Abstract: A surgical tool and method for separating a femoral cup or a femoral ball from an implanted femoral implant without disturbing the femoral implant. The tool is comprised of upper and lower lever arms which turn on an adjustable fulcrum. The upper lever arm has a distal end adapted to engage a femoral cup or a femoral ball and the distal end of the lower lever arm engages the implant. Proximal ends of the lever arms engage a drive assembly which is used to cause the distal ends to move away from one another thereby separating the femoral cup or ball from the femoral implant.

Abstract: A surgical tool and method used to extract an acetabular cup from an acetabulum with minimal or no bone damage even if there has been significant bone ingrowth prior to the extraction process. The tool is designed for use with a reverse hip prosthesis wherein the acetabular cup comprises a stem extending from its concave surface and an acetabular ball is affixed to the stem. The tool is rotated on the ball and a blade is thereby caused to rotate adjacent or in close proximity to a convex surface of the cup in a position between the acetabular bone and the cup, thereby separating the cup from the bone.

Abstract: A method of diagnosing and treating a sacroiliac joint of a patient involving delivering a first member into the ilium via a first posterior approach, delivering a second member into the sacrum via a second posterior approach, coupling the first and second members to a pliers, and manipulating the first member relative to the second member via the pliers to determine an ailment of the sacroiliac joint.

Abstract: A surgical tool for extracting an acetabular ball from an acetabular cup in an implanted hip prosthesis wherein the acetabular ball is affixed by means of a Morse taper to a stem extending from bottom of the concave portion of the acetabular cup. The surgical tool enables a surgeon to remove the ball without pulling on the acetabular cup and without disrupting any bone in-growth because the tool maintains pressure on the cup while exerting an opposing pressure pulling on the ball.

Abstract: A rasp tool for preparing an implantation site includes a first arm, a second arm, a first wing, and a second wing. The first arm and the second arm are pivotally connected to one another. The first wing extends from a distal end of the first arm and includes a sharp tip positioned at a distal end of the first wing and configured to ease insertion into the implantation site, and a cutout defined along a first side of the first wing. The second wing extends from a distal end of the second arm. The first wing and the second wing are configured to move between a closed position and an open position by pivoting the first arm and the second arm, and the second wing is received at least partially within the cutout when the first wing and the second wing are in the closed position.

Abstract: A surgical tool and method for separating a femoral cup or a femoral ball from an implanted femoral implant without disturbing the femoral implant. The tool is comprised of upper and lower lever arms which turn on an adjustable fulcrum. The upper lever arm has a distal end adapted to engage a femoral cup or a femoral ball and the distal end of the lower lever arm engages the implant. Proximal ends of the lever arms engage a drive assembly which is used to cause the distal ends to move away from one another thereby separating the femoral cup or ball from the femoral implant.

Abstract: Surgical tools which are used to separate from one another a femoral cup and an acetabular ball in an implanted hip replacement prosthesis. At its distal end, elements of the surgical tool engage the femoral cup and the acetabular cup. When proximal handles of the tool are squeezed toward one another, the engagement elements move away from one another. Thus, a surgeon is able to separate the femoral cup and the acetabular ball from one another without pulling the acetabular cup away from the acetabulum or the femoral cup and/or femoral implant away from the femur, thereby accomplishing the separation without disrupting any bone ingrowth.

Abstract: A system for performing a fusion procedure on a sacroiliac joint defined between a sacrum and an ilium. The system may include a working cannula including a proximal end, a distal end, a tubular body extending between the proximal and distal ends, a cannula passageway defined within the tubular body and having a cannula axis extending there through, a pair of prongs coupled to the tubular body and extending distally there from, an anchor arm engagement structure coupled to the tubular body, and a pin guide coupled to the tubular body and defining a pin passageway having a guidance axis there through that is generally parallel with the cannula axis.

Abstract: New surgical instruments and methods used to implant elements of a reverse hip prosthesis in a patient are described. The instruments are impactors which are struck with a hammer at their proximal ends after the instrument has been used to position the implant element in the patient. An acetabular cup impactor has inclination and anteversion rods which are used to position the acetabular cup optimally in the acetabulum. An acetabular ball impactor affixes the acetabular ball in the acetabular cup by means of a Morse taper. And a femoral cup impactor affixes the femoral cup in the femoral stem by means of a Morse taper.

Abstract: New surgical instruments and methods used to implant elements of a reverse hip prosthesis in a patient are described. The instruments are impactors which are struck with a hammer at their proximal ends after the instrument has been used to position the implant element in the patient. An acetabular cup impactor has inclination and anteversion rods which are used to position the acetabular cup optimally in the acetabulum. An acetabular ball impactor affixes the acetabular ball in the acetabular cup by means of a Morse taper. And a femoral cup impactor affixes the femoral cup in the femoral stem by means of a Morse taper.

Abstract: When an acetabular cup used in hip replacement surgery is to be affixed to the acetabulum using screws, the drill guide instruments of the invention are used to position a drill bit so that the screw holes drilled in the acetabulum are properly placed for optimum implantation of the acetabular cup. The drill guide is locked into the acetabular cup by spring loaded pins which position the guide over holes in the cup which accommodate the screws. The guide is used to position the drill bits and allow drilling. After drilling the guide is removed.

Abstract: An analyte monitor includes a sensor, a sensor control unit, and a display unit. The sensor control unit typically has a housing adapted for placement on skin and is adapted to receive a portion of an electrochemical sensor. The sensor control unit also includes two or more conductive contacts disposed on the housing and configured for coupling to two or more contact pads on the sensor. A transmitter is disposed in the housing and coupled to the plurality of conductive contacts for transmitting data obtained using the sensor. The display unit has a receiver for receiving data transmitted by the transmitter of the sensor control unit and a display coupled to the receiver for displaying an indication of a level of an analyte, such as blood glucose. An inserter having a retractable introducer is provided for subcutaneously implanting the sensor in a predictable and reliable fashion.

Abstract: Disclosed is a reconfigurable hip joint prosthesis and elements therefor which is adapted to be surgically implantable in a human body, a part in the upper femur, another part in the pelvis. The implantable prosthesis may be configured in a reversible manner, and provide alternative configurations as may be desired or necessary. The present invention also includes a method of implanting into a human body a prosthesis as described herein, and subsequently reconfiguring the prosthesis as may be desired or necessary. A still further aspect of the invention is a kit of component parts used in providing a configured implantable prosthesis.

Abstract: Various embodiments described herein provide devices and associated methods for treating spinal disease by implanting one or more interspinous process spacing devices. In one embodiment, an interspinous process spacing device includes a first attachment side, a second attachment side, a spacer tray, and a securing means. The spacer tray extends from the first attachment side and is slideably insertable through a spacer tray slot formed in the second attachment side. The spacer tray is adapted to be positioned between a spinous process of a first vertebra and a spinous process of an adjacent second vertebra, and the spacer tray includes a trough formed in a top surface of the spacer tray. The securing means is configured to engage the trough of the spacer tray to secure the second attachment side relative to the first attachment side.