Tool and method for separating a femoral cup from an acetabular ball in an implanted hip prosthesis

A surgical tool configured to separate a femoral cup upon a femoral stem from an acetabular ball engaging the femoral cup, the acetabular ball mounted upon a stem affixed to a concave surface of an acetabular cup having a circumferential edge, the stem extending outwardly from an interior of said acetabular cup of a hip prothesis, the surgical tool comprising:

• a first handle and a second handle connected by a single fulcrum pin in a hinged rotational relationship about the single fulcrum pin in a rotational plane perpendicular to an axis of the single fulcrum pin, the first and second handles being urged apart by a spring, each handle having a proximal end and a distal end;
• the first handle having a femoral engagement component at its distal end thereof, the femoral engagement component having a generally flat, U-shaped plate configuration having a pair of side legs joined at a base connecting the femoral engagement component to the distal end of the first handle, and wherein the U-shaped plate is within a first plane;
• and
• the second handle having an acetabular engagement element at its distal end thereof, the acetabular engagement element is an acetabular engagement component having a generally flat, U-shaped plate configuration having a pair of side legs joined at a base connecting the acetabular engagement component to the distal end of the second handle, and wherein the U-shaped plate of the acetabular engagement component is within a second plane,
• the femoral engagement component being sized to engage a neck of a femoral cup, engage an outer hemispherical surface of the femoral cup, engage both the neck and the outer hemispherical surface of the femoral cup, or engage a proximal end of a femoral stem, and
• the acetabular engagement element being sized to engage at least a part of the circumferential edge of the acetabular cup,
• wherein the second plane of the acetabular engagement element forms a first angle with the first plane of the femoral engagement component when the surgical tool is in a first configuration when the proximal ends of the first and second handles are spaced apart at a maximum distance, and when the surgical tool is in a second configuration and the proximal ends of the first and second handles are at a lesser spaced apart distance than in the first configuration, the second plane of the acetabular engagement element forms a second angle with the first plane of the femoral engagement component, wherein the second angle is greater than the first angle.