Hip prosthesis and method for fitting such hip prosthesis

• US 6,375,684 B1
• Filed: 06/28/1999
• Issued: 04/23/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Emergomed Limited
• Original Assignee: Novarticulate Holding Limited
• Inventors: Kriek, Hans Rudolf
• Primary Examiner(s): Hirsch, Paul J.
• Application Number:
  US09/340,027
• Time in Patent Office: 1,030 Days
• Field of Search: 623/23.39, 623/23.4, 623/23.41, 623/22.11, 623/17.14, 623/19.12, 623/20.22, 623/21.16
• US Class Current: 623/23.39
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/00234 for minimally invasive surgery A61B17/0218, A61B17/0469, A61B17/12013, A61B17/1285, A61B17/29, A61B17/320016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1615 Drill bits, i.e. rotating tools extending from a handpiece to contact the worked material
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1617 with mobile or detachable parts
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1666 for the acetabulum
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1668 for the upper femur A61B17/164 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1721 for applying pins along or parallel to the axis of the femoral neck
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1742 for the hip
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/742 having one or more longitudinal elements oriented along or parallel to the axis of the neck
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/86 Pins or screws or threaded wires; nuts therefor A61B17/72 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/30742 Bellows or hose-like seals; Sealing membranes A61B17/8808 takes precedence; sealing membranes for retaining bone substitute A61F2/2846
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/32 for the hip
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/34 Acetabular cups
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/3601 for replacing only the epiphyseal or metaphyseal parts of the femur, e.g. endoprosthetic femoral heads or necks directly fixed to the natural femur by internal fixation devices non-prosthetic internal fixation devices for the femoral head or neck A61B17/74
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/4607 of hip femoral endoprostheses
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/3013 figure-"8"- or hourglass-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30143 hexagonal
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30235 tubular, e.g. sleeves
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30354 Cylindrically-shaped protrusion and recess, e.g. cylinder of circular basis
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30364 Rotation about the common longitudinal axis
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30405 made by screwing complementary threads machined on the parts themselves
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30507 : using a threaded locking member, e.g. a locking screw or a set screw
• 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 2002/30574 : with an integral complete or partial collar or flange
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30624 : Hinged joint, e.g. with transverse axle restricting the movement
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30634 : biaxial
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30635 : Cardan or gimbal joints
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30649 : Ball-and-socket joints
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30663 : multiaxial, e.g. biaxial; multipolar, e.g. bipolar or having an intermediate shell articulating between the ball and the socket
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/3085 : with a threaded, e.g. self-tapping, bone-engaging surface, e.g. external surface
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/3241 : having a ring, e.g. for locking the femoral head into the acetabular cup
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/3611 : Heads or epiphyseal parts of femur
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/3625 : Necks
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/4635 : using minimally invasive surgery
• 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 2230/001 : Figure-8-shaped, e.g. hourglass-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0017 : Angular shapes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0069 : cylindrical

Abstract

A hip prosthesis comprising a first fastening assembly (1, 2, 6, 12, 13) intended for being mounted in the hip bone (A) and a second fastening assembly (4, 5, 7, 14) intended for being mounted in the upper extremity of the femur (F), wherein the first (1, 2, 6, 12, 13) and the second (4, 5, 7, 14) fastening assemblies are interconnected by means of a pivotable connection (8, 108) wherein all parts (1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8) of the hip prosthesis are so small and/or slender that they can each be arranged in the intended end position thereof via a bore (9) in the femur (F), which bore (9) extends from the outside (F_o) of the femur (F) through the femoral neck (F_n) substantially in the direction of the imaginary longitudinal center line (LF_n) of the femoral neck (F_n) to the femoral head (F_h)

Claims

1. A method for fitting a hip prosthesis, said prosthesis comprising a first fastening assembly intended for mounting on a hip bone and a second fastening assembly intended for mounting in the upper extremity of a femur,

wherein the first and the second fastening assemblies are interconnected by a pivotable connection, and all parts of the hip prosthesis are sufficiently small and slender that they are each arrangeable in their intended positions in the hip bone and femur through a femoral bore in the femur, said femoral bore extending from the outside of the femur through the femoral neck to the femoral head substantially in the direction of the longitudinal central axis of the femoral neck;

said method comprising the steps of making a small incision in a leg to gain access to the top part of the femur,

making said femoral bore in the femur,

removing the femoral head via the femoral bore,

making a hip bone bore in the hip bone at the location of the acetabulum via the femoral bore,

mounting the first fastening assembly in the hip bone bore via the femoral bore,

mounting the second fastening assembly in the femoral bore, and closing the incision.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the pivotal connection between the first fastening assembly and the second fastening assembly is a ball and socket assembly of which the external dimensions are smaller than the largest external dimension of the second fastening assembly.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the first fastening assembly comprises a hip pin having an external screw thread for engaging the hip bone and the second fastening assembly comprises a femoral pin having an external screw thread for engaging the femoral bone.

4. A method according to claim 1, comprising providing, during the fitting of the hip prosthesis, each of the hip bone bore and the femoral bore with an internal screw thread for the purpose of mounting the first and the second fastening assemblies.

5. A method for fitting a joint prosthesis, wherein the joint prosthesis comprises a first fastening assembly intended for mounting in a first bone and a second fastening assembly intended for mounting in a second bone and wherein the first and second fastening assemblies are interconnected by means of a pivotable connection and all parts of the prosthesis are sufficiently small and slender that they are each arrangeable in their intended positions in the first and second bones via a bore in the second bone;

said method comprising making a small incision to gain access to the second bone,

making the bore in the second bone, removing a head of the second bone via the bore, mounting the first fastening assembly in the first bone via the bore, mounting the second fastening assembly in the bore and;

closing the incision.