Claims
- 1. A prosthesis for implantation in a patient's body as part of a ball and socket joint, said joint including a ball portion and a socket portion, said ball portion including a ball connected to a neck, said socket portion including two spaced-apart coaxial pivoting means members, said prosthesis comprising a bearing shell having a polar axis, said shell comprising an inner surface at least a portion of which is spherically shaped which defines a cavity for receiving the ball, an outer surface at least a portion of which is spherically shaped, and a rim joining the two surfaces, wherein said shell includes two coaxial, diametrically-opposed, cylindrically-shaped surfaces which intersect the outer surface and are substantially transverse to said polar axis for engaging the pivoting means members.
- 2. The prosthesis of claim 1 wherein the inner and outer surfaces have an angular extend greater than 180.degree. in at least one plane containing the polar axis so that the ball is physically constrained within the bearing shell in the assembled joint.
- 3. The prosthesis of claim 1 wherein the inner and outer surface have an angular extend less than or equal to 180.degree. in all planes containing the polar axis so that the ball is not physically constrained within the bearing shell in the assembled joint.
Parent Case Info
this is a continuation of co-pending application Ser. No. 06/942/298, filed Dec. 16, 1986, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 4,801,301, which was a continuation of application Ser. No. 06/473,431, filed Mar. 8, 1983, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 4,642,123.
US Referenced Citations (6)
Continuations (2)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
942298 |
Dec 1986 |
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Parent |
473431 |
Mar 1983 |
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