Abstract:
A method of making a resilient prosthetic/orthotic component, particularly a shank for a lower extremity prosthesis in which the shank includes multiple sections which are unbounded in one or more portions of each other, and wherein the shank sections incorporate at least one voids and inserted materials between one or more shank sections to enhance shank flexibility while reducing stresses which can cause premature failure.
Abstract:
A two-piece fusion cage having opposed interior surfaces, vertical and lateral throughholes adapted to enhance fusion and a dovetail feature mating the opposed interior surfaces.
Abstract:
Prostheses, systems, and methods are provided for replacement of natural facet joints between adjacent vertebrae using polyaxial attachment mechanisms (41, 115) for securing the prostheses to the vertebrae. A cephalad prosthesis (40) attached to a superior adjacent vertebra replaces the inferior half of a natural facet joint. A caudal prosthesis (100) attached to an inferior adjacent vertebra replaces the superior half of a natural facet joint. Both the cephalad and caudal prostheses are configured with artificial facet joint structures that include articulating surfaces (74, 118) that cooperate and form an artificial articular configuration. The polyaxial attachment mechanism permits adjustment of the position of the artificial facet joint structure along more than one axis at or after the time the cephalad or caudal prosthesis is attached to a vertebra.
Abstract:
A prosthetic foot (70) incorporates a foot keel (77) and a calf shank (72) connected to the foot keel to form an ankle joint area of the prosthetic foot. The foot keel has forefoot and hindfoot portions and an upwardly arched midfoot portion extending between the forefoot and midfoot portions. The calf shank includes a downward convexly curved lower end which is adjustably attached at a portion thereof to the foot keel by way of a releasable fastener arrangement. The upper end of the calf shank is movable longitudinally of the foot keel in response to force loading and unloading the calf shank during use of the prosthetic foot. A device (71) connected between the ends of the calf shank limits the extent of the motion of the upper end of the calf shank relative to the lower end and foot keel. The upper end of the calf shank can include an alignment coupler device (92) thereon having adjustable slide mechanisms to adjust the media/lateral and anterior/posterior position of the calf shank relative to a supporting structure on the leg of the person using the prosthetic foot.
Abstract:
A prosthetic foot (70) incorporates a foot keel (71) and a calf shank (72) connected to the foot keel to form an ankle joint area of the prosthetic foot. The foot keel has forefoot and hindfoot portions and an upwardly arched midfoot portion extending between the forefoot and midfoot portions. The calf shank includes a downward convexly curved lower end which is adjustably attached at a portion thereof to the foot keel by way of a releasable fastener arrangement which includes a coupling element (73) intermediate the calf shank and foot keel. The coupling element includes a resilient material forming a joint permitting subtalar joint-like motion of the prosthetic foot in gait.
Abstract:
An artificial limb has an endoskeletal shin component (10A) which is of generally constant H-shaped cross section and is formed by injection moulding from thermoplastics material. In a preferred embodiment, the limb has a foot keel (10B) which is integrally moulded with the shin component (10A), the keel (10B) having a longitudinal web (20) which is coplanar with a central web (12) of the shin component (10A). The keel (10B) also has upper flanges (24, 26) which are contiguous with anterior and posterior flanges (14, 16) of the shin component (10A). Such a limb can be made light in weight yet strong in terms of resistance to transverse bending moments, and can be inexpensively produced. The constant cross section of the skin component allows it to be cut to a required length and clamped to an upper limb component (52, 60).
Abstract:
An adjustable prosthesis joint, such as a prosthesis ankle or a prosthesis foot, and intended primarily for causing setting of the angular relation between an attachment means (4) forming part thereof for affixing the prosthesis joint (1) to a cooperating body part, and a detail (17) being angularly displaceably connected thereto, whereby the prosthesis joint is provided with means adapted to be actuatable to permit or to prevent such angular displacement, respectively, whereby said means is constituted by two communicating chambers (3a, 3b) containing a flow medium, with a shiftable valve (13) provided between the chambers, and at least one body designed as a piston (8, 9), rotatably arranged in relation to said chambers and movably arranged therein and adapted to permit flow of flow medium between the two chambers, when the valve is open and under influence of an external shifting force being displaced in said chambers (3a, 3b) in order to alter the relative sizes thereof.
Abstract:
The prosthetic connector assembly (100) includes a prosthetic pylon (130) having a male end (134) with an opening (140) therein for receiving the shank of a bolt (186), a prosthetic base (200) having a female contact or bearing surface (204) for receiving the male end of the pylon and for anchoring the head of the bolt, and a clamping element (170) carried internally of the pylon for receiving the threaded shank of the securing bolt and, when the bolt is rotated, for clamping the male end of the pylon to releasably lock the pylon in a fixed position relative to the base. The male end of the pylon is preferably convexly hemispherical or domed, and the female contact or bearing surface of the base is preferably concavely spherical for fittingly receiving the male end of the pylon.
Abstract:
A device for mutually moving two bodies, comprising two members (11, 12) each combined with a respective one of the two bodies (1, 2), a means (15) for applying a force between the two members, a projection (14) integral with one member (11), and a cavity (13) provided in the other member (12) and matching at least part of said projection (14). The members (11, 12) are mutually movably mounted in such a way that the projection engages the cavity, the member (12) with the cavity (13) being made of a first material that is changeable from a first hard solid state to a second soft pasty state, whereas the member (11) integral with the projection (14) is made of a second, substantially hard material. Means are also provided for controlling the change of at least one part (19) of the second material surrounding the cavity (13) from the first state to the second state, and vice versa. The device is particularly suitable for making implantable prostheses for the human body.
Abstract:
Augments systems and methods for attaching two or more augments to an underside (50) of a tibial baseplate (16) are disclosed. An augment system (100) can include a first augment (102) having a superior surface (106) and an inferior surface (108), the superior surface configured for attachment to the underside of the tibial baseplate. The augment system can include a second augment (104) having a superior surface (110) and an inferior surface (112), the superior surface configured for attachment to the inferior surface of the first augment. The first and second augments can be formed of different materials. One or more additional augments can be used with the first and second augments, and the augment system can be stacked on a resected surface of the tibia. In an example, the augment that directly contacts the resected surface of the tibia can be formed of a porous material, such as to facilitate bone growth.