Trispherical prosthetic shoulder device
AssigneeHowmedica, Inc.
InventorAnthony G. Gristina
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Abstract
Biocompatible metal balls are secured by affixation stems to the humerus and the scapular region of the shoulder. The balls are rotatably captured between a pair of cutout plastic hemispheres, which are secured to each other to form a spheroid by a metal shell. The prosthesis accordingly provides a wide range of articulation with substantially high stability.
Claims6
A trispherical prosthetic shoulder device comprising a relatively small ball-headed humeral component of a biocompatible metal, a humeral stem on the ball-headed humeral component for affixing it to the intermedullary canal of the humerus, a humeral flange separating the ball-headed component from the stem, a ball-headed scapular component of a biocompatible metal, a scapular stem on the scapular component for attaching it to the scapular region of the shoulder, a scapular flange separating the scapular ball from the scapular stem, a spheroidal ball-capturing member having a pair of spherical sockets disposed substantially 180.degree. from each other, the ball-capturing member comprising a pair of biocompatible cutout plastic hemispheres sharing the sockets between them, clamping means joining the hemispheres together whereby the ball heads are rotatably trapped in the sockets to provide a substantially stable shoulder prosthesis with a substantially wide range of movement, and the clamping means comprising a pair of metal shells substantially surrounding and enclosing the hemispheres and fastening means joining the metal shells together.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.