaching spikes (34) to an orthopaedic implant such as an acetabular cup (22). The acetabular cup (22) is formed with at least one tapered hole (28) therein which extends from an outside diameter (30) to an inside diameter (32) of the cup. At least one spike (34) having a tapered end (38) is pressed into a corresponding tapered hole (28) of the cup (22), whereby an interference fit is created between the tapered end (38) and the tapered hole (28). The spike (34) is metallurgically bonded to the cup (22), such as by electron beam welding and heat treating. The inside diameter (32) of cup (22) is then finished.

Method of attaching spikes to an orthopaedic implant

Growing community of inventors

Pierceton, IN, United States of America

Tracy R Gilliland