Knee joint prosthesis

• US 5,197,987 A
• Filed: 01/14/1992
• Issued: 03/30/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sulzer Brothers, Ltd (Sulzer AG)
• Original Assignee: Sulzer Brothers, Ltd (Sulzer AG)
• Inventors: Koch, Rudolf, Streicher, Robert M.
• Primary Examiner(s): SHAY, RANDY CITRIN
• Application Number:
  US07/820,357
• Time in Patent Office: 441 Days
• Field of Search: 623/18, 623/20, 623/22, 623/23
• US Class Current: 623/20.28
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/30965 Reinforcing the prosthesis by embedding particles or fibres during moulding or dipping
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/38 for elbows or knees
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/3868 with sliding tibial bearing
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30016 differing in hardness, e.g. Vickers, Shore, Brinell
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30563 having elastic means or damping means, different from springs, e.g. including an elastomeric core or shock absorbers
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30733 Inserts placed into an endoprosthetic cavity, e.g. for modifying a material property
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0019 differing in hardness, e.g. Vickers, Shore, Brinell
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2310/00029 Cobalt-based alloys, e.g. Co-Cr alloys or Vitallium

Abstract

The knee joint prosthesis is formed of a tibia metal plate which can be attached to a tibia and a femur part which can be secured in a femur. An intermediate plastic part is provided on the tibia metal plate to receive the femur part in bearing relation. In order to reduce abrasion of the intermediate plastic part, support members of hard material are distributed in the bearing surface of the intermediate plastic part to receive the femur part thereon. The bearing surfaces of the support members are integrated in the bearing surface of the intermediate part and are provided with dual surfaces to receive different bearing surfaces of the femur part, each of which has a different radius of curvature.

Claims

1. A knee joint prosthesis comprising

a femur part having at least one condyle with a first bearing surface including a double convex curve in an anterior/posterior direction formed from at least two circular sectors having different radii of curvature and center points;

a tibia part having a plastic part with a second bearing surface receiving said at least one femur condyle thereon; and

a plurality of support members in said plastic part of a harder material than said plastic part, each said support member having a support surface lying in said bearing surface of said plastic part and including double concave curves, wherein each support surface has two different concave curves with radii of curvature correspondign to said radii of said convex anterior/posterior curves of said at least one femur condyle.

2. A knee join prosthesis as set forth in claim 1 wherein each support surface has an edge region with a radius of curvature correspondign to the larger radius of curvature of said at least one condyle and a central region with a radium of curvature correspondign to the smaller radius of curvature of said at least one condyle.

3. A knee joint prosthesis as set fort h in claim 1 wherein each support member is made of the same material as said femur part.

4. A knee join prosthesis comprising

a metal femur part having at least one condyle having a first bearing surface with a first section on a first radius of curvature and a second section in an anterior/posterior direction on a second radius of curvature;

a tibia part having a plastic part with a secondary bearing surface receiving said bearing surface of said at least on condyle thereon; and

a plurality of metal support members in said plastic part, each support member having a third bearing surface lying in said second bearing surface of said plastic part with a first concave surface complementary to said first radius of curvature and a second concave surface complementary to said second radius of curvature.

5. A prosthesis as set for thin claim 4 wherein said first concave surface is concentric to and about said second concave surface.

6. A prosthesis as set forth in claim 4 which further comprises a plurality of depressions in said plastic part receiving said support members and wherein each support member has a peripheral surface of spherical shape received in mating relation in a sidewall of a respective depression.

7. A prosthesis as set forth in claim 4 wherein each support member has a convex surface received on a base surface of a respective depression.

8. A prosthesis as set forth in claim 4 wherein said first bearing surface of said at least one condyle is curved in a medial/lateral direction on a radius of curvature equal to said first radius of curvature.

9. A prosthesis as set forth in claim 4 wherein said tibia part has a metal plate receiving said plastic part in floating relation.

10. A prosthesis as set forth in claim 9 wherein said tibia part has a plurality of metal support members in said plastic part in facing relation to and bearing on said metal plate.