Abstract: A profiled shaft for anchoring a hip-joint prosthesis in the femur is disclosed, with a shaft section and a fixation section that is formed at the end of the shaft section and that serves for the fixation of a spherical joint head, wherein the shaft section on the lateral surface in the proximal region merges with a trochanter wing at the edges of which beveled surfaces are formed. The essential point of the invention is that the angle formed between the plane of a beveled surface the plane of the adjacent surface is smaller than 135° and larger than 90°. In a construction of this kind the advantage of an improved filling of the empty space in the trochanter-wing region is achieved.

Abstract: A urethral prosthesis provides relief of urinary retention and has first and second tubular elements with an interposed bridge segment. A valve can be disposed in the second tubular element to control the flow of urine therethrough.

Abstract: Devices for repairing and replacing a heart valve in various embodiments, the devices include at least first and second support rings connected together in a coiled configuration to abut opposite sides of a valve annulus. A replacement valve may be secured to the coil-shaped device. Various alternative fastening systems include suture fastening systems, mechanical fastening systems, shape memory alloy fastening systems and other fastening systems relying only on the resilience between adjacent coils. A method generally includes inserting a first end of the coil-shaped member through a valve annulus, rotating a first ring of the coil-shaped member into position on one side of the valve annulus and positioning at least a second ring of the coil-shaped member on an opposite side of the valve annulus.

Abstract: A socket device of a prosthetic includes a liner with a variable viscosity fluid disposed between the socket and the user's stump. The variably viscosity fluid varies the softness or stiffness of socket. In addition, the variable viscosity fluid conforms to the contours of the user's stump for a more customized fit. The variable viscosity fluid can include a shear stiffening material that increases in viscosity as a load or strain, or rate of loading or rate of strain, applied, or a magneto or electro rheologic fluid responsive to a magnetic or electric field.

Abstract: An expandable space frame is manufactured by linking a plurality of flexible joints through spacing arms to form a closed structure. The spacing arms are sterically offset, linking the bottom of one joint to the top of the next joint in an stepwise fashion. The offset allows the frame to be collapsed with minimal steric hindrance between the centered joints. This lack of steric hindrance permits a very high ratio of the expansion to compression diameters for the frame. The space frame forms the basis for different types of stents. A spiral frame, or a series of individual frames are linked to each other to form a luminal stent, or are linked to longitudinal struts to form the support structure for a stent. The stents formed from the expandable space frame can be designed to have a number of additional features as set forth herein.