Implantable prosthesis
AssigneeThera Patent GmbH & Co. KG
InventorsHermann-Joseph Schmitz, Wolf D. Herold, Werner Zoellner
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The shaft surface of a cementlessly implantable prosthesis is provided with a large number of holes which are formed as blind or pocket holes. Each hole is surrounded by a bulb in the form of a crater edge. The bony tissue that grows into the holes and around the bulbs ensures a firm seating of the prosthesis over a long time. The holes are preferably oriented in such a way that the bone pegs that extend into them can take up a desired load which may be either a compressive or a tensile force. A tensile force exerted on the bone will stimulate its growth.
Claims9
An implantable prosthesis, comprising:
- a shaft having a bone engaging surface;
- a plurality of fine pocket holes, each of said holes having a top, a bottom, and a varying cross-sectional diameter, said holes being located in the bone engaging surface, said holes being closed at the bottom and open at the top, certain of said holes being generally bowl-shaped and generally circular in cross section from the bottom to the top of the hole, the cross-sectional diameter of the hole being smallest at the bottom of the hole and increasing toward the top of the hole, the hole at its top being surrounded by a relatively smooth and continuous crater-shaped bulb extending outwardly from said bone engaging surface, each bulb being larger in diameter than any other diameter of the hole.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.