Abstract: An instrument for implanting patellar prostheses in various sizes includes a series of milling calipers of various sizes, a retaining instrument with a receptacle for one of the milling calipers matching the sizes of the patellar prostheses and milling bodies in various sizes. The retaining instrument is configured like forceps with two members, the front end of one of the members being provided with a retention plate for engagement with a front face of a patellar prosthesis, and the front end of the other one of the members being provided with a holder for a milling gauge.

Abstract: An insertion instrument comprising an elongate shaft, a suction head provided at the front end thereof for connection to a joint socket, a suction device with a piston guided in the shaft, a suction line opening out at the suction head, and an actuating element which is guided along a guiding track on the shaft. The guiding track can be helically shaped and have a locking arrangement, preferably in the form of a recess, for the actuating element in a suction position. Due to the helical shape of the guiding track, the actuating element executes a rotational and longitudinal movement during its displacement. The longitudinal movement produces a negative pressure in the suction line ensuring maintenance of the pressure, while the rotating movement causes rotation of the actuating element such that it reaches its locking position at the end of the guiding track, providing simplified handling of the instrument.

Abstract: A knee prosthesis including a femoral component, a tibial component and an intermediate piece which connects these forming a flexion bearing with the femoral component and a rotation bearing with the tibial component, which rotation bearing can be locked relative to the tibial part. To allow the physician to decide during the operation whether to use a rotation-free prosthesis or a rotationally fixed prosthesis, the intermediate piece is alternatively provided with a projection which engages in a matching recess in the tibial component.

Abstract: A hip prosthesis includes a shaft which is configured to be anchored in the medullary canal of a femur and whose distal portion, which is to be anchored in the diaphysis, has a core cross-section which tapers toward the distal end and which, at least on the lateral side and medial side, has longitudinal ribs whose height increases from proximal to distal.

Abstract: A hip prosthesis includes a shaft which can be inserted into a hole in the femur without using cement. The proximal section of the shaft includes a base body having a form that is complementary to the shape of the hole in the femur into which the shaft is to be inserted. The hole is made using a tool of a shape corresponding to the base body. The base body has a cuneus rib raised on its dorsal or ventral surface that has a width in its center that is at least three times its height. The rear surface of the cuneus rib has rough and abrasive properties.

Abstract: An endoprosthesis component and a method for producing an endoprosthesis component is disclosed. The endoprosthesis component comprises a body predefining the shape of the endoprosthesis component. On surface portions with which the endoprosthesis component in the implanted state is in contact with human tissue, the body is covered with an outer layer which comprises a nitride, an oxynitride or an oxide based on a refractory metal and which contains silver and/or copper. An intermediate layer is arranged between the outer layer and the body in such a way that parts of the intermediate layer are accessible from the outside. The endoprosthesis component enables generation of a long-term antimicrobial action with the outer layer and, in addition, action on the surrounding tissue from the intermediate layer.

Abstract: The invention relates to an endoprosthesis for replacement of a joint, in which slide surfaces that have different contours and correspondingly define movement planes for bearing are formed by an intermediate part. According to the invention, the intermediate part has a projection, preferably a convex projection, on at least one side face, in order to avoid fibrosis.

Abstract: The invention relates to an insertion instrument for an endoprosthesis (1), which comprises a neck part (12) and a shaft part (10) which is to be inserted into a medullary cavity, comprising a clamping device (2) which is provided with a holding fork (25) and a thrust bearing (26), which are embodied in such a manner that the endoprosthesis (1) is held fixedly in a clamped state and is released in an unclamped state, in addition to a striker device (3). The aim of the invention is to simplify the safe and precise insertion thereof such that a guide rail (23) for a striker element is arranged in a fixed manner on the clamping device (2) and is oriented in such a manner that a path, which is determined by the guide rail, leads to an end face of the endoprosthesis (1) which is held in the clamping device (2).

Abstract: Surgical lever, particularly for lifting the femur from the hip bone. It comprises an actuating handle (5) and an engagement device (6) and is characterized in that a projection (9, 11) dimensioned for support within the depth of the acetabulum is arranged between these two parts (5, 6). For adaptation to the inner surface of the acetabulum, said projection (9, 11) is expediently of a spherical configuration and can be made available with a varying radius.

Abstract: A hip-joint prosthesis includes a shaft which is configured to be inserted into the femur and whose surface has an osteoinductive finish. This finish is provided exclusively in the metaphyseal portion of the shaft and laterally from the line delineating the maximum antero-posterior dimension of the shaft cross section. This ensures a better involvement of the metaphyseal spongiosa in the flow of forces, without compromising the ability to per-form follow-up surgery on the prosthesis.

Abstract: A tool and method for making vertebral incisions which form the lateral surfaces of a ventral opening in a vertebra for receiving a prosthesis that partially replaces the vertebra includes use of a saw jig with fittings configured for attachment to at least one of two vertebrae positioned superiorly and inferiorly adjacent to the vertebra and with guide fittings to provide a cutter guide for the incisions.

Abstract: The invention relates to an endoprosthesis for replacement of a joint, 2 slide surfaces having different contours and correspondingly determining movement planes for in each case 1 bearing being formed by an intermediate part 2. Provision is made according to the invention for a clamping bracket to enclose the slide surfaces of the intermediate part and to be arranged thereon such that it is arranged free from the movement planes defined by the slide surfaces having different contours. It is thus also possible to strengthen endopreostheses which have complex biomechanics having a plurality of degrees of freedom.

Abstract: A knee prosthesis includes a femoral prosthetic part which forms a pair of condylar gliding surfaces, a tibial part that has tibial gliding surfaces cooperating with the condylar gliding surfaces and a coupling part that connects the femoral and tibial parts so that they can rotate about a rotational axis that is approximately parallel to the axis of the tibia. If the femoral and tibial parts have the same anteroposterior alignment, an applied load is borne by a central region of the tibial gliding surfaces. The tibial gliding surface slopes upwardly relative to the prosthesis both in front of and behind the central region of the tibial gliding surface so that when the femoral and tibial parts rotate against one another, each of the condylar gliding surfaces remains in contact with its corresponding tibial gliding surface.

Abstract: A surgical implant or instrument has two parts, one sliding on the other, the lower part being provided with a threaded bore and the upper part being provided with a passage orifice for receiving a fixing screw. The set screw can be received over its entire length beneath the upper part in the threaded bore and includes, at its upper end, a dog point which is thinner than its threaded part and which is provided with a slit, groove or hexagon socket for a screwdriver, the diameter of the passage orifice being smaller than that of the threaded part and larger than that of the dog point. An elastic device is provided for the implant or instrument which pushes the fixing screw into the fixing position.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for producing a medical implant from a titanium alloy, by investment-casting the titanium alloy in a casting mold which corresponds to the implant that is to be produced. The invention provides for using a ?-titanium alloy, hot isostatic pressing, solution annealing, and then quenching. The invention also covers a corresponding medical implant which has been produced from a titanium alloy using the investment casting process. The titanium alloy is a ?-titanium alloy and has a mean grain size of at least 0.3 mm. The invention allows economical production of objects from ?-titanium alloys using the investment casting process. The invention thereby makes it possible to combine the advantageous properties of ?-titanium alloys, in particular their excellent mechanical properties, with the advantages of producing objects by the precision casting process.

Abstract: The invention relates to a joint prosthesis having a shaft made from a titanium alloy; according to the invention, it is provided that at least the shaft (10) is investment-cast and has a body-centered cubic crystal structure. A titanium alloy having this crystal structure (known as ?-titanium alloy) has an advantageously low modulus of elasticity which is well matched to the physiological demands. Furthermore, implementation as a shaped casting allows a complex shape to be achieved. It is particularly expediently embodied as a femoral prosthesis (1) for an artificial hip joint, which has an elongate shaft (10) with grooves (14) and sawtooth-like projections (15) for bone anchoring.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for casting objects from a ?-titanium alloy comprising titanium-molybdenum with a molybdenum content of from 7.5 to 25%. The invention provides for melting the alloy at a temperature of over 1770° C., investment-casting the molten alloy into a casting mold corresponding to the object to be produced, hot isostatic pressing, solution annealing and then quenching. The process according to the invention provides economic production of objects made from ?-titanium alloys using the investment-casting process. The invention thereby provides the possibility of combining the advantageous properties of ?-titanium alloys, in particular their excellent mechanical properties, such as the low modulus of elasticity, with the advantages of producing castings using the investment-casting process. The invention means that even objects of complex shapes, which it was impossible to produce (economically) by conventional forging processes can be produced from a ?-titanium alloy.

Abstract: An instrument for inserting a pair of sliding prostheses includes a supporting plate, two clamps adjustable through a spacing range, and two vertically adjustable sliding-surface bearing supports configured to support the sliding prostheses in the area of the sliding surfaces on the supports. Each of the clamps is configured to receive one of the pair of sliding prostheses and has clamping jaws configured to interact with the side edges of the corresponding sliding prostheses. The supporting plate has a slide guide formed thereon and an adjustment spindle for at least one of the two clamps. The sliding-surface bearing supports are configured in fixed positions on the supporting plate and having a width which corresponds to the adjustable spacing range of the clamps and is large enough to support the sliding prostheses in any chosen spacing.

Abstract: Hip-joint prosthesis with a stem (12) which is to be inserted into the femur and which comprises a part (13) projecting into the trochanteric region (4) of the bone. For the purpose of more intimate contact with the bone, this part (13) is provided with a coating (16) which contains an osteoinductive substance.

Abstract: A surgical implant or instrument has two parts, one sliding on the other, the lower part being provided with a threaded bore and the upper part being provided with a passage orifice for receiving a fixing screw. The set screw can be received over its entire length beneath the upper part in the threaded bore and includes, at its upper end, a dog point which is thinner than its threaded part and which is provided with a slit, groove or hexagon socket for a screwdriver, the diameter of the passage orifice being smaller than that of the threaded part and larger than that of the dog point. An elastic device is provided for the implant or instrument which pushes the fixing screw into the fixing position.