Acetabular cup assembly prosthesis

Claim 1

An acetabular cup assembly prosthesis, which comprises a combination of a hollow hemispherical support shell surrounded by a peripheral rim for attachment into a prepared acetabulum and a complementary shaped socket insert for cooperative engagement within the support shell; the support shell having at least one anchoring post formed on an outer shell surface adjacent the peripheral rim and extending outwardly from the outer shell surface for securing the support shell within the prepared acetabulum, and the support shell further including a central opening formed in an apex region thereof wherein a portion of the support shell directly adjacent to the central opening is formed with an undercut flange for connecting the socket insert to the support shell; the socket insert having an inner hemispherical cavity and an outer surface adapted to fit within the support shell wherein the socket insert includes a central fastening tab extending outwardly from the outer insert surface and dimensioned so as to be inserted into engagement with the central opening, the central fastening tab having transverse outwardly extending portions that lockingly engage with the undercut flange thereby providing the sole means of attaching the socket insert to the support shell; means formed on the support shell and socket insert preventing relative rotation of the socket insert and support shell about an axis that passes through the geometric center of the hemispherical cavity of the socket insert and the central opening in the support shell.