Apparatus and method for plugging holes in an acetabular shell component

• US 5,925,077 A
• Filed: 04/02/1997
• Issued: 07/20/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Biomet Manufacturing, LLC (Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Biomet Incorporated (Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Williamson, Daniel E., Blaschke, Richard Craig, Sheetz, Jane
• Primary Examiner(s): Yu, Mickey
• Assistant Examiner(s): Black, John M.
• Application Number:
  US08/832,477
• Time in Patent Office: 839 Days
• Field of Search: 623/22, 623/23, 606/65, 606/66, 606/72, 606/73, 606/86, 606/89, 606/104
• US Class Current: 623/22.34
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1666 for the acetabulum
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/86 Pins or screws or threaded wires; nuts therefor A61B17/72 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/8872 Instruments for putting said fixation devices against or away from the bone A61B17/7074, A61B17/808 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/8875 Screwdrivers, spanners or wrenches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/062 penetration depth
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/0095 Packages or dispensers for prostheses or other implants for intraocular lenses A61F2/1691; for dental surgery A61C19/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/30744 End caps, e.g. for closing an endoprosthetic cavity
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/30767 Special external or bone-contacting surface, e.g. coating for improving bone ingrowth
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/34 Acetabular cups
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/4603 for insertion or extraction of endoprosthetic joints or of accessories thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/4609 of acetabular cups
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/4637 for connecting or disconnecting two parts of a prosthesis
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/4684 Trial or dummy prostheses
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/3009 Transparent or translucent
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30143 hexagonal
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30225 Flat cylinders, i.e. discs
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30331 made by longitudinally pushing a protrusion into a complementarily-shaped recess, e.g. held by friction fit
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30378 Spherically-shaped protrusion and recess
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30405 made by screwing complementary threads machined on the parts themselves
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30451 soldered or brazed or welded
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30495 : using a locking ring
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/305 : Snap connection
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30538 : for adjusting angular orientation
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/3054 : about a connection axis or implantation axis for selecting any one of a plurality of radial orientations between two modular parts, e.g. Morse taper connections, at discrete positions, angular positions or continuous positions
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30561 : breakable or frangible
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30604 : modular
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30606 : Sets comprising both cemented and non-cemented endoprostheses
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30682 : Means for preventing migration of particles released by the joint, e.g. wear debris or cement particles
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30718 : Means for protecting prosthetic parts, e.g. during operation
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30719 : Means for cleaning prostheses
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30787 : inclined obliquely with respect to each other
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/3079 : Stepped or enlarged apertures, e.g. having discrete diameter changes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30795 : Blind bores, e.g. of circular cross-section
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30797 : internally-threaded
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/3401 : with radial apertures, e.g. radial bores for receiving fixation screws
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/3403 : Polar aperture
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/3443 : with an anti-luxation elevated rim portion, e.g. on the inner shell
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/3482 : Two hemispherical halves having completely different structures
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/4631 : the prosthesis being specially adapted for being cemented
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/4638 : Tools for performing screwing, e.g. nut or screwdrivers, or particular adaptations therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/4641 : for disconnecting
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/4668 : for measuring angles
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/4696 : optical
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0025 : Connections or couplings between prosthetic parts, e.g. between modular parts; Connecting elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0033 : made by longitudinally pushing a protrusion into a complementary-shaped recess, e.g. held by friction fit
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0058 : soldered or brazed or welded
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0017 : Angular shapes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0069 : cylindrical
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0006 : for adjusting angular orientation
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0091 : transparent or translucent
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0092 : Means for cleaning prostheses
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2310/00017 : Iron- or Fe-based alloys, e.g. stainless steel
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2310/00023 : Titanium or titanium-based alloys, e.g. Ti-Ni alloys
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2310/00029 : Cobalt-based alloys, e.g. Co-Cr alloys or Vitallium
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2310/00353 : Bone cement, e.g. polymethylmethacrylate or PMMA

Abstract

This invention relates to an apparatus and method for plugging holes in an acetabular shell component. The apparatus includes an acetabular shell component having an inner concave surface and an outer convex surface with at least a first selectively pluggable hole passing therethrough. The first selectively pluggable hole being defined by at least a cylindrical threaded sidewall. The apparatus further includes a plug having a tapered threaded sidewall. The cylindrical threaded sidewall of the first selectively pluggable hole threadably receives the tapered threaded sidewall of the plug to create an interference fit. This interference fit substantially seals the first selectively pluggable hole to minimize migration of debris through the first selectively pluggable hole. The apparatus further includes a second selectively pluggable hole and a removal instrument which is operable to removably engage a second plug without scratching the inner concave surface of the acetabular shell component during the removal of the second plug.

Claims

1. An acetabular prosthesis having at least one selectively pluggable hole, said acetabular prosthesis comprising:

an acetabular shell component having an inner concave surface and an outer convex surface with at least a first selectively pluggable hole passing therethrough, said first selectively pluggable hole defined by at least a first sidewall;

a plug having a second sidewall, said second sidewall of said plug operable to engage said first sidewall of said first selectively pluggable hole to substantially seal said first selectively pluggable hole; and

a removal instrument operable to removably engage said plug, said removal instrument including a means for preventing said inner concave surface of said acetabular shell component from being scratched during removal of said plug from said acetabular shell component with said removal instrument.

2. The acetabular prosthesis as defined in claim 1 wherein said plug further includes a threaded bore and said removal instrument further includes a threaded finger operable to threadably engage said threaded bore.

3. The acetabular prosthesis as defined in claim 1 wherein said removal instrument further includes a plug puller knob having a first threaded sidewall and a second threaded sidewall and a socket having an internal threaded bore, said first threaded sidewall of said plug puller knob operable to threadably engage a threaded bore in said plug and said second threaded sidewall of said plug puller knob operable to be threadably received by said internal threaded bore of said socket, whereby upon rotating said socket draws said plug puller knob into said internal threaded bore to rotate and remove said plug from said acetabular shell component.

4. The acetabular prosthesis as defined in claim 3 wherein said means for preventing said inner concave surface of said acetabular shell component from being scratched includes a polymeric bushing operable to mate with an outer sidewall of said socket.

5. The acetabular prosthesis as defined in claim 4 wherein said bushing includes at least one resilient finger which engages and resiliently snaps into a groove formed into said outer sidewall of said socket and an abutting face and an outer cylindrical sidewall which prevents said inner concave surface of said acetabular shell component from being scratched during removal of said plug by said removal instrument.

6. The acetabular prosthesis as defined in claim 1 wherein said removal instrument is operable to removably engage said plug after said acetabular shell component has been implanted into an acetabulum.

7. The acetabular prosthesis as defined in claim 1 wherein said acetabular prosthesis further includes an apical plug having a tapered threaded sidewall, and said acetabular shell component further includes a second selectively pluggable hole defined by a cylindrical threaded sidewall, whereby said tapered threaded sidewall of said apical plug forms an interference fit with said cylindrical threaded sidewall of said second selectively pluggable hole.

8. An acetabular prosthesis having at least one selectively pluggable hole, said acetabular prosthesis comprising:

an acetabular shell component having an inner concave surface and an outer convex surface with at least a first selectively pluggable hole passing therethrough, said first selectively pluggable hole defined by at least a first sidewall;

a plug having a second sidewall and a threaded bore, said second sidewall of said plug operable to engage said first sidewall of said first selectively pluggable hole to substantially seal said first selectively pluggable hole; and

a removal instrument operable to remove said plug from said first selectively pluggable hole, said removal instrument including;

a plug puller knob having a first threaded sidewall and a second threaded sidewall, said first threaded sidewall operable to threadably engage said threaded bore of said plug, and

a socket having an internal threaded bore, said internal threaded bore operable to threadably receive said second threaded sidewall of said plug puller knob,

wherein rotating said socket draws said plug puller knob into said internal threaded bore to rotate and remove said plug from said acetabular shell component.

9. The acetabular prosthesis as defined in claim 8 wherein said acetabular prosthesis further includes an apical plug having a tapered threaded sidewall, and said acetabular shell component further includes a second selectively pluggable hole defined by a cylindrical threaded sidewall, whereby said tapered threaded sidewall of said apical plug forms an interference fit with said cylindrical threaded sidewall of said second selectively pluggable hole.

10. The acetabular prosthesis as defined in claim 8 wherein said removable instrument further includes a polymeric bushing having an abutting face and an outer cylindrical sidewall which are operable to prevent the inner concave surface of said acetabular shell component from being scratched by said removal instrument during removal of said plug.

11. The acetabular prosthesis as defined in claim 10 wherein said abutting face of said polymeric bushing engages said inner concave surface of said acetabular shell component upon rotating said socket, whereby said acetabular shell component is firmly engaged by said bushing so as not to create an axial pulling force on said acetabular shell component during removal of said plug after said acetabular shell component has been implanted into an acetabulum.