Hip joint for prosthetic leg

Abstract

A hip joint for a prosthetic leg has first and second members pivoted together by a pin through the first member. The pin includes an outer spool-like spindle roatable in a bearing in said first member and an inner spool-like spindle rotatable in a bearing in the outer spindle and carrying pivots for the second member. The inner spindle has an axis skew to the outer spindle so that firstly an angle may be set between the pivot axis of the joint and said first member by adjusting the relative angular positions of the inner and outer spindles and secondly an attitude of said pivot axis may be set by adjusting the angular position of the outer spindle relative to the first member. The hip joint may have a buffer assembly that contacts an abutment on the first member at a contact line or plane to define a rearward limit of swing of the second member. The buffer assembly may have a first adjustment mechanism by which a limit of swing of the second member can be set and a second adjustment mechanism by which a line or plane or action of the buffer assembly can be aligned with the abutment on the first member. A stride limiter carried by the second member is also described.