Abstract: An aluminum-based material for anti-friction bearings composed of an aluminum alloy with 10-25 wt % tin or 5-25 wt % lead, impurity-caused components characterized by 0.75-2.5 wt % iron and an alloy additive capable of forming an intermetallic compound having a spherical phase homogeneously distributed in the aluminum alloy. The alloy additive is one of: a) manganese and silicon, in which the weight percentage fractions of manganese and silicon are at least half the weight percentage fraction of the iron and for manganese, at most 3 wt %, and for silicon, at most 2 wt %; b) 0.1-0.5 wt % cobalt; and c) 0.1-0.5 wt % molybdenum.

Abstract: A bone plate includes an upper surface, a bone contacting surface, and at least one hole extending through the upper and bone contacting surfaces for receiving a bone screw. The at least one hole includes a first portion and a second portion that overlap one another. The first portion defines a substantially circular outer periphery and the second portion defines an elongated outer periphery that is elongated in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the plate. The first portion may have threads configured to engage threads on the head of a bone screw, and the second portion may be configured to cooperate with the head of a different bone screw to provide compression to the fracture.

Abstract: A hand tool having first and second handle portions and a toothed bar that has first and second terminal ends, a plurality of teeth having free ends, and at least one shield member adjacent the teeth and having at least a portion which extends beyond the free ends of the teeth, wherein the toothed bar is pivotally attached at its first terminal end to a first handle portion and the teeth of the toothed bar engage with a pawl associated with the second handle. The invention is also directed to a safety ratchet mechanism for preventing undesired relative movement of two handle portions of a hand tool, wherein the toothed bar has a first end that is pivotally connected to at least one handle portion and a second end adapted and configured to move relative to the second handle portion when the handle portions undergo relative movement, and wherein the toothed bar has a plurality of teeth that are designed to interact with a pawl.

Abstract: Combining an implant and cement for prophylactic and/or preventative use for femoral neck augmention. A hole is drilled into the femoral neck. The hole is filled with an uncured filler cement after loose materials have been removed from the hole. Then, an open-ended tube, an implant, having openings through its walls is inserted into the hole and attached to the bone. Finally, additional filler cement is provided under pressure to the inside of the tubular implant. The filler cement flows into spaces in the bone structure via the tube wall openings. A sliding leak-tight fit between the implant and a cement injection tube permits delivery of cement at preselected locations along the implant length. Pressure is maintained until the filler cement has hardened. A strengthening factor up to was measured when osteoporotic bone was strengthened.

Abstract: A bone plate includes an upper surface, a bone contacting surface, and at least one hole extending through the upper and bone contacting surfaces for receiving a bone screw. The at least one hole includes a first portion and a second portion that overlap one another. The first portion defines a substantially circular outer periphery and the second portion defines an elongated outer periphery that is elongated in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the plate. The first portion may have threads configured to engage threads on the head of a bone screw, and the second portion may be configured to cooperate with the head of a different bone screw to provide compression to the fracture.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a bone tissue removal and harvesting device. The device includes a cutting tool with a cutting head, a longitudinal shaft attached to the cutting head and a drive element. A container is located on the end opposite the cutting head for collection of the removed bone. The shaft can be made flexible to permit torsion and/or bending around the longitudinal axis without damage to the bone. During the cutting operation, the bone tissue is simultaneously removed and suctioned through an opening of the cutting head and conveyed through an axial shaft bore for collection in the container. The container is detachably mounted to the drive element and connected to the shaft so as to avoid substantial pressure drops from the cutting head to the container.

Abstract: The invention relates to a sliding bearing composite material with a hard metal support layer and a metallic sliding coating which is roll-bonded onto said support layer. The inventive sliding bearing composite is made of an aluminum alloy with tin comprising 10 to 20 percent by mass and with additions of copper and nickel. The sliding layer is in direct contact with the sliding mate. The sliding bearing composite material is thus improved with respect to the loading capacity and plasticity in that the aluminum alloy is comprised of tin, copper, nickel and remaining aluminum, the copper and nickel each have a percentage by mass of 0.2 to 2, and the ratio of percentage by mass of copper to the percentage by mass of nickel is between 0.6 and 1.5.

Abstract: The invention relates to a sliding bearing composite material with a hard metal support layer and a metallic sliding coating which is roll-bonded onto said support layer. The inventive sliding bearing composite is made of an aluminum alloy with tin comprising 10 to 20 percent by mass and with additions of copper and nickel. The sliding layer is in direct contact with the sliding mate. The sliding bearing composite material is thus improved with respect to the loading capacity and plasticity in that the aluminum alloy is comprised of tin, copper, nickel and remaining aluminum, the copper and nickel each have a percentage by mass of 0.2 to 2, and the ratio of percentage by mass of copper to the percentage by mass of nickel is between 0.6 and 1.5.

Abstract: The invention relates to an aluminium-based slide bearing material, comprising an aluminium alloy with 10-25% wt. tin, as well as copper, nikel and manganese additions. The invention seeks to provide a material with improved load-bearing capacity and formability. To this end, copper, nickel and manganese are each present at a portion of 0.2 to 2% wt., and 0.2 to 2% wt. silicon is added. Furthermore, the ratio of the percentage by weight of copper to the percentage by weight of nickel, and the ratio of the percentage by weight of manganese to the percentage by weight of silicon is between 0.6 and 1.5.

Abstract: The invention relates to an aluminum sliding bearing alloy, comprising 3 to 6 mass % zinc, 0.3 to 2.0 mass % copper, 0.2 to 1.0 mass % magnesium, 0.3 to 2.0 mass % silicon and 2 to 4.5 mass % lead. According to the invention, said alloy is obtained by means of continuous casting with a minimum dimension, i.e. a strand thickness of more than 20 mm, solidifying in a mold which is indirectly cooled only, with a withdrawal speed of 1 to 5 mm/s and with a cooling speed of less than 100 K/s.

Abstract: A distractor for separating adjacent elements, such as vertebrae. The distractor preferably has a scissors-type distracting mechanism, either in a simple scissors or double-acting scissors configuration. The distractor includes blades that are removable from the jaws of the distractor such that different blades may be used depending on the patient and situation with which the distractor is to be used. The jaws include a mating fixture and the blades include a mating portion for removable association with the mating fixture.

Abstract: A distractor for separating adjacent elements, such as vertebrae. The distractor preferably has a scissors-type distracting mechanism, either in a simple scissors or double-acting scissors configuration. A set of blades is provided on each jaw such that an implant may be inserted between the spaced apart blades. The set of blades includes at least two blades.

Abstract: The stability under load and deformability of an aluminum-based sliding bearing material with 10-25 mass 6 tin are improved in that the aluminum alloy is composed of tin with the admixture of silicon and manganese, the remainder being aluminum, in that the proportions of manganese and silicon amount each to 0.2-2 mass %, and in that the ratio of the percentage by mass of manganese to the percentage by mass of silicon lies between 0.6 and 1.5.

Abstract: A distractor for separating adjacent elements, such as vertebrae. The distractor preferably has a scissors-type distracting mechanism, either in a simple scissors or double-acting scissors configuration. Additionally, one or more of the blades, distracting mechanism, and handles are offset with respect to the other to facilitate visualization and to increase the space available for an implant holder. The blades are configured to enhance versatility of the distractor. In a first embodiment, the blades are removable from the jaws of the distractor such that different blades may be used depending on the patient and situation with which the distractor is to be used. In a second embodiment, curved portions are provided between the blades and jaws such that the blades are offset from the jaws in a smooth transition which does not expose sharp edges to internal organs or vasculature of the patient.

Abstract: A material for sliding surface bearings comprises a backing layer of steel and a clad-on layer made of an aluminum-base bearing material. To increase the fatigue limit the material 2 for sliding surface bearings has been heat-treated at 200 to 220.degree. C. for 2 to 12 hours and the bearing material is composed of14 to 18% by weight tin,1.7 to 2.3% by weight copper,balance aluminum.

Abstract: A zinc-aluminum casting alloy composed of 9 to 12% by weight aluminum, 0.6 to 1% by weight copper, 0.02 to 0.05% by weight magnesium, balance high-grade zinc. In order to improve the tribologocal properties of that material for use in sliding surface bearings, the material contains also 0.1 to 1.5% by weight silicon and has been made by continuous casting.

Abstract: A material for composite sliding surface bearings having a plastic sliding layer comprises a metallic backing layer and a sliding layer that is joined to the backing layer and consists of a matrix-forming fluorine-containing polymer, in which a metal powder having a high affinity to fluorine is finely dispersed. In order to reduce the friction torque and the wear rate, the fluorine-containing polymer contains metal fluoride and metal oxyfluoride and consists of monoclinally crystallized PVDF, amorphous PVDF and a novel polymer, which in an X-ray diffractogram prepared by CuK .alpha.-radiation has a sharp intensity peak at a double Bragg angle of 2.theta.=18.07.+-.0.03.degree. and has a melting range of 320.degree. to 350.degree. C. and is free of ortho-rhombically crystallized PVDF.

Abstract: A material for composite sliding surface bearings having a plastic sliding layer comprises a metallic backing layer and a sliding layer that is joined to the backing layer and consists of a matrix-forming fluorine-containing polymer, in which a metal powder having a high affinity to fluorine is finely dispersed. In order to increase the life, a fluorine-containing polymer is provided, which in an X-ray diffractogram prepared by CuK.alpha.-radiation has a sharp intensity peak at a double Bragg angle of 2.theta.=18.07.+-.0.03.degree. and has a melting range of 320.degree. to 350.degree. C. and contains metal fluoride and metal oxyfluoride.