# US 9,039,710 B2 · Prosthetic inserter

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- Number: US 9,039,710 B2
- Document ID: US9039710B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 12/961,916
- Filed: 2010-12-07
- Published: 2012-06-07
- Granted: 2015-05-26
- Earliest claimed: 2010-12-07
- Assignees: Zimmer, Inc.
- Applicants: Jeff Blaylock; Jody L. Claypool; Stephen H. Hoag; Anthony P. Romano
- Inventors: Jeff Blaylock; Jody L. Claypool; Stephen H. Hoag; Anthony P. Romano
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9039710B2

## CPC

- A61F 2/461: {of knees}
- A61B 17/92: Impactors or extractors, e.g. for removing intramedullary devices {(insertion or extraction of artificial joints A61F2/4603)}
- A61F 2/3859: {Femoral components}
- A61F 2/4684: {Trial or dummy prostheses}
- A61B 2017/922: {Devices for impaction, impact element}
- A61F 2/4603: {for insertion or extraction of endoprosthetic joints or of accessories thereof}
- A61F 2002/30354: {Cylindrically-shaped protrusion and recess, e.g. cylinder of circular basis}
- A61F 2002/3037: {Translation along the common longitudinal axis, e.g. piston}
- A61F 2002/30505: {spring biased}
- A61F 2002/4628: {with linear motion along or rotating motion about an axis transverse to the instrument axis or to the implantation direction, e.g. clamping}
- A61F 2002/4681: {by applying mechanical shocks, e.g. by hammering}
- A61F: FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS (dental prosthetics A61C)
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)

## Abstract

A prosthetic inserter includes an inserter head having at least first and second bosses, at least one of the bosses movable from a first position to a second position, that couple the inserter to a femoral provisional component via a pair of corresponding apertures, such as drill holes, within the articulating surfaces of a selected one of a series of femoral provisional components. Each provisional component of the series is capable of having different aperture distances measured between a respective pair of apertures. The bosses of the inserter are biased into an engagement position in which the inserter can be secured to a femoral provisional component to eliminate the need for an external engagement force to be supplied to the inserter.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A combination comprising:
a provisional prosthetic component for a knee joint, including an articulating surface having a first aperture and a second aperture, disposed parallel to the first aperture, the first and second apertures spaced apart by an aperture distance; and
an inserter comprising:
a coupling member, couplable to the provisional prosthetic component, including a first boss and a second boss configured to be received, respectively, in the first and second apertures;
a biasing member engaged with the coupling member and configured to exert a biasing force, in a bias direction, to space the first and second bosses apart from one another by a biased distance; and
an actuating member engaged with the coupling member and configured to exert an actuating force, opposite the bias force, to space the first and second bosses apart from one another by an actuated distance.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The combination of claim 1, wherein the actuated distance is equal to the aperture distance.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The combination of claim 1, wherein when the first boss and the second boss are received, respectively, within the first and second apertures, release of the actuating force is configured to bias the first boss and the second boss to frictionally engage, respectively, a wall of the first aperture and a wall of the second aperture.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The combination of claim 3, wherein the first boss and the second boss are configured to matingly engage, respectively, the wall of the first aperture and the wall of the second aperture.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The combination of claim 4, wherein the first boss includes one of a first notch and a first protrusion, and the wall of the first aperture includes the other one of the first notch and the first protrusion, and wherein the second boss includes one of a second notch and a second protrusion, and the wall of the second aperture includes the other one of the second notch and the second protrusion.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The combination of claim 1, wherein the biased distance is less than the actuated distance.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The combination of claim 1, wherein the biased distance is greater than the actuated distance.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The combination of claim 1, wherein the coupling member further includes a first body, connected to the first boss, and a second body, connected to the second boss, at least one of the first body and the second body is configured to be a movable body, relative to the other body, to move the first and second bosses between the biased distance and the actuated distance.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The combination of claim 8, wherein the movable body comprises a piston and wherein the other of the first and second body comprises a stationary body, configured to receive the piston.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The combination of claim 9, wherein the piston is configured to resist rotation, relative to the stationary body, when at least a portion of the piston is received within the stationary body.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The combination of claim 1, wherein the biasing member comprises a spring mechanism, a screw mechanism, or a ratchet mechanism.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The combination of claim 8, wherein the movable body is movable through a sliding movement or a pivotal movement.