Self-locking joint connector
AssigneePfizer Hospital Products Group, Inc.
InventorRobert V. Kenna
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A device suitable for use in a wide variety of types of joints of the body of a human or other mammal is provided. The device is especially useful for implantation into the human femur so as to repair an anterior cruciate ligament. The device is self-locking and can be used to connect two parts of a joint together by means of an artificial ligament (if desired) or by means of a biological graft (either allegraft or autogenous, including bone with a natural tendon attached thereto). The device permits the surgeon very simply to do a revision from such a mechanical ligament to a biological graft or vice-versa, as desired; that is, the device of the invention is fully revisable. A method of connecting two parts of a joint is also given.
Claims8
A device to be placed into one side of a joint, said device comprising:
- (a) a first portion comprising:
- (1) a first screw portion to be screwed into bone in one side of said joint;
- and
- (2) a first means for locking said first portion;
- and
- (b) a second portion which is adapted to be inserted during surgery into proximity with and then remain self-locked with said first portion, said second portion comprising:
- (1) a nose portion having a second means for locking said second portion,
- wherein said first means for locking and said second means for locking are adapted to lock together,
- wherein said first means for locking is a groove located either within said first portion or said second portion, and wherein said second means for locking comprises two spring-loaded collapsible pins located either within said second portion or said first portion respectively and which are adapted to snap into and remain self-locked within said groove.
A device to be placed into one side of a joint, said device comprising:
- (a) a first portion comprising:
- (1) a first screw portion to be screwed into bone in one side of said joint;
- and
- (2) a first means for locking said first portion;
- and
- (b) a second portion which is adapted to be inserted during surgery into proximity with and be snapped together with and then remain self-locked with said first portion, said second portion comprising:
- (1) a nose portion having a second means for locking said second portion,
- wherein said first means for locking and said second means for locking are adapted to snap-lock together,
- wherein said first means for locking is a groove located either within said first portion or said second portion, and wherein said second means for locking comprises at least one spring-loaded collapsible pin located either within said second portion or said first portion respectively and which is adapted to snap into and remain self-locked within said groove.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.