Ribbed finger joint implant

In an implantable-type endoprosthesis for a digital joint, the endoprosthesis including a protuberant headed member provided with a stem portion at one end thereof for affixing said member in a bone and a protuberant head portion at the other end thereof, and a socketed member provided with a stem portion at one end thereof for fixing said member in a bone and a socket portion at the other end thereof which defines an interior socket cavity in which the protuberant head portion is removably retained and swingably supported, said socket portion including a socket part having a generally spheroid external configuration, said socket portion also including an annular guard flange fixedly connected to the rearward side of said socket part so as to be interposed between said socket part and the respective stem portion, said guard flange and said socket part having opposed external surfaces which diverge away from one another, comprising the improvement wherein said socket portion has means fixedly associated therewith and disposed exteriorly thereof for permitting the ligaments, muscles or tendons to be fixedly tied thereto, said means defining a pair of ribs which are integral with said socket portion and extend between the diverging external surfaces of said socket part and said guard flange, said ribs extending in a direction approximately parallel to the elongated direction of the respective stem portion and being disposed in wide circumferentially spaced relationship with respect to the socket part so as to be positioned on opposite sides of the joint when implanted in a digit, said ribs having opening means extending therethrough for permitting suturing of the tendons, ligaments or muscles thereto, and said ribs being dimensioned so as to not project outwardly beyond the outer dimensional limits defined by either said guard flange or said socket part so as to not interfere with the implanting of the joint in a digit.