← Back to Patent Explorer
US4662891A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Fixation elements for artificial joints

Assignee: Joint Medical Products Corp
•
Filing: 1983-11-21
•
Granted: 1987-05-05
•
Expires: 2003-11-21
📄 Original PDF 🌐 Google Patents 🔄 Sync Now

Abstract

Abstract Fixation elements for the socket portions of artificial ball and socket joints are provided which include a self-tapping screw thread, a plurality of cutting teeth and a spherical dome. A spherically-shaped cavity having a radius either approximately equal to or slightly greater than the radius of the spherical dome of the fixation element is reamed into a bony structure. The fixation element is screwed into the cavity using the self-tapping screw thread. The cutting teeth form an aperture in the cavity in advance of the self-tapping thread to aid the thread in cutting into the walls of the cavity. In certain embodiments of the invention, a family of fixation elements is provided having related threads with at least a portion of the thread increasing in size from the smallest to the largest member of the family.

Inventors

  • 👤 Douglas G. Noiles

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-23 14:42
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61F; A61F2/00; A61F2/02; A61F2/30; A61F2/46; A61F2/4603; A61F2/4609; A61F2/32; A61F2/34; A61B; A61B17/00; A61B17/56; A61B17/58; A61B17/68; A61B17/84; A61B17/86; A61F2002/30001; A61F2002/30316; A61F2002/30317; A61F2002/30324; A61F2/30767; A61F2/30771; A61F2002/30772; A61F2002/30784; A61F2002/30785; A61F2002/3082; A61F2002/30827; A61F2002/30841; A61F2002/30845; A61F2002/3085; A61F2002/30858; A61F2002/30871; A61F2002/30873; A61F2002/3401; A61F2002/3412; A61F2002/3417; A61F2250/00; A61F2250/0014; A61F2250/0036

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 6
Claim 1
Independent Claim 224 words
Apparatus for fixation of the socket portion of a ball and socket joint in a bony structure comprising a cup-shaped body which is screwed into a spherically-shaped cavity formed in the bony structure, said body having an outer surface which includes a leading portion having a plurality of cutting teeth for forming an aperture in the bony structure, said cutting teeth covering the full circumference of said leading portion and being oriented to cut into bone and produce bone chips when turned in the direction in which the cup-shaped body is screwed into the spherically-shaped cavity, and a trailing portion having a self-tapping screw thread, said self-tapping screw thread covering the full circumference of said trailing portion and being oriented to cut into bone and produce bone chips when turned in the direction in which the cup-shaped body is screwed into the spherically-shaped cavity, and means associated with the body for removably connecting the body to driving means for rotating the apparatus to form the aperture in the bony structure by means of the plurality of cutting teeth and to affix the apparatus to the bony structure by means of the self-tapping screw thread, the bone chips produced by the cutting of bone by the cutting teeth and the self-tapping screw thread remaining in the region between the cup-shaped body and the spherically-shaped cavity.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 224 words
Apparatus for fixation of the socket portion of a ball and socket joint in a bony structure comprising a cup-shaped body which is screwed into a spherically-shaped cavity formed in the bony structure, said body having an outer surface which includes a leading portion having a plurality of cutting teeth for forming an aperture in the bony structure, said cutting teeth covering the full circumference of said leading portion and being oriented to cut into bone and produce bone chips when turned in the direction in which the cup-shaped body is screwed into the spherically-shaped cavity, and a trailing portion having a self-tapping screw thread, said self-tapping screw thread covering the full circumference of said trailing portion and being oriented to cut into bone and produce bone chips when turned in the direction in which the cup-shaped body is screwed into the spherically-shaped cavity, and means associated with the body for removably connecting the body to driving means for rotating the apparatus to form the aperture in the bony structure by means of the plurality of cutting teeth and to affix the apparatus to the bony structure by means of the self-tapping screw thread, the bone chips produced by the cutting of bone by the cutting teeth and the self-tapping screw thread remaining in the region between the cup-shaped body and the spherically-shaped cavity.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 15 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the self-tapping screw thread comprises a discontinuous conical thread.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 30 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the connecting means also removably connects the body to a socket bearing member which receives the ball portion of the ball and socket joint.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 14 words
The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the connecting means comprises bayonet spaces and lugs.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 41 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein a leading portion of the self-tapping screw thread and a trailing portion of the one or more cutting teeth overlap so that a portion of the screw thread includes contours characteristic of the cutting teeth.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US1288893A Cited
US2696817A Cited
US3044341A Cited
US4116200A Cited
DE2645101A1 Cited
US4262369A Cited
US4404691A Cited
US4433686A Cited
WO1983000089A1 Cited
WO1983002555A1 Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1990-05-04 1990-11-03 1991-05-05 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1994-05-04 1994-11-03 1995-05-05 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1998-05-04 1998-11-03 1999-05-05 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

Assigned Categories & Tags

No categories assigned to this patent yet.

Assign Category Tag