Hip replacement system and method for implanting the same

Abstract

A joint replacement system particularly useful in total hip arthroplasty includes a prosthesis presenting a macrotextured dimpled surface thereon for promoting biological fixation of the prosthesis to the surrounding bone. The prosthesis may be, for example, a femoral prosthesis which is designed for insertion along the intramedullary canal of a bone. The femoral prosthesis presents a body portion having a cruciform cross-section and a distal portion which is wide in the coronal plane for conforming to the endosteum of the bone but narrow in the sagittal plane for provide good flexure with the bone. The femoral prosthesis is configured to leave a portion of the intramedullary canal undisturbed to provide better circulation to the bone-growth regions after surgery. The prosthesis may also be an acetabular component having the macrotextured outer surface which permits the shell-like acetabular component to be thinner and also to avoid the necessity of pins or screws ordinarily required to attach an acetabular component to the acetabulum of the pelvis. The invention further includes a novel method of implanting the prosthesis which includes leaving a portion of the intramedullary canal intact rather than reaming out the intramedullary canal to receive the prosthesis as is conventional.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.