Abstract: The invention relates to a sterile container, especially for receiving and containing surgical instruments or material in sterile conditions, comprising a receiving area formed by a container bottom and container walls, a lid for sealing the receiving are, and a gas exchange opening which can be sealed by a sterile filter maintained in a filter holder. In order to simplify replacement of the sterile filter and to simplify the production of the lid, the sterile filter and filter holder form a filter unit and the filter holder is mounted on the lid.

Abstract: In order to improve an implant for the replacement of at least a part of a natural articular surface of a bone forming part of a joint comprising an anchorage surface abutting against the remaining bone and an artificial articular surface directed away from the bone in such a way that as little bone substance as possible should be removed in a simple manner for insertion of the implant, it is proposed that the anchorage surface comprises at least one cylindrically shaped area, which defines a cylinder axis.

Abstract: An intervertebral implant is provided, including an upper support body including a dorsal edge, a lower support body including a dorsal edge, and a saddle joint. The saddle joint includes two pivot axes and two saddle-shaped joint surfaces in contact with one another rotated by 90° in relation to one another. The upper and lower support bodies are supported pivotably in relation to one another via the saddle joint.

Abstract: In order to improve an implant, in particular a bone replacement implant for insertion into a bone cavity, or an intervertebral implant for insertion between two adjacent vertebral bodies of a human or animal spine, which can be brought from a normal position, in which the implant encompasses a maximum total volume, into an insertion position, in which the implant encompasses an insertion volume, which is smaller than the maximum total volume, such that the implant can be inserted through as small as possible an opening in a human or animal body and nevertheless have a high inherent stability, it is proposed that the implant has a plurality of cavities in fluidic connection with one another, and that a net volume encompassed in the normal position by the plurality of cavities in fluidic connection with one another is smaller than the maximum total volume.

Abstract: The invention relates to an orthopedic fixation device with an at least partly shaft-like fixation member, a shaft-like mounting body, and a transverse support securing the fixation member and the mounting body in a position in which they are laterally offset from one another. In order to adjust the transverse support without having to change the position of the fixation member, the fixation member can be rotated about its longitudinal axis in the transverse support and can be secured in a defined angular position.

Abstract: The invention relates to an orthopedic fixation device for securing a rod-like fixation element, with two clamping jaws which can be moved relative to one another and which, when brought together, clamp the fixation element between them. In order to permit space-saving configurations of a fixation device that can be introduced and operated through small orifices in the body, a cam body is provided which is mounted on the fixation device so as to be able to rotate next to the clamping jaws in the direction of tightening and which, when rotated, pushes one clamping jaw toward the other.

Abstract: In order, even in the case of bone screws with a particularly small head, to ensure a secure hold of the bone screw in a bone, a bone screw is proposed, having a screw body, which defines a longitudinal axis and is provided with a screw body external thread and has a proximal and a distal end, having a coupling element disposed on the proximal end for detachably connecting the screw body to a screw head designed substantially in the form of a U-shaped fork head with a coupling opening, wherein an edge of the coupling opening forms an axial stop for the coupling element for limiting a movement of the coupling element relative to the screw head in distal direction, wherein a maximum outside diameter of the screw body is larger than an inside diameter of the coupling opening, wherein the screw body comprises at least a first and a second screw body part. An osteosynthesis device having such a bone screw and a method of manufacturing such a bone screw are further proposed.

Abstract: To be able to determine the insertion position of the parts of an artificial knee joint without changing the original knee joint, a method is proposed for determining the position of the tibial part and/or the femoral part of a knee-joint endoprosthesis in relation to the proximal tibial head or to the distal femur in which the position of the femur and of the tibia are monitored by means of a navigation system, in which the distal femur and the proximal tibial head are laterally and medially displaced with a defined force into a spread position by means of a distraction appliance when the knee is straightened and bent, and the relative positions of the femur and the tibia, and consequently the size of the gap between the femur and the tibia, are thereby respectively determined, in which various virtual relative positions of the femur and the tibia are calculated according to geometrical data of the knee-joint endoprosthesis and to different assumed positions of the tibial part on the tibia and/or of the femo

Abstract: In order to establish an optimum position on the upper side of the tibia for the exit point of an anterior cruciate ligament replacement, it is proposed that, with the leg bent, the position of a number of points along the front edge of the notch is detected and in this way their position and progression on the femur are also determined, that, with the leg straight, the course of this front edge of the notch is projected onto a projection plane which is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the tibia in the region of the upper side of the tibia, and that, within the region enclosed by this projected curve, the exit point is selected such that it maintains at least a distance corresponding to the radius of the implant from the projected curve. Furthermore, an apparatus for carrying out such a method is proposed.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of extracting a tooth from the jawbone of a human being or an animal with a tooth extraction instrument, the tooth extraction instrument being able to be brought from an applying position in which the tooth extraction instrument may be applied to the tooth to be extracted into an extracting position in which the tooth extraction instrument is secured to the tooth to be extracted, comprising the steps: applying and grasping the tooth extraction instrument assuming the approaching position to the tooth to be extracted, fixing the tooth extraction instrument on the tooth to be extracted by transferring the tooth extraction instrument from the applying position to the extracting position, and performing extracting movements with the tooth extraction instrument for levering out the tooth to be extracted.

Abstract: In a surgical instrument comprising a tool which is oscillatingly pivotable about an axis of rotation and a rotatingly driven drive shaft which by means of an eccentric causes an oscillating lever which is rotationally fixedly connected to the tool to pivot oscillatingly back and forth, in order to achieve a simplified adaptation of the pivoting angle to the respective tool, it is proposed that the drive shaft comprise adjacent to each other at least two eccentrics with different eccentricity, that an oscillating lever pivotable about the axis of rotation of the tool be associated with each eccentric, and that the tool be rotationally fixedly connected to only one of the oscillating levers.

Abstract: An apparatus for recording the contour of a surface of a body is provided in accordance with the present invention. The apparatus comprises a carrier on which at least one distance measuring element is disposed. The at least one distance measuring element is capable of determining a distance between the carrier and a location on the surface of the body. A navigation system with marking elements is provided. The marking elements are fixable on the carrier and on the body, such that positional data regarding the position of the body and the carrier can be determined by the navigation system. A data-processing device device is also provided, which is adapted to calculate the contour of the surface from the positional data of the body and of the carrier and the distance measurements of the at least one distance measuring element.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a valve which comprises a base body with a passage opening, a movable valve member for closing and opening the passage opening and an actuating mechanism for moving the valve member in order to open the passage opening. The actuating mechanism comprises at least two elements made from a shape memory alloy which are secured to the base body or a carrier body connected thereto, and can be alternately shortened in the event of the temperature rising above a threshold temperature and are connected to the valve member in such a way that the valve member can be moved from a position on the passage opening into a position alongside the passage opening when one element is shortened on one side and can be moved back into the position on the passage opening when the other element is shortened on one side.

Abstract: In order to configure, in such a way as to be capable of being employed in a simple and secure manner and produced cost-effectively, a surgical connecting element for fixing adjacently arranged bone plates, comprising a first bearing element, a second bearing element and a coupling element, by means of which the first and second bearing element can be coupled to each other in such a way that bone plates lying between the first and second bearing element can be fixed, it is proposed that the second bearing element and the coupling element be so designed and adapted to each other that, by relative movement between the coupling element and the second bearing element transversely to a clamping direction, the bone plates are fixable between the first and the second bearing element.

Abstract: A two-part medical instrument is proposed, comprising a first part having a peg and a second part having a peg receiver, wherein first part and second part are connected to one another by a peg/peg receiver connection and the first part is made of a plastics material, wherein the peg has a peripheral edge bead.

Abstract: In order to be able to ascertain the position of the bone in the body without complicated procedures in a process for the preoperative determination of the positioning data of endoprosthetic parts of a central joint relative to the bones forming the central joint, a respective outer articular point is determined by way of movement of the bones about a respective outer joint which is located at the end of the two bones facing away from the central joint. An articular point is determined for each of the two bones in the area of the central joint, and a direction characteristic for each of these bones is determined by way of a straight-line connection of the two articular points obtained in this manner for the two bones. The orientation of the endoprosthetic parts relative to this characteristic direction is then determined. Apparatus for carrying out the process is also provided.

Abstract: In order to ensure in any case, in the case of scissors for medical purposes comprising two scissor parts which are pivotally mounted on one another at a joint and each comprise a scissor blade, that the scissor blades of the scissor parts abut on one another under tension during the closure movement, it is suggested that the two scissor parts or parts securely connected to them have biasing elements, that the biasing elements of the two scissor parts abut on one another during their movement relative to one another when the scissor parts are pivoted and that the biasing elements be shaped such that the two scissor parts pass during closure from a rest position, in which the two scissor blades are not or only slightly biased against one another in the direction of their pivot axis, into a biasing position, in which the two scissor blades are brought closer to one another in the direction of their pivot axis and are thereby biased against one another.

Abstract: In order to design a sterile container for the accommodation and sterile storage, in particular, of surgical instruments or material, comprising a receiving area formed by a container base and container walls, such that it is easy and inexpensive to use it is suggested that the receiving area comprise a plurality of separate chambers and that each chamber have its own closure element.

Abstract: With an insertion catheter for inserting a vascular prosthesis into a vessel, with an elongate, substantially tubular catheter cover having a proximal and a distal end, with an outlet for the vascular prosthesis provided at the distal end, in order to make insertion of the vascular prosthesis into the vessel particularly safe and simple, in particular, to provide the vascular prosthesis with protection against twisting, it is proposed that the outlet have a cross-sectional shape differing from a circular shape, and that the cross-sectional area defined by the outlet area be smaller than the cross-sectional area of the vascular prosthesis inserted in the vessel in the opened, unexpanded state.

Abstract: To make available a method for checking a marking element for displacement in relation to a holding structure, in particular a bone, on which this marking element is fixed, said marking element being used for determining position in navigational surgery, and said marking element functioning with the greatest possible precision, it is proposed to choose a point of orientation which is in a unique relationship to the holding structure and to monitor the position of the point of orientation in a reference system of the marking element.