# US 10,500,037 B2 · Ligament assembly > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,500,037 B2 - Document ID: US10500037B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/962,718 - Filed: 2018-04-25 - Published: 2018-08-23 - Granted: 2019-12-10 - Earliest claimed: 2013-08-12 - Assignees: Biomet UK Healthcare Limited - Applicants: Biomet UK Healthcare Limited; Christopher Dodd; David Wycliffe Murray; John O'Connor - Inventors: Christopher Dodd; David Wycliffe Murray; John O'Connor; Russell Lloyd; Mona Alinejad - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10500037B2 ## CPC - A61F 2/0811: {Fixation devices for tendons or ligaments} - A61F 2/38: for elbows or knees - A61F 2/3836: {Special connection between upper and lower leg, e.g. constrained} - A61F 2002/0852: {Fixation of a loop or U-turn, e.g. eyelets, anchor having multiple holes} - A61F 2002/30462: {retained or tied with a rope, string, thread, wire or cable} - A61F 2002/30481: {using a locking clip} - A61F 2002/30573: {2-D spiral springs} - A61F 2220/0008: Fixation appliances for connecting prostheses to the body - A61F: FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS (dental prosthetics A61C) ## Abstract A ligament assembly (2) comprising a resilient element (20) connected to a bone anchor (4) and a ligament (18), the resilient element (20) acting m a cantilever and resisting toads transmitted between the bone anchor (4) and the ligament (18) by virtue of the resistance to bending of the resilient element. The ligament (18) may comprise an artificial ligament (18) which is adapted to replace a human or animal ligament. The resilient element (20) may comprise a spiral spring and may act as a biasing element/shock absorber operatively coupled to the artificial ligament (18) to control the effective stiffness of the artificial ligament (18). Consequently, the resilient element (20) enables an effective stiffness of the artificial ligament (18) to be achieved that more closely approximates the stiffness of a natural ligament. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A ligament assembly comprising: a ligament; a prosthetic knee component; and a resilient element configured for connecting the prosthetic knee component to the ligament, the resilient element configured to act as a cantilever and resist loads transmitted between the prosthetic knee component and the ligament by virtue of the resistance to bending of the resilient element. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The ligament assembly of claim 1, wherein the ligament comprises an artificial ligament. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The ligament assembly of claim 2, wherein the resilient element has a stiffness approximating that of a natural ligament that is to be replaced. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The ligament assembly of claim 1, wherein the prosthetic knee component comprises a tibial component. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The ligament assembly of claim 4, further comprising a femoral component, wherein the ligament is configured for attachment to the femoral component such that the ligament extends from the femoral component to the resilient element. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The ligament assembly of claim 4, further comprising a bone anchor, wherein the ligament is configured for attachment to the bone anchor such that the ligament extends from the bone anchor to the resilient element. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The ligament assembly of claim 1, wherein the resilient element is formed from stainless steel or titanium. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The ligament assembly of claim 1, wherein the resilient element comprises a spring. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The ligament assembly of claim 8, wherein the spring comprises a spiral spring, a cantilever spring, a leaf spring, or an elongate elastic member. ### Claim 10 A system for implanting a ligament assembly, the system comprising: an artificial ligament; a first bone anchor configured for attachment to the artificial ligament; a second bone anchor; and a resilient element configured for connecting the second bone anchor to the artificial ligament, the resilient element configured to act as a cantilever and resist loads transmitted between the second bone anchor and the artificial ligament by virtue of the resistance to bending of the resilient element. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein at least one of the first bone anchor or the second bone anchor comprises a component of a joint replacement prosthesis. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the joint replacement prosthesis comprises a knee replacement prosthesis. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein the second bone anchor comprises a tibial component. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the first bone anchor comprises a femoral component. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the resilient element includes a bollard attached to or integrally formed with the resilient element, the bollard configured for engagement with the artificial ligament. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the resilient element comprises a spiral spring. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, further comprising a second resilient element, interchangeable with the resilient element, for connecting the second bone anchor to the artificial ligament, wherein the resilient element and the second resilient element have different stiffnesses. ### Claim 18 A ligament assembly comprising: an artificial ligament; a prosthetic joint component; and a spiral spring element configured for connecting the prosthetic joint component to the artificial ligament, the spiral spring element configured to resist loads transmitted between the prosthetic joint component and the artificial ligament and control an effective stiffness of the artificial ligament. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The ligament assembly of claim 18, further comprising a second spiral spring element, interchangeable with the spiral spring element, for connecting the prosthetic joint component to the artificial ligament, wherein the spiral spring element and the second spiral spring element have different spring characteristics. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The ligament assembly of claim 19, wherein the different spring characteristics comprise different dimensions.