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US 4,206,517 AGranted
Floating center prosthetic joint
AssigneeBiomedical Engineering Corp.
InventorsMichael J. Pappas, Frederick F. Buechel
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A prosthesis providing improvement over the floating center prosthetic joint of U.S. Pat. No. 3,916,451 by providing, inter alia, an improvement in the structure for retaining the floating ball in the humeral component and the strength of the lip of the floating ball, and further providing piston-cylinder means utilizing body fluid present in the implanted prosthesis to provide hydraulic action for reducing the amount of shock loads transmitted to the implanted prosthesis during normal human activity.
Claims11
An improved prosthetic joint of the type that comprises:
- (a) Floating bearing means having portions defining a first floating bearing surface which has a cross-section conforming to a first circular arc;
- (b) the floating bearing means having portions defining a second floating bearing surface which has a cross-section conforming to a second circular arc;
- (c) a first member having portions defining a first anchor means for being secured to a first bone;
- (d) the first member having portions defining a first bearing means for rotatably engaging the first bearing surface of the floating bearing means, thereby permitting relative motion of the first member and the floating bearing means about a first center of rotation;
- (e) a second member having portions defining a second anchor means for being secured to a second bone;
- (f) the second member having portions defining a second bearing means for rotatably engaging the second bearing surface of the floating bearing means, thereby permitting relative motion of the second member about a second center of rotation;
- (g) wherein the first center of rotation is offset from the second center of rotation;
- (h) said floating bearing means including flange means for limiting relative motion between the first member and the floating bearing means and for limiting relative motion between the second member and the floating bearing means,
- the improvement comprising:
- i. the floating bearing means comprises constraining means, the constraining means for inhibiting deformation of the flange means as the flange means acts to limit motion between the first member, the floating bearing means, and the second member;
- and,
- j. the constraining means for allowing linear translational motion between the first member and the second member.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.