Alignable prostheses device, system and method
AssigneeSkeletal Dynamics LLC
InventorsJorge L. Orbay, Thomas H. Norman, William Garcia de Quevedo
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A prosthesis is provided for replacing a portion of a bone making up a joint. The prosthesis is adapted, intraoperatively, to optimize the anatomical alignment of the prosthesis in the joint. In particular, a jig is used to identify the axis of rotation of the joint intraoperatively and to align a portion of the prosthesis with the identified axis. The angle of the head of the prosthesis is adjusted to optimize contact with the appropriate corresponding portions of the joint, at which point the position of the head is fixed to prevent further rotation of the head relative to the remainder of the prosthesis.
Claims22
An alignable joint prosthesis, comprising:
- a head including an articular surface and a chamber;
- a stem including an anchor portion configured for anchoring in a bone and a neck portion configured to mate with said head;
- said neck portion including an spherical protuberance;
- said chamber being configured to receive said spherical protuberance.
- said chamber additionally being configured to permit free rotation of said head about said spherical protuberance when said spherical protuberance is received in said chamber, and
- a set screw configured to impede further rotation of said spherical protuberance in said chamber.
An alignable joint prosthesis system, comprising:
- a joint prosthesis, including:
- a head including an articular surface, an alignment portion and a chamber;
- a stem including an anchor portion configured for anchoring in a bone and a neck portion configured to mate with said head;
- said neck portion including an spherical protuberance;
- said chamber being configured to receive said spherical protuberance.
- said chamber additionally being configured to permit free rotation of said head about said spherical protuberance when said spherical protuberance is received in said chamber, and
- a set screw configured to impede further rotation of said spherical protuberance in said chamber;
- and
- a jig, including:
- a handle portion;
- and
- a tailpiece portion;
- the handle portion including a grasping portion configured to mate with said alignment portion of said head and hold the head at a particular orientation relative to said neck portion while said grasping portion is engaged with said alignment portion.
A method for placing a prosthesis device in a joint, comprising the steps of:
- providing access to the joint;
- removing a portion of a first bone of the joint to expose the medullary canal of the first bone;
- inserting an anchoring portion of a stem into the exposed medullary canal of the first bone, the stem including a neck portion disposed at one end of the anchoring portion, the neck portion extending outside of the exposed medullary canal;
- side-loading a head onto the neck, the head including a first surface configured to engage a portion of a second bone in the joint;
- after the inserting step, rotating the head on the neck to achieve a desired angle of the first surface relative to an axis through the length of the stem;
- and
- after the rotating step, using a set screw to impede further rotation of the head on the neck.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.