Prosthetic hip joint assembly

• US 6,706,071 B1
• Filed: 05/24/2000
• Issued: 03/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dietmar Wolter
• Original Assignee: Dietmar Wolter
• Inventors: Wolter, Dietmar
• Primary Examiner(s): McDermott, Corrine
• Assistant Examiner(s): STEWART, ALVIN J
• Application Number:
  US09/578,198
• Time in Patent Office: 1,392 Days
• Field of Search: 623/22.17, 623/22.13, 623/22.11, 623/22.15, 623/22.2, 623/22.26, 623/22.3, 623/22.4, 623/18.11, 623/19.12
• US Class Current: 623/22.13
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/86 Pins or screws or threaded wires; nuts therefor A61B17/72 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/0077 Special surfaces of prostheses, e.g. for improving ingrowth A61F2/30767 takes 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 2/30744 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 2/30771 applied in original prostheses, e.g. holes or grooves
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/32 for the hip
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/34 Acetabular cups
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/36 Femoral heads ; Femoral endoprostheses
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/3662 Femoral shafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/4657 Measuring instruments used for implanting artificial joints for surgical instruments A61B90/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/48 Operating or control means, e.g. from outside the body, control of sphincters
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/488 Means for detecting or monitoring wear
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/0081 directly machined on the prosthetic surface, e.g. holes, grooves A61F2/30771 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30332 Conically- or frustoconically-shaped protrusion and recess
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30462 retained or tied with a rope, string, thread, wire or cable
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30495 using a locking ring
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/305 Snap connection
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30604 modular
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/3067 for data transfer
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30673 : Lubricating means, e.g. synovial pocket
• 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 2002/30822 : Circumferential grooves
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/3233 : having anti-luxation means for preventing complete dislocation of the femoral head from the acetabular cup
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/3241 : having a ring, e.g. for locking the femoral head into the acetabular cup
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/3493 : Spherical shell significantly greater than a hemisphere, e.g. extending over more than 200 degrees
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/3611 : Heads or epiphyseal parts of femur
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/3625 : Necks
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/365 : Connections of heads to necks
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/4655 : for introducing lubricating fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/4666 : for measuring force, pressure or mechanical tension
• 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 2220/0075 : sutured, ligatured or stitched, retained or tied with a rope, string, thread, wire or cable
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0002 : for data transfer
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2310/00011 : Metals or alloys
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2310/00023 : Titanium or titanium-based alloys, e.g. Ti-Ni alloys

Abstract

An artificial hip joint assembly comprising a femoral component with a stem for being anchored in the medullary space of a femur and a head on the distal end of the stem, an acetabular component for being anchored in the pelvic bone with an acetabular cup which pivotedly supports the head of the femoral component, and an articular capsule made of a flexible material, which is located at the femoral component at one end and at the acetabular component at the other end so as to allow the head to move in the acetabular cup and to prevent wear debris from the bearing zone of the head in the acetabular cup from migrating to the outside.

Claims

1. An artificial hip joint assembly comprising:

a femoral component (19) with a stem (15) for being anchored in the medullary space of a femur (14),

an acetabular component (20) for being anchored in the pelvic bone (17) with an acetabular cup (18),

a pre-assembled unit comprising an insert which pivotedly supports a ball (3) and which is placed in the acetabular cup (18), the ball (3) having a neck (5, which is connected to the femoral component (19) by a cone connection (13,16), and an articular capsule (6) made of a flexible material, which is securely fixed in a transition area of ball (3) and neck (5) at one end and to the insert at the other end so as to allow the ball (3) to move in the insert and to prevent wear debris from a bearing zone of the ball (3) from migrating to the outside.

2. The prosthetic hip joint assembly according to claim 1 wherein the articular capsule (6) is a corrugated bellows.

3. The prosthetic hip joint assembly according to claim 2 wherein the articular capsule (6) has a reinforcement on at least one corrugation.

4. The prosthetic hip joint assembly according to claim 1 wherein the connection between the articular capsule (6) and the acetabular component (20) and/or the femoral component (19) has a bead (11, 12) and/or a groove (7, 9) and/or a locking collar (8, 10).

5. The prosthetic hip joint assembly according to claim 1 wherein the articular capsule (6″

) has a hose-like extension (24).

6. The prosthetic hip joint assembly according to claim 1 wherein the articular capsule (6′

) and/or the extension (24) has a storage volume (23).

7. The prosthetic hip joint assembly according to claim 6 wherein the storage volume exists in a bulged-out portion (23) of the capsule (6′

).

8. The prosthetic hip joint assembly according to claim 6 wherein the storage volume (23) contains a wear particle retaining substance.

9. The prosthetic hip joint assembly according to claim 1 wherein the articular capsule (6) is made of a sheet or foil and/or tissue material.

10. The prosthetic hip joint assembly according to claim 1 wherein the articular capsule (6) is made of a plastic and/or a metallic and/or a natural material.

11. The prosthetic hip joint assembly according to claim 1 wherein the articular capsule (6) is made of PTFE fibres and/or PETP fibres.

12. The prosthetic hip joint assembly according to claim 1 wherein the articular capsule (6) is made of a material selected from the group consisting of PTFE material or PETP material.

13. The prosthetic hip joint assembly according to claim 1 wherein the articular capsule (6) is made of a partially permeable material which is impermeable to wear debris from the bearing zone of the ball (3) in the acetabular cup (18).

14. The prosthetic hip joint assembly according to claim 13 wherein the articular capsule (6) has applied to it a coat (27) for sealing its pores and/or retaining wear debris.

15. The prosthetic hip joint assembly according to claim 14 wherein the articular capsule (6) has applied to it a material and/or surface finish and/or coat (28) which promotes the bonding of tissue thereto.

16. The prosthetic hip joint assembly according to claim 1 wherein the articular capsule (6) contains a lubricating substance.

17. The prosthetic hip joint assembly according to claim 1 wherein there is at least one electric sensor (21,22) for determining a joint function.

18. The prosthetic hip joint assembly according to claim 17 wherein the sensor (21, 22) is connected to a telemetering device for the transfer of data measured to the surroundings of the human body.

19. An artificial hip joint assembly comprising:

a femoral component (19) with a stem (15) for being anchored in the medullary space of a femur (14),

an acetabular component (20) for being anchored in the pelvic bone (17) with an acetabular cup (18),

a pre-assembled unit comprising an insert which pivotedly supports a ball (3) and which is placed in the acetabular cup (18), the ball (3) having a neck (4) which is connected to the femoral component (19) by a cone connection (13,16), and an articular capsule (6) made of a flexible material wherein the articular capsule (6) is securely fixed to the ball (3) at one end and to the insert at the other end so as to allow the ball (3) to move in the insert and to prevent wear debris from a bearing zone of the ball (3) from migrating to the outside.

20. An artificial hip joint assembly comprising:

a femoral component (19) with a stem (15) for being anchored in the medullary space of a femur (14),

an acetabular component (20) for being anchored in the pelvic bone (17) with an acetabular cup (18),

a pre-assembled unit comprising an insert which pivotedly supports a ball (3) and which is placed in the acetabular cup (18), the ball (3) having a neck (5) which is connected to the femoral component (19) by a cone connection (13,16), and an articular capsule (6) made of a flexible material, which is securely fixed to the ball (3) in a transition area at one end and to the insert at the other end so as to allow the ball (3) to move in the insert and to prevent wear debris from a bearing zone of the ball (3) from migrating to the outside.