Prosthetic socket implant

An implantable prosthetic socket for use with an associated component having a head, said socket comprising:

• an outer cup-shaped shell having an inner surface, an open end and a first peripheral groove formed on its inner surface proximate its open end and an access aperture extending through said shell and said first groove to allow access to said groove from the exterior of said shell;
• a cup-shaped bearing insert having a body wall, inner and outer surfaces and an open end, said bearing insert adapted for substantially mateable engagement within said outer shell and having a socket chamber for receiving said head, the wall of said insert having a second peripheral groove on its outer surface proximate the open end of said insert and a plurality of peripherally spaced apertures axially spaced from said second groove;
• a split, insert-retaining ring having two ends adjacent a split in the ring, said insert retaining ring adapted to fit within said first and second grooves, said insert-retaining ring provided with grasping means adjacent the two ends, said grasping means being accessible through said access aperture from the exterior of said outer shell;
• and
• a split, head-retaining bearing ring having a split therein and being retained within said spaced apertures, said bearing ring being sufficiently expandable, when said bearing insert is not within said outer shell, to enable said head to be inserted past said bearing ring into the socket chamber of said bearing insert, said bearing ring having predetermined portions thereof conforming to and contiguous with the inner surface of said outer shell such that expansion of said bearing ring is opposed by said outer shell.