[go: up one dir, main page]

EP0951257A1 - Artificial joint, in particular endoprosthesis for replacing natural joints - Google Patents

Artificial joint, in particular endoprosthesis for replacing natural joints

Info

Publication number
EP0951257A1
EP0951257A1 EP97953682A EP97953682A EP0951257A1 EP 0951257 A1 EP0951257 A1 EP 0951257A1 EP 97953682 A EP97953682 A EP 97953682A EP 97953682 A EP97953682 A EP 97953682A EP 0951257 A1 EP0951257 A1 EP 0951257A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
contact
cone
cylinder
joint
line
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Ceased
Application number
EP97953682A
Other languages
German (de)
French (fr)
Inventor
Dietmar Kubein-Meesenburg
Hans NÄGERL
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
HJS Gelenk System GmbH
Original Assignee
KUBEIN MEESENBURG DIETMAR
HJS Gelenk System GmbH
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by KUBEIN MEESENBURG DIETMAR, HJS Gelenk System GmbH filed Critical KUBEIN MEESENBURG DIETMAR
Publication of EP0951257A1 publication Critical patent/EP0951257A1/en
Ceased legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61F—FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS
    • A61F2/00—Filters implantable into blood vessels; Prostheses, i.e. artificial substitutes or replacements for parts of the body; Appliances for connecting them with the body; Devices providing patency to, or preventing collapsing of, tubular structures of the body, e.g. stents
    • A61F2/02—Prostheses implantable into the body
    • A61F2/30—Joints
    • A61F2/38—Joints for elbows or knees

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to an artificial joint, in particular an endoprosthesis to replace natural joints, consisting of at least two artificial joint parts, each with curved articulation surfaces, on which the joint parts articulate relative to one another.
  • Such an artificial joint is known from German patent application P 42 02 717.9.
  • the articular surfaces have different circular cut contours in mutually perpendicular planes, namely a longitudinal plane and a transverse plane, the curvature ratios of the articulation surfaces in each of the planes being convex-convex, convex-concave or concave-concave, and the joint geometry of the articulation surfaces in relation to each other in each of the two planes is determined by a link chain with two link axes, a so-called dimeric link chain, which run through the centers of curvature of the articulation surfaces of the respectively associated cutting contours.
  • the present invention has for its object to provide an artificial joint, in which selective power transmission areas are avoided and in which the installation of pressure distribution bodies is not required, and at the same time an optimal adaptation to the conditions of the human body in use as an endoprosthesis, especially for a enables natural human joint.
  • a curved contact line being formed on each of the articulation surfaces and the curved contact line of one of the articulation surfaces being part of an elliptical cutting contour of a first cylinder or a cone with the cylinder radius R1 or the cone angle ⁇ 1 is and the other contact line is the opposite track of a second, rolling on the first cylinder or the first cone and / or sliding second cylinder or second cone with the cylinder radius R2 or with the cone angle .2, and the articulation surfaces from a variety straight lines of contact have formed control surfaces, and these control surfaces are connected on one side to the contact lines opposite one another, and the contact lines are in each case the connecting lines between a current contact point of the contact lines and a current reference point of the respective movement systems in a reference plane or on a reference ball in the moving / unmoving system.
  • a fixed or moving point of the moving or unmoving system is selected as the reference point, it being assumed that one of the cylinders or cones is stationary and the other cylinder or cone rolls and / or slides on this unmoving cylinder / cone.
  • first and the second cylinder or the first and the second cone are arranged in relation to one another in such a way that they form an elongated dimeric link chain or an overturned dimeric link chain.
  • the cylinders or cones roll or slide on one another or in one another and the distance between the cylinder axes or the angle between the cone axes always remains constant, a flat or spherical dimeric chain results.
  • the three-parameter possible flat or spherical movement is limited to two degrees of freedom.
  • the corresponding radii of the cylinders or angles of the cones are preferably adapted to the anatomical conditions of the human knee joint and can also be varied in accordance with the materials used and their properties.
  • the artificial joint according to the invention is characterized in that a linear force transmission area is formed at each point of contact of the articulation surfaces.
  • the contact lines are extended in an arc shape in arc lines in such a way that beads are formed.
  • the arc lines are determined by the fact that at the current point of contact of the contact lines, a plane is created in the moving or stationary system. Tet, which is spanned, from the respective contact line of the control surfaces and the common perpendicular of the contact lines to a tangent to one of the contact lines in the respective contact point.
  • the beads are designed such that the outer part of the articulation surfaces of the beads do not touch. These outer parts of the beads form the area of indirect power transmission of the curved articulation surfaces.
  • the curved lines are applied to the respective contact lines of the control surface without kinking and their normals match at the contact point.
  • the joint according to the invention is preferably used in a four-bar joint as an endoprosthesis for the human knee in such a way that the medial joint compartment forms the overlapping dimer chain and the lateral joint compartment forms the elongated dimer chain, as a result of which an inevitable four-bar linkage is formed.
  • Figures 1 to 11 show the construction of joints according to the invention.
  • a certain flat or spherical forced movement of the joint is to be achieved. This is done by specifying a flat or spherical gear.
  • the axes of rotation are replaced by cylinders arranged around these axes, which contact one another, or else spherical cones, these cylinders or cones rolling and / or sliding on one another.
  • the corresponding radii of the cylinders or the cone angles of the cones are adapted to the anatomical conditions of the natural joint to be replaced, in particular the human knee joint.
  • Fig. 1 two rolling and sliding cylinders 1, 2 are shown with the centers Ml and M2 and the radii Rl and R2 and the axes of rotation dl and d2.
  • the pair of cylinders shown there is arranged as a flat, elongated dimer chain, so that the cylinder 2 rolls or slides on the cylinder 1.
  • R R2 + Rl, where R is the radius of the joint axis path, which is also the length of the dimeric joint chain.
  • FIG. 2 shows a cylinder arrangement comprising the cylinders 1 and 2, the center points M1 and M2, the radii R1 and R2 and the cylinder axes D1 and D2, these cylinders being arranged in the form of an overturned dimeric chain.
  • R R2 - Rl, where R is again the radius of the articulated axis path and thus the length of the dimeric chain.
  • the cylinder 1 is selected as a non-moving part, a contact line L1 being selected on the cylinder 1 by obliquely cutting the cylinder 1, which thus has an elliptical shape.
  • the cylinder 2 is selected as the moving part and now rolls and / or slides on the cylinder 1, a counter-curve forming on the cylinder surface in accordance with the rolling and sliding movement of the cylinder 2 as the contact line L2.
  • This contact line L2 has an arcuate shape in sections.
  • the two contact lines L1 and L2 therefore currently always have a common point of contact K.
  • the cylinder 1 can be assigned to the femoral joint part and the cylinder 2 to the tibial joint part, for example when forming an artificial joint for the knee according to the invention.
  • FIG. 3 it is shown how in the articulated arrangement according to FIG. 2 contact lines B for producing control surfaces according to the invention are now produced on the basis of the contact lines L1 and L2 formed on the cylinders 1 and 2.
  • a base point Q in the moving system is advantageously determined, which is chosen in a reference plane (sagittal plane) that is freely shifted to the interior of the joint, such that the connecting line B to the current contact point K of the contact lines L1 and L2 advantageously has an angle ⁇ (35 ° ⁇ ß ⁇ 70 °) to the z-axis.
  • This reference plane is parallel to the functional plane, which is indicated here by the coordinate plane x and y.
  • the totality of the contact lines B gives a control surface Fl in the stationary system with straight lines running between contact line L1 and path 5 of the base point Q (see Figure 4).
  • a control surface F2 is created between the contact line F2 and the base point Q that is fixed in this system (see Figure 5). Accordingly, both control surfaces F1 and F2 touch each other linearly in each state of motion.
  • a part of the control surfaces F1 and F2 is selected for the articular surfaces, which adjoins L1 and L2 and extends up to a maximum of 3 cm, measured on the contact line towards the center.
  • articulating partial surfaces with indirect force transmission are generated on the side of the contact lines L1, L2 opposite the control surfaces F1, F2.
  • the construction according to the invention required for this is explained with reference to FIG. 6.
  • a current level is built as an auxiliary construction in the moving and in the non-moving system, which is spanned by the line of contact B of the control surfaces F1, F2 and a common ' perpendicular 7 of the line of contact B and a tangent t to the Contact line Ll and / or L2.
  • SI and S2 can also be advantageous to equip SI and S2 with a common radius over a certain distance (up to a maximum of 2 cm) and only then to set radii of different sizes without kinking. This extends the area of direct power transmission into the arcuate area. Since the control surfaces F1 and F2 and the bulge-shaped articulation surfaces 10, 9 are created by moving a cutting contour consisting of straight lines and arcs, these surfaces can be manufactured using a CNC grinding machine. Base point Q can also be defined in the stationary system. It can also be advantageous to choose Q as a function of the movement and, in particular, to use the instantaneous rotation pole P (FIG. 6), which lies in a freely selectable intermediate plane.
  • P instantaneous rotation pole
  • the control surface F1 then lies between the contact line L1 and the locking pole path 4 and the control surface F2 lies between the contact line L2 and the gang pole path 6.
  • the locking pole path 4 and the gear pole path 6 result as intersection lines of this freely selected plane with the total of the current axes of rotation of the movement. If the momentary rotation pole is selected for the generation of the contact lines B, then the sliding on the formed control surfaces F1 and F2 is minimized, since the polar curves roll on one another. If instead of the current rotating pole another currently common point is used in a reference plane in the moving / unmoving system, the proportion of rolling and sliding can be varied.
  • Fig. 9 shows the transfer of the configuration of the immobility ⁇ th system from the control surface Fl with attached bead surface 10 according to Fig. 8 to an artificial joint part 12, which form the articulation surface of a joint head can. It can be seen here that the dimensions of the surfaces F1 and 10 are adapted to the anatomical conditions.
  • a joint according to the invention is advantageously formed as an endoprosthesis to replace the human knee joint from a parallel connection of two joint arrangements according to the invention according to FIGS. 1 and 2.
  • the control surfaces of each pair of joint bodies are arranged in a central plane X-X in such a way that they lie on the side facing the central plane X-X.
  • the tibial joint bodies and the femoral joint bodies are each rigidly connected to one another. This results in a forced running property, which is due to the resulting four-bar linkage.
  • the current pivot point is shown in the image on the side as the intersection of the lateral and the medial chain (or their extensions). Overall, the Rastpol- and the Gangpol - bahn are created in the fixed plane.
  • FIG. 10 and 11 show, for a knee joint of the right knee, a view from the rear of the femoral articulation surfaces and tibial articulation surfaces of the lateral joint compartment 11 and the medial joint component 12 produced according to the construction method according to the invention.
  • the radii are chosen such that radially larger radii than the femur are present.

Landscapes

  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Orthopedic Medicine & Surgery (AREA)
  • Physical Education & Sports Medicine (AREA)
  • Cardiology (AREA)
  • Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery (AREA)
  • Transplantation (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Biomedical Technology (AREA)
  • Heart & Thoracic Surgery (AREA)
  • Vascular Medicine (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Animal Behavior & Ethology (AREA)
  • General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Public Health (AREA)
  • Veterinary Medicine (AREA)
  • Prostheses (AREA)

Abstract

The invention concerns an artificial joint, in particular an endoprosthesis for replacing natural joints, comprising at least two artificial joint parts with curved articulation faces, a curved contact line being formed on each of the articulation faces. The curved contact line (L1) of one of the articulation faces is part of an elliptical section contour of a first cylinder (1) or cone having the cylinder radius (R1) or the cone angle ( alpha 1). The other contact line (L2) takes the form of a counter track of a second cylinder (2) or second cone having the cylinder radius (R2) or the cone angle ( alpha 2) and rolling and/or sliding on the first cylinder (1) or first cone. The articulation faces comprise control faces (F1, F2) formed from a plurality of straight contact lines (B). On one side, these control faces (F1, F2) adjoin the contact lines (L1, L2) opposite one another, and each of the contact lines is the connection line between an instantaneous contact point (K) of the contact lines (L1, L2) and an instantaneous common point (Q) or the instantaneous pole of the respective movement systems in a reference plane (X, Y) or a reference sphere in the moved/unmoved system.

Description

Künstliches Gelenk, insbesondere Endoprothese zum Ersatz natürlicher GelenkeArtificial joint, especially an endoprosthesis to replace natural joints
Die vorliegende Erfindung betrifft ein künstliches Gelenk, insbesondere eine Endoprothese zum Ersatz natürlicher Gelenke, bestehend aus mindestens zwei künstlichen Gelenkteilen mit jeweils gekrümmten Artikulationsflächen, auf denen die Gelenkteile relativ zueinander artikulieren.The present invention relates to an artificial joint, in particular an endoprosthesis to replace natural joints, consisting of at least two artificial joint parts, each with curved articulation surfaces, on which the joint parts articulate relative to one another.
Ein derartiges künstliches Gelenk ist aus der deutschen Patentanmeldung P 42 02 717.9 bekannt. Hierbei besitzen die Gelenkflächen in zueinander senkrechten Ebenen, und zwar einer Längsebene und einer Querebene, unterschiedliche kreisförmige Schnittkonturen, wobei die KrümmungsVerhältnisse der Artikulationsflächen in jeder der Ebenen konvexkonvex, konvex-konkav oder konkav-konkav sind, und die Gelenkgeometrie der Artikulationsflächen zueinander in jeder der beiden Ebenen durch eine Gelenkkette mit zwei Gelenkachsen, eine sog. dimere Gelenkkette, bestimmt ist, die durch die KrümmungsZentren der Artikulationsflächen der jeweils zugehörigen Schnittkonturen verlaufen. Da die Artikulationsflächen dieses künstlichen Gelenks konve -konkav, konkav-konkav bzw. konvex-konvex ausgebildet sind, ent¬ stehen im wesentlichen punktförmige Kraftübertragungsbe- reiche, so daß erhöhte Flächenpressungen auf den Artikulationsflächen entstehen können, die zu einem Materialabrieb führen. Hierdurch kann die Lebensdauer dieser künstlichen Gelenke verkürzt sein. Um eine Verbesserung der Kraftübertragung zwischen den Artikulationsflachen der Gelenkteile zu erreichen, ist bei dem bekannten Gelenk vorgeschlagen, zwischen den einzelnen Gelenkteilen jeweils einen Druckverteilungskörper anzuordnen, mit dem eine bessere und gleichmäßigere Kraftverteilung erreicht wird. Durch diesen Druckverteilungskörper erhöht sich jedoch die Anzahl der erforderlichen Gelenkteile des künstlichen Gelenks.Such an artificial joint is known from German patent application P 42 02 717.9. Here, the articular surfaces have different circular cut contours in mutually perpendicular planes, namely a longitudinal plane and a transverse plane, the curvature ratios of the articulation surfaces in each of the planes being convex-convex, convex-concave or concave-concave, and the joint geometry of the articulation surfaces in relation to each other in each of the two planes is determined by a link chain with two link axes, a so-called dimeric link chain, which run through the centers of curvature of the articulation surfaces of the respectively associated cutting contours. Since the articulation surfaces of the artificial joint of this konve -konkav, concavo-concave or are formed convex-convex, ent ¬ are substantially point Kraftübertragungsbe- rich, so that increased surface pressures can arise on the articulation surfaces, which lead to material abrasion. This can shorten the lifespan of these artificial joints. In order to improve the transmission of force between the articulation surfaces of the joint parts, it is proposed in the known joint to arrange a pressure distribution body between the individual joint parts, with which a better and more uniform force distribution is achieved. This pressure distribution body, however, increases the number of joint parts required for the artificial joint.
Der vorliegenden Erfindung liegt die Aufgabe zugrunde, ein künstliches Gelenk zu schaffen, bei dem punktuelle Kraftübertragungsbereiche vermieden werden und bei dem der Einbau von Druckverteilungskörpern nicht erforderlich ist, und das gleichzeitig eine optimale Anpassung an die Gegebenheiten des menschlichen Körpers im Einsatz als Endoprothese insbesondere für ein natürliches menschliches Gelenk ermöglicht .The present invention has for its object to provide an artificial joint, in which selective power transmission areas are avoided and in which the installation of pressure distribution bodies is not required, and at the same time an optimal adaptation to the conditions of the human body in use as an endoprosthesis, especially for a enables natural human joint.
Erfindungsgemäß wird dies mit einem künstlichen Gelenk der eingangs beschriebenen Art erreicht, wobei auf jeder der Artikulationsflächen eine gekrümmte Kontaktlinie ausgebildet ist und die gekrümmte Kontaktlinie einer der Artikulationsflächen Teil einer elliptischen Schnittkontur eines ersten Zylinders bzw. eines Kegels mit dem Zylinderradius Rl bzw. dem Kegelwinkel αl ist und die andere Kontaktlinie sich als Gegenspur eines zweiten, auf dem ersten Zylinder bzw. dem ersten Kegel abrollenden und/oder gleitenden zweiten Zylinders bzw. zweiten Kegels mit dem Zylinderradius R2 bzw. mit dem Kegelwinkel .2 ergibt, sowie die Artikulationsflächen aus einer Vielzahl gerader Berührungslinien gebildete Regelflächen aufweisen, und sich diese Regelflächen einseitig an die Kontaktlinien einander gegenüberliegend anschließen, und die Berührungslinien jeweils die Verbindungslinien zwischen einem momentanen Kontaktpunkt der Kontaktlinien und einem momentanen Bezugspunkt der jeweiligen Bewegungssysteme in einer Referenzebene bzw. auf einer Referenzkugel im bewegten/unbewegten System sind. Vorteilhafterweise wird erfindungsgemäß als Bezugspunkt ein fester oder bewegter Punkt des bewegten oder unbewegten Systems gewählt, wobei davon ausgegangen wird, daß einer der Zylinder bzw. Kegel unbewegt ist und der andere Zylinder bzw. Kegel auf diesem unbewegten Zylinder/Kegel abrollt und/oder gleitet .According to the invention, this is achieved with an artificial joint of the type described in the introduction, a curved contact line being formed on each of the articulation surfaces and the curved contact line of one of the articulation surfaces being part of an elliptical cutting contour of a first cylinder or a cone with the cylinder radius R1 or the cone angle α1 is and the other contact line is the opposite track of a second, rolling on the first cylinder or the first cone and / or sliding second cylinder or second cone with the cylinder radius R2 or with the cone angle .2, and the articulation surfaces from a variety straight lines of contact have formed control surfaces, and these control surfaces are connected on one side to the contact lines opposite one another, and the contact lines are in each case the connecting lines between a current contact point of the contact lines and a current reference point of the respective movement systems in a reference plane or on a reference ball in the moving / unmoving system. Advantageously, according to the invention, a fixed or moving point of the moving or unmoving system is selected as the reference point, it being assumed that one of the cylinders or cones is stationary and the other cylinder or cone rolls and / or slides on this unmoving cylinder / cone.
Die Festlegung auf eine zwangsläufige Bewegung und die Auswahl des momentanen Drehpols als Bezugspunkt bewirkt, da die Polkurven aufeinander abrollen, ohne zu gleiten, daß sich diese Eigenschaft auf entsprechende Abschnitte der Regelflächen überträgt. Wird statt des momentanen Drehpols ein anderer momentan gemeinsamer Punkt von der Referenz - ebene bzw. Referenzkugel im bewegten bzw. unbewegten System verwendet, kann hierdurch der Anteil von Rollen zu Gleiten variiert werden.The definition of an inevitable movement and the selection of the current rotating pole as a reference point have the effect that the polar curves roll on one another without sliding, that this property is transferred to corresponding sections of the control surfaces. If, instead of the current rotating pole, another currently common point from the reference plane or reference ball is used in the moving or stationary system, the proportion of rollers to slides can be varied.
Erfindungsgemäß ist weiterhin vorgesehen, daß der erste und der zweite Zylinder bzw. der erste und der zweite Kegel derart zueinander angeordnet sind, daß sie eine gestreckte dimere Gelenkkette bzw. eine überschlagene dimere Gelenkkette bilden. Für Zylinder gilt bei einer gestreckten dimeren Kette die Beziehung R = R2 + Rl bzw. bei einer überschlagenen dimeren Gelenkkette die Beziehung R = R2 - Rl , wobei R der Radius der Gelenkachsenbahn und Rl der Radius des ersten Zylinders und R2 der Radius des zweiten Zylinders ist. Im Falle der Kegel gilt analog zu den Zylindern a = c2 + αl und a = a2 -αl, wobei α jeweils der Winkel zwischen den Achsen der sich berührenden Kegelpaare ist .According to the invention it is further provided that the first and the second cylinder or the first and the second cone are arranged in relation to one another in such a way that they form an elongated dimeric link chain or an overturned dimeric link chain. The relationship R = R2 + Rl applies to cylinders in the case of an extended dimeric chain or the relationship R = R2 - Rl in the case of a rolled over dimeric link chain, where R is the radius of the articulated axis path and Rl is the radius of the first cylinder and R2 is the radius of the second Cylinder. In the case of the cone, analogously to the cylinders, a = c2 + αl and a = a2 -αl, where α is the angle between the axes of the cone pairs in contact.
Da erfindungsgemäß die Zylinder bzw. Kegel aufeinander bzw. ineinander abrollen oder gleiten und der Abstand der Zylinderachsen bzw. der Winkel zwischen den Kegelachsen immer konstant bleibt, ergibt sich eine ebene oder sphärische dimere Kette. Die an sich dreiparametrige mögliche ebene oder sphärische Bewegung wird so auf zwei Freiheitsgrade eingeschränkt. Die entsprechenden Radien der Zylinder bzw. Winkel der Kegel sind vorzugsweise den anatomischen Verhältnissen des menschlichen Kniegelenks angepaßt, können auch entsprechend der verwandten Materialien und deren Eigenschaften variiert sein.Since, according to the invention, the cylinders or cones roll or slide on one another or in one another and the distance between the cylinder axes or the angle between the cone axes always remains constant, a flat or spherical dimeric chain results. The three-parameter possible flat or spherical movement is limited to two degrees of freedom. The corresponding radii of the cylinders or angles of the cones are preferably adapted to the anatomical conditions of the human knee joint and can also be varied in accordance with the materials used and their properties.
Das erfindungsgemäße künstliche Gelenk zeichnet sich dadurch aus, daß in jedem Berührungspunkt der Artikulationsflächen ein linienförmiger Kraftübertragungsbereich ausgebildet ist .The artificial joint according to the invention is characterized in that a linear force transmission area is formed at each point of contact of the articulation surfaces.
Weiterhin kann es erfindungsgemäß vorteilhaft sein, wenn neben dem Bereich der direkten Kraftübertragung im Bereich der Regelflächen ein Bereich ohne Berührungskontakt ausgebildet ist, so daß die umgebenden Gewebe in der Funktion nur minimal traumatisiert werden. Erfindungsgemäß ist es deshalb zweckmäßig, wenn auf der den Regelflächen gegenüberliegenden Seite der Kontaktlinien die Berührungslinien derart bogenförmig in Bogenlinien verlängert sind, daß Wulste ausgebildet werden. Die Bogenlinien werden dadurch bestimmt, daß im momentanen Berührungspunkt der Kontaktlinien eine Ebene im bewegten oder unbewegten System errich- tet wird, welche aufgespannt wird, von der jeweiligen Berührungslinie der Regelflächen und der gemeinsamen Senkrechten der Berührungslinien auf eine Tangente an eine der Kontaktlinien im jeweiligen Kontaktpunkt. Die Wulste sind derart ausgebildet, daß der äußere Teil der Artikulations- flachen der Wulste sich nicht berühren. Diese äußeren Teile der Wulste bilden den Bereich der indirekten Kraftübertragung der gekrümmten Artikulationsflächen.Furthermore, it can be advantageous according to the invention if, in addition to the area of direct force transmission in the area of the control surfaces, an area without contact is formed so that the surrounding tissues are only minimally traumatized in their function. According to the invention, it is therefore expedient if, on the side of the contact lines opposite the control surfaces, the contact lines are extended in an arc shape in arc lines in such a way that beads are formed. The arc lines are determined by the fact that at the current point of contact of the contact lines, a plane is created in the moving or stationary system. Tet, which is spanned, from the respective contact line of the control surfaces and the common perpendicular of the contact lines to a tangent to one of the contact lines in the respective contact point. The beads are designed such that the outer part of the articulation surfaces of the beads do not touch. These outer parts of the beads form the area of indirect power transmission of the curved articulation surfaces.
Die Bogenlinien sind erfindungsgemäß ohne Knick an die jeweiligen Berührungslinien der Regelfläche angesetzt und ihre Normalen stimmen im Kontaktpunkt überein. Indem die Bogenlinien vorteilhafterweise in Abschnitten kreisbogenförmig ausgestaltet sind, kann erreicht werden - indem in den äußeren Abschnitten verschieden große Radien gewählt werden - daß während der Bewegung der Artikulationsflächen immer ein freier Raum zwischen den artikulierenden Wülsten verbleibt .According to the invention, the curved lines are applied to the respective contact lines of the control surface without kinking and their normals match at the contact point. By making the curved lines advantageously circular in sections, it can be achieved - by choosing radii of different sizes in the outer sections - that there is always a free space between the articulating beads during the movement of the articulation surfaces.
Vorzugsweise wird das erfindungsgemäße Gelenk derart bei einem Viergelenk als Endoprothese für das menschliche Knie eingesetzt, daß das mediale Gelenkkompartment die überschlagende dimere Kette bildet und das laterale Gelenkkompartment die gestreckte dimere Kette, wodurch ein zwangsläufiges Viergelenk sich ausbildet.The joint according to the invention is preferably used in a four-bar joint as an endoprosthesis for the human knee in such a way that the medial joint compartment forms the overlapping dimer chain and the lateral joint compartment forms the elongated dimer chain, as a result of which an inevitable four-bar linkage is formed.
Anhand der in den beiliegenden Zeichnungen dargestellten Ausführungsbeispiele wird die Erfindung näher erläutert.The invention is explained in more detail with reference to the exemplary embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Figuren 1 bis 11 zeigen die Konstruktion erfindungsgemäßer Gelenke. Gemäß der vorliegenden Erfindung soll ein bestimmter ebener oder auch sphärischer Zwanglauf des Gelenks erreicht werden. Dies erfolgt dadurch, daß ein ebenes oder sphärisches Getriebe vorgegeben wird. In diesem Getriebe werden in einem ersten Schritt die Rotationsachsen durch um diese Achsen angeordnete Zylinder, die sich gegeneinander kontaktieren, oder aber sphärische Kegel ersetzt, wobei diese Zylinder bzw. Kegel aufeinander abrollen und/oder gleiten. Die entsprechenden Radien der Zylinder bzw. die Kegelwinkel der Kegel sind den anatomischen Gegebenheiten des zu ersetzenden natürlichen Gelenks, insbesondere des menschlichen Kniegelenks angepaßt.Figures 1 to 11 show the construction of joints according to the invention. According to the present invention, a certain flat or spherical forced movement of the joint is to be achieved. This is done by specifying a flat or spherical gear. In a first step in this transmission, the axes of rotation are replaced by cylinders arranged around these axes, which contact one another, or else spherical cones, these cylinders or cones rolling and / or sliding on one another. The corresponding radii of the cylinders or the cone angles of the cones are adapted to the anatomical conditions of the natural joint to be replaced, in particular the human knee joint.
In Fig. 1 sind zwei aufeinander abrollende und gleitende Zylinder 1, 2 mit den Mittelpunkten Ml und M2 und den Radien Rl und R2 und den Drehachsen dl und d2 dargestellt . Das dort gezeigte Zylinderpaar ist als ebene gestreckte dimere Kette angeordnet, so daß der Zylinder 2 am Zylinder 1 abrollt bzw. gleitet. Es gilt R = R2 + Rl, wobei R der Radius der Gelenkachsenbahn, der auch die Länge der dimeren Gelenkkette ist. Fig. la zeigt eine Darstellung von zwei aufeinander abrollenden Kegeln 1, 2 mit den zugehörigen Kegelwinkeln αl, α2 , wobei a = α2 + αl gilt.In Fig. 1 two rolling and sliding cylinders 1, 2 are shown with the centers Ml and M2 and the radii Rl and R2 and the axes of rotation dl and d2. The pair of cylinders shown there is arranged as a flat, elongated dimer chain, so that the cylinder 2 rolls or slides on the cylinder 1. R = R2 + Rl, where R is the radius of the joint axis path, which is also the length of the dimeric joint chain. Fig. La shows a representation of two rolling cones 1, 2 with the associated cone angles αl, α2, where a = α2 + αl applies.
In Fig. 2 ist eine Zylinderanordnung aus den Zylindern 1 und 2, den Mittelpunkten Ml und M2 , den Radien Rl und R2 sowie den Zylinderachsen Dl und D2 gezeigt, wobei diese Zylinder in Form einer überschlagenen dimeren Kette angeordnet sind. Hierbei gilt R = R2 - Rl , wobei R wieder der Radius der Gelenkachsenbahn und somit die Länge der dimeren Kette ist. Fig. 2a zeigt eine Darstellung von zwei ineinander abrollenden Kegeln 1, 2 mit den zugehörigen Kegelwinkeln αl, α2 , wobei α = α2 - αl ist. Wie in Fig. 2 dargestellt, wird beispielsweise bei dieser Anordnung der Zylinder 1 als unbewegtes Teil gewählt, wobei auf dem Zylinder 1 eine Kontaktlinie Ll durch schräges Anschneiden des Zylinders 1 gewählt wird, die somit eine elliptische Form besitzt. Der Zylinder 2 ist als bewegtes Teil gewählt und rollt und/oder gleitet nunmehr auf dem Zylinder 1 ab, wobei sich auf der Zylinderfläche entsprechend der Roll- und Gleitbewegung des Zylinders 2 eine Gegenkurve als Kontaktlinie L2 ausbildet. Diese Kontaktlinie L2 hat eine abschnittsweise bogenförmige Form. Die beiden Kontaktlinien Ll und L2 besitzen demnach momentan immer einen gemeinsamen Berührungspunkt K. Der Zylinder 1 kann erfindungsgemäß beispielsweise bei der Ausbildung eines künstlichen Gelenks für das erfindungsgemäße Knie dem femuralen Gelenkteil zugeordnet sein und der Zylinder 2 dem tibialen Gelenkteil.2 shows a cylinder arrangement comprising the cylinders 1 and 2, the center points M1 and M2, the radii R1 and R2 and the cylinder axes D1 and D2, these cylinders being arranged in the form of an overturned dimeric chain. Here R = R2 - Rl, where R is again the radius of the articulated axis path and thus the length of the dimeric chain. 2a shows a representation of two cones 1, 2 rolling into one another with the associated cone angles α1, α2, where α = α2 - αl. As shown in Fig. 2, for example, in this arrangement, the cylinder 1 is selected as a non-moving part, a contact line L1 being selected on the cylinder 1 by obliquely cutting the cylinder 1, which thus has an elliptical shape. The cylinder 2 is selected as the moving part and now rolls and / or slides on the cylinder 1, a counter-curve forming on the cylinder surface in accordance with the rolling and sliding movement of the cylinder 2 as the contact line L2. This contact line L2 has an arcuate shape in sections. The two contact lines L1 and L2 therefore currently always have a common point of contact K. According to the invention, the cylinder 1 can be assigned to the femoral joint part and the cylinder 2 to the tibial joint part, for example when forming an artificial joint for the knee according to the invention.
In Fig. 3 ist gezeigt, wie bei der Gelenkanordnung gemäß Fig. 2 nunmehr aufgrund der auf den Zylindern 1 und 2 ausgebildeten Kontaktlinien Ll und L2 linienförmigen Kontakt bedingende Berührungslinien B zur Erzeugung von Regel - flächen gemäß der Erfindung hergestellt werden. Hierzu wird vorteilhafterweise ein Basispunkt Q im bewegten System bestimmt, der in einem zum Gelenkinneren verschobenen, frei zu wählenden Bezugsebene (Sagittalebene) derartig gewählt ist, daß die Verbindungslinie B zum momentanen Kontaktpunkt K der Kontaktlinien Ll und L2 vorteilhafterweise einen Winkel ß (35° < ß < 70°) zur z-Achse hat. Diese Bezugsebene liegt parallel zur Funktionsebene, die hier durch die Koordinatenebene x und y angegeben ist . Die Gesamtheit der Berührungslinien B gibt im ruhenden System eine Regelfläche Fl mit zwischen Kontaktlinie Ll und Bahn 5 des Basispunktes Q verlaufenden Geraden (siehe Bild 4) . Im bewegten System entsteht eine Regelfläche F2 zwischen Kontaktlinie F2 und dem in diesem System ortsfesten Basispunkt Q (siehe Bild 5) . In jedem Bewegungszustand berühren sich demnach beide Regelflächen Fl und F2 konstruktionsgemäß jeweils linien- förmig. Für die Gelenkflächen wird jeweils ein Teil der Regelflächen Fl und F2 ausgewählt, der an Ll bzw. L2 anschließt und bis maximal 3 cm, gemessen auf der Kontaktlinie zur Mitte hin, sich erstreckt. Diese durch die Berührungslinien B gebildeten Teile der Regelflächen Fl und F2 gehören zum Bereich der direkten Kraftübertragung.In FIG. 3 it is shown how in the articulated arrangement according to FIG. 2 contact lines B for producing control surfaces according to the invention are now produced on the basis of the contact lines L1 and L2 formed on the cylinders 1 and 2. For this purpose, a base point Q in the moving system is advantageously determined, which is chosen in a reference plane (sagittal plane) that is freely shifted to the interior of the joint, such that the connecting line B to the current contact point K of the contact lines L1 and L2 advantageously has an angle β (35 ° < ß <70 °) to the z-axis. This reference plane is parallel to the functional plane, which is indicated here by the coordinate plane x and y. The totality of the contact lines B gives a control surface Fl in the stationary system with straight lines running between contact line L1 and path 5 of the base point Q (see Figure 4). In a moving system A control surface F2 is created between the contact line F2 and the base point Q that is fixed in this system (see Figure 5). Accordingly, both control surfaces F1 and F2 touch each other linearly in each state of motion. A part of the control surfaces F1 and F2 is selected for the articular surfaces, which adjoins L1 and L2 and extends up to a maximum of 3 cm, measured on the contact line towards the center. These parts of the control surfaces F1 and F2 formed by the contact lines B belong to the area of direct power transmission.
Weiterhin ist erfindungsgemäß vorgesehen, daß auf der den Regelflächen Fl, F2 gegenüberliegenden Seite der Kontaktlinien Ll, L2 artikulierende Teilflächen mit indirekter Kraftübertragung erzeugt werden. Die hierfür erforderliche erfindungsgemäße Konstruktion wird anhand von Figur 6 erläutert. Im momentanen Berührungspunkt K der Kontaktlinien Ll , L2 wird als Hilfskonstruktion eine momentane Ebene im bewegten und im unbewegten System errichtet, welche aufgespannt wird von der Berührungslinie B der Regelflächen Fl, F2 und einer gemeinsamen ' Senkrechten 7 der Berührungslinie B und einer Tangente t an die Kontaktlinie Ll und/oder L2. In diese Ebene werden an die Berührungslinie B der Regel - flächen Fl, F2 ohne Knick bogenförmige Kurven, Bogenlinien SI, S2 , die über die gesamte Bewegung vorteilhafterweise gleichbleiben, angesetzt. Hierdurch entstehen - wie in Fig. 7 dargestellt - im bewegten System, und - wie in Fig. 8 dargestellt - im unbewegten System wulstförmige Flächen 9, 10, die ohne Knick an die jeweiligen Regelflächen Fl, F2 angesetzt sind und deren Normalen im Kontaktpunkt übereinstimmen. Die bogenförmigen Kurven S sind so beschaffen, daß während der Bewegung immer ein freier Raum zwischen den artikulierenden, aus ihnen gebildeten Wulstflächen 9, 10 verbleibt. Dies kann bei kreisförmigen Bogenlinien SI, S2 dadurch erreicht werden, daß verschieden große Radien gewählt werden. Es kann weiterhin vorteilhaft sein, SI und S2 über eine gewisse Strecke (bis max. 2 cm) mit gemeinsamen Radius auszustatten und erst dann ohne Knick verschieden große Radien anzusetzen. Dadurch wird der Bereich der direkten Kraftübertragung in den bogenförmigen Bereich erweitert. Da die Regelflächen Fl und F2 und die wulst- förmigen Artikulationsflächen 10, 9 durch eine Bewegung einer Schnittkontur, bestehend aus Geraden und Bögen, entstehen, lassen sich diese Flächen mittels einer CNC- Schleifmaschine fertigen. Basispunkt Q kann auch im unbewegten System definiert sein. Es kann ferner vorteilhaft sein, Q abhängig von der Bewegung zu wählen und insbesondere dafür den momentanen Drehpol P (Bild 6) , der in einer frei wählbaren Zwischenebene liegt, zu verwenden. Die Regelfläche Fl liegt dann zwischen Kontaktlinie Ll und der Rastpolbahn 4 und die Regelfläche F2 liegt zwischen Kontaktlinie L2 und der Gangpolbahn 6. Rastpolbahn 4 und Gangpolbahn 6 ergeben sich als Schnittlinien dieser freigewählten Ebene mit der Gesamtheit der momentanen Drehachsen der Bewegung. Wird für die Erzeugung der Berührungslinien B der momentane Drehpol gewählt, so wird auf den gebildeten Regelflächen Fl und F2 das Gleiten minimiert, da die Polkurven aufeinanderrollen. Wird statt des momentanen Drehpols ein anderer momentan gemeinsamer Punkt in einer Referenzebene im bewegten/unbewegten System verwendet, so kann der Anteil von Rollen und Gleiten variiert werden.Furthermore, it is provided according to the invention that articulating partial surfaces with indirect force transmission are generated on the side of the contact lines L1, L2 opposite the control surfaces F1, F2. The construction according to the invention required for this is explained with reference to FIG. 6. At the current point of contact K of the contact lines L1, L2, a current level is built as an auxiliary construction in the moving and in the non-moving system, which is spanned by the line of contact B of the control surfaces F1, F2 and a common ' perpendicular 7 of the line of contact B and a tangent t to the Contact line Ll and / or L2. In this plane, curved lines, curved lines SI, S2, which advantageously remain the same over the entire movement, are applied to the contact line B of the control surfaces F1, F2 without a kink. This results in - as shown in Fig. 7 - in the moving system, and - as shown in Fig. 8 - in the stationary system bead-shaped surfaces 9, 10, which are attached to the respective control surfaces F1, F2 without kink and whose normals match at the contact point . The arcuate curves S are such that there is always a free space between the articulating bead surfaces 9, 10 formed from them during the movement remains. With circular arc lines SI, S2 this can be achieved by choosing radii of different sizes. It can also be advantageous to equip SI and S2 with a common radius over a certain distance (up to a maximum of 2 cm) and only then to set radii of different sizes without kinking. This extends the area of direct power transmission into the arcuate area. Since the control surfaces F1 and F2 and the bulge-shaped articulation surfaces 10, 9 are created by moving a cutting contour consisting of straight lines and arcs, these surfaces can be manufactured using a CNC grinding machine. Base point Q can also be defined in the stationary system. It can also be advantageous to choose Q as a function of the movement and, in particular, to use the instantaneous rotation pole P (FIG. 6), which lies in a freely selectable intermediate plane. The control surface F1 then lies between the contact line L1 and the locking pole path 4 and the control surface F2 lies between the contact line L2 and the gang pole path 6. The locking pole path 4 and the gear pole path 6 result as intersection lines of this freely selected plane with the total of the current axes of rotation of the movement. If the momentary rotation pole is selected for the generation of the contact lines B, then the sliding on the formed control surfaces F1 and F2 is minimized, since the polar curves roll on one another. If instead of the current rotating pole another currently common point is used in a reference plane in the moving / unmoving system, the proportion of rolling and sliding can be varied.
Fig. 9 zeigt die Übertragung der Konfiguration des unbeweg¬ ten Systems aus der Regelfläche Fl mit angeschlossener Wulstfläche 10 gemäß Fig. 8 auf ein künstliches Gelenkteil 12, das die Artikulationsfläche eines Gelenkkopfes bilden kann. Hierbei ist zu erkennen, daß die Abmessungen der Flächen Fl und 10 den anatomischen Verhältnissen angepaßt werden.Fig. 9 shows the transfer of the configuration of the immobility ¬ th system from the control surface Fl with attached bead surface 10 according to Fig. 8 to an artificial joint part 12, which form the articulation surface of a joint head can. It can be seen here that the dimensions of the surfaces F1 and 10 are adapted to the anatomical conditions.
Vorteilhafterweise wird ein erfindungsgemäßes Gelenk als Endoprothese zum Ersatz des menschlichen Kniegelenks aus einer Parallelschaltung zweier erfindungsgemäßer Gelenkanordnungen gemäß Fig. 1 und 2 gebildet. Hierbei sind die Regelflächen jedes Gelenkkörperpaares derart zu einer Mittelebene X-X angeordnet, daß sie auf der der Mittelebene X- X zugekehrten Seite liegen. Die tibialen Gelenkkörper und die femuralen Gelenkkörper sind hierbei jeweils starr miteinander verbunden. Hierdurch ergibt sich eine Zwangslauf- eigenschaft, die durch das entstandene Viergelenk bedingt ist. Der momentane Drehpol ergibt sich im seitlichen Bild als Schnittpunkt der lateralen und der medialen Kette (bzw. deren Verlängerungen) . Insgesamt entstehen in der festen Ebene die Rastpol- und in der bewegten Ebene die Gangpol - bahn. In Figuren 10 und 11 sind für ein Kniegelenk des rechten Knies in der Ansicht von hinten die nach dem erfindungsgemäßen Konstruktionsverfahren erzeugten femuralen Artikulationsflächen und tibialen Artikulationsflächen des lateralen Gelenkkompartments 11 und des medialen Gelenkkom- partments 12 dargestellt. In den Bereichen der indirekten Kraftübertragung, das sind die wulstförmigen Artikulationsflächen 9, 10, sind die Radien derart gewählt, daß tibial größere Radien als femural vorhanden sind. Im lateralen Gelenkkompartment 11 ist eine Anordnung gemäß Fig. 2, nämlich eine gestreckte dimere Gelenkkette ausgebildet und im medialen Gelenkkompartment 12 ist eine überschlagene dimere Gelenkkette gemäß Fig. 1 vorhanden. A joint according to the invention is advantageously formed as an endoprosthesis to replace the human knee joint from a parallel connection of two joint arrangements according to the invention according to FIGS. 1 and 2. Here, the control surfaces of each pair of joint bodies are arranged in a central plane X-X in such a way that they lie on the side facing the central plane X-X. The tibial joint bodies and the femoral joint bodies are each rigidly connected to one another. This results in a forced running property, which is due to the resulting four-bar linkage. The current pivot point is shown in the image on the side as the intersection of the lateral and the medial chain (or their extensions). Overall, the Rastpol- and the Gangpol - bahn are created in the fixed plane. FIGS. 10 and 11 show, for a knee joint of the right knee, a view from the rear of the femoral articulation surfaces and tibial articulation surfaces of the lateral joint compartment 11 and the medial joint component 12 produced according to the construction method according to the invention. In the areas of indirect power transmission, that is to say the bead-shaped articulation surfaces 9, 10, the radii are chosen such that radially larger radii than the femur are present. An arrangement according to FIG. 2, namely an elongated dimeric articulated chain, is formed in the lateral articulated compartment 11 and an overturned dimeric articulated chain according to FIG. 1 is present in the medial articulated compartment 12.

Claims

Patentansprüche claims
Künstliches Gelenk, insbesondere Endoprothese zum Ersatz natürlicher Gelenke, bestehend aus mindestens zwei künstlichen Gelenkteilen mit gekrümmten Artikulationsflächen, wobei auf jeder der Artikulationsflächen eine gekrümmte Kontaktlinie ausgebildet ist, wobei die gekrümmte Kontaktlinie (Ll) eine der Artikulations- flächen Teil einer elliptischen Schnittkontur eines ersten Zylinders (1) oder Kegels mit dem Zylinderradius (Rl) bzw. dem Kegelwinkel (αl) ist, und die andere Kontaktlinie (L2) sich als Gegenspur eines zweiten auf dem ersten Zylinder (1) bzw. ersten Kegel abrollenden und/oder gleitenden zweiten Zylinder (2) bzw. zweiten Kegels mit dem Zylinderradius (R2) bzw. mit dem Kegel - winkel (α2) ergibt, sowie die Artikulationsflächen aus einer Vielzahl von geraden Berühungslinien (B) gebil¬ dete Regelflächen (F1,F2) aufweisen, und sich diese Regelflächen (Fl, F2) einseitig an die Kontaktlinien (L1,L2) einander gegenüberliegend anschließen und die Berührungslinien (B) jeweils die Verbindungslinie zwischen einem momentanen Kontaktpunkt (K) der Kontaktlinien (L1,L2) und einem momentan gemeinsamen Punkt Q bzw. dem Momentanpol (P) der jeweiligen Bewegungssysteme in einer Referenzebene (X,Y) bzw. einer Referenzkugel im bewegten/ unbewegten System sind.Artificial joint, in particular endoprosthesis for the replacement of natural joints, consisting of at least two artificial joint parts with curved articulation surfaces, a curved contact line being formed on each of the articulation surfaces, the curved contact line (L1) being one of the articulation surfaces part of an elliptical cutting contour of a first cylinder (1) or cone with the cylinder radius (Rl) or the cone angle (αl), and the other contact line (L2) is the opposite track of a second cylinder rolling and / or sliding on the first cylinder (1) or first cone have angle (α2) yields, as well as the articulation surfaces of a plurality of straight Berühungslinien (B) gebil ¬ finished control surfaces (F1, F2), and - (2) and the second cone with the cylinder radius (R2) and with the cone these control surfaces (Fl, F2) on one side on the contact lines Connect (L1, L2) opposite each other and the contact lines (B) each the connecting line between a current contact point (K) of the contact lines (L1, L2) and a currently common point Q or the instantaneous pole (P) of the respective movement systems in a reference plane (X, Y) or a reference ball in the moving / unmoving system.
Künstliches Gelenk nach Anspruch 1, d a d u r c h g e k e n n z e i c h n e t , daß der erste und der zweite Zylinder (1, 2) bzw. der erste und der zweite Kegel (1, 2) derart zueinander angeordnet sind, daß sie eine gestreckte dimere Gelenkkette bilden mit der Beziehung R = R2 + Rl bzw. eine über- schlagene dimere Gelenkkette mit der Beziehung R = R2 - Rl , wobei R der Radius der Gelenkachsbahn der dimeren Gelenkkette und Rl der Radius des ersten Zylinders (1) , wobei im Falle der sphärischen Anordnung ergeben sich für das erste Kegelpaar α = α2 + αl und für das zweite Kegelpaar α = α2 - αl aufgrund der Kegelwinkel Artificial joint according to claim 1, characterized in that the first and the second cylinder (1, 2) or the first and the second cone (1, 2) are arranged relative to one another in such a way that they form an elongated dimeric joint chain with the relationship R = R2 + Rl or an overturned dimeric link chain with the relationship R = R2 - Rl, where R is the radius of the articulated axis path of the dimeric link chain and Rl is the radius of the first cylinder (1), whereby in the case of the spherical arrangement, for first cone pair α = α2 + αl and for the second cone pair α = α2 - αl due to the cone angle
Künstliches Gelenk nach einem der Ansprüche 1 oder 2, d a d u r c h g e k e n n z e i c h n e t , daß auf der den Regelflächen (F1,F2) gegenüberliegenden Seite der Kontaktlinien (L1,L2) die Berührungslinie (B) derart bogenförmig verlängert sind, daß Wülste (9,10) ausgebildet werden, wobei die Bogenlinien dadurch bestimmt werden, daß im momentanen Berührungspunkt (K) der Kontaktlinien (L1,L2) eine Ebene im bewegten und unbewegten System errichtet wird, welche aufgespannt wird von der jeweiligen Berührungslinie (B) der Regel¬ flächen (F1,F2) und der gemeinsamen Senkrechten (7) der Berührungslinie (B) und einer Tangente an die Kontaktlinien (L1,L2) im jeweiligen Kontaktpunkt (K) , wobei die Wulste (9,10) derart ausgebildet sind, daß die Artikulationsflächen der Wulste (9,10) im äußeren Teil keinen Berührungskontakt besitzen.Artificial joint according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that on the side of the contact lines (L1, L2) opposite the control surfaces (F1, F2) the contact line (B) is extended in an arcuate manner in such a way that beads (9, 10) are formed wherein the arcs are determined by the fact that the instantaneous point of contact (K) of the contact lines (L1, L2) is established a layer in the moving and static system, which is spanned by the respective line of contact (B) of the control ¬ surfaces (F1, F2 ) and the common vertical (7) the line of contact (B) and a tangent to the contact lines (L1, L2) in the respective contact point (K), the beads (9, 10) being designed in such a way that the articulation surfaces of the beads (9, 10) have no contact in the outer part have.
4. Künstliches Gelenk nach einem der Ansprüche 1 bis 3, d a d u r c h g e k e n n z e i c h n e t , daß die überschlagene dimere Kette ein mediales Gelenkkompartment (12) und die gestreckte dimere Kette ein laterales Gelenkkompartment (11) eines künstlichen Gelenkes für das menschliche Knie bilden, wobei die femurseiti- gen Gelenkteile der jeweiligen Gelenkkompartmente und die tibiaseitigen Gelenkteile starr miteinander verbunden sind. 4. Artificial joint according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the rolled-over dimer chain form a medial joint compartment (12) and the elongated dimer chain form a lateral joint compartment (11) of an artificial joint for the human knee, the femur-side Joint parts of the respective joint compartments and the tibial joint parts are rigidly connected to one another.
EP97953682A 1996-11-13 1997-11-12 Artificial joint, in particular endoprosthesis for replacing natural joints Ceased EP0951257A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DE19646891A DE19646891A1 (en) 1996-11-13 1996-11-13 Artificial joint, especially an endoprosthesis to replace natural joints
DE19646891 1996-11-13
PCT/EP1997/006315 WO1998020816A1 (en) 1996-11-13 1997-11-12 Artificial joint, in particular endoprosthesis for replacing natural joints

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0951257A1 true EP0951257A1 (en) 1999-10-27

Family

ID=7811546

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP97953682A Ceased EP0951257A1 (en) 1996-11-13 1997-11-12 Artificial joint, in particular endoprosthesis for replacing natural joints

Country Status (5)

Country Link
US (1) US6235060B1 (en)
EP (1) EP0951257A1 (en)
JP (1) JP3674046B2 (en)
DE (1) DE19646891A1 (en)
WO (1) WO1998020816A1 (en)

Families Citing this family (133)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6695848B2 (en) * 1994-09-02 2004-02-24 Hudson Surgical Design, Inc. Methods for femoral and tibial resection
US8603095B2 (en) 1994-09-02 2013-12-10 Puget Bio Ventures LLC Apparatuses for femoral and tibial resection
US7468075B2 (en) 2001-05-25 2008-12-23 Conformis, Inc. Methods and compositions for articular repair
US7534263B2 (en) 2001-05-25 2009-05-19 Conformis, Inc. Surgical tools facilitating increased accuracy, speed and simplicity in performing joint arthroplasty
US8771365B2 (en) 2009-02-25 2014-07-08 Conformis, Inc. Patient-adapted and improved orthopedic implants, designs, and related tools
US8480754B2 (en) 2001-05-25 2013-07-09 Conformis, Inc. Patient-adapted and improved articular implants, designs and related guide tools
US8882847B2 (en) 2001-05-25 2014-11-11 Conformis, Inc. Patient selectable knee joint arthroplasty devices
US8735773B2 (en) 2007-02-14 2014-05-27 Conformis, Inc. Implant device and method for manufacture
US8083745B2 (en) 2001-05-25 2011-12-27 Conformis, Inc. Surgical tools for arthroplasty
US9603711B2 (en) 2001-05-25 2017-03-28 Conformis, Inc. Patient-adapted and improved articular implants, designs and related guide tools
US8556983B2 (en) 2001-05-25 2013-10-15 Conformis, Inc. Patient-adapted and improved orthopedic implants, designs and related tools
US8545569B2 (en) 2001-05-25 2013-10-01 Conformis, Inc. Patient selectable knee arthroplasty devices
US10085839B2 (en) 2004-01-05 2018-10-02 Conformis, Inc. Patient-specific and patient-engineered orthopedic implants
DE69941304D1 (en) 1998-09-14 2009-10-01 Univ R CONDITIONAL STATEMENT OF A JOINT AND DAMAGE
US7239908B1 (en) 1998-09-14 2007-07-03 The Board Of Trustees Of The Leland Stanford Junior University Assessing the condition of a joint and devising treatment
US9289153B2 (en) * 1998-09-14 2016-03-22 The Board Of Trustees Of The Leland Stanford Junior University Joint and cartilage diagnosis, assessment and modeling
US8066776B2 (en) 2001-12-14 2011-11-29 Btg International Limited Tibial component
US6712856B1 (en) * 2000-03-17 2004-03-30 Kinamed, Inc. Custom replacement device for resurfacing a femur and method of making the same
US7713305B2 (en) 2000-05-01 2010-05-11 Arthrosurface, Inc. Articular surface implant
US7678151B2 (en) * 2000-05-01 2010-03-16 Ek Steven W System and method for joint resurface repair
US7896883B2 (en) 2000-05-01 2011-03-01 Arthrosurface, Inc. Bone resurfacing system and method
US6520964B2 (en) 2000-05-01 2003-02-18 Std Manufacturing, Inc. System and method for joint resurface repair
US6610067B2 (en) 2000-05-01 2003-08-26 Arthrosurface, Incorporated System and method for joint resurface repair
US20040230315A1 (en) * 2000-05-01 2004-11-18 Ek Steven W. Articular surface implant
US7618462B2 (en) * 2000-05-01 2009-11-17 Arthrosurface Incorporated System and method for joint resurface repair
US8177841B2 (en) 2000-05-01 2012-05-15 Arthrosurface Inc. System and method for joint resurface repair
AU2001273274A1 (en) * 2000-07-10 2002-01-21 Epion Corporation Improving effectiveness of artificial hip by gcib
AU9088701A (en) 2000-09-14 2002-03-26 Univ Leland Stanford Junior Assessing condition of a joint and cartilage loss
AU9088801A (en) 2000-09-14 2002-03-26 Univ Leland Stanford Junior Assessing the condition of a joint and devising treatment
US7169182B2 (en) 2001-07-16 2007-01-30 Spinecore, Inc. Implanting an artificial intervertebral disc
US6673113B2 (en) 2001-10-18 2004-01-06 Spinecore, Inc. Intervertebral spacer device having arch shaped spring elements
US20020120340A1 (en) 2001-02-23 2002-08-29 Metzger Robert G. Knee joint prosthesis
US7497874B1 (en) 2001-02-23 2009-03-03 Biomet Manufacturing Corp. Knee joint prosthesis
US8062377B2 (en) 2001-03-05 2011-11-22 Hudson Surgical Design, Inc. Methods and apparatus for knee arthroplasty
CN100502808C (en) * 2001-05-25 2009-06-24 肯弗默斯股份有限公司 Compositions for articular resurfacing
US8439926B2 (en) 2001-05-25 2013-05-14 Conformis, Inc. Patient selectable joint arthroplasty devices and surgical tools
US6482209B1 (en) * 2001-06-14 2002-11-19 Gerard A. Engh Apparatus and method for sculpting the surface of a joint
US7771477B2 (en) 2001-10-01 2010-08-10 Spinecore, Inc. Intervertebral spacer device utilizing a belleville washer having radially spaced concentric grooves
US7713302B2 (en) 2001-10-01 2010-05-11 Spinecore, Inc. Intervertebral spacer device utilizing a spirally slotted belleville washer having radially spaced concentric grooves
CA2475078C (en) * 2002-02-20 2010-05-04 Thomas M. Coon Knee arthroplasty prosthesis and method
US20080027548A9 (en) 2002-04-12 2008-01-31 Ferree Bret A Spacerless artificial disc replacements
US8038713B2 (en) * 2002-04-23 2011-10-18 Spinecore, Inc. Two-component artificial disc replacements
US6706068B2 (en) 2002-04-23 2004-03-16 Bret A. Ferree Artificial disc replacements with natural kinematics
US7615081B2 (en) * 2002-05-24 2009-11-10 Zimmer, Inc. Femoral components for knee arthroplasty
US7150761B2 (en) * 2002-05-24 2006-12-19 Medicinelodge, Inc. Modular femoral components for knee arthroplasty
DE10231538C1 (en) * 2002-07-11 2003-10-09 Hjs Gelenk System Gmbh Artificial joint, used as endoprosthesis for human knee joint, comprises a first joint compartment and a second joint compartment having contact surfaces arranged at an angle so that their surface normals have a common intersection
ATE497740T1 (en) 2002-10-07 2011-02-15 Conformis Inc MINIMALLY INVASIVE JOINT IMPLANT WITH A THREE-DIMENSIONAL GEOMETRY ADAPTED TO THE JOINT SURFACES
JP2006505366A (en) 2002-11-07 2006-02-16 コンフォーミス・インコーポレイテッド Method of determining meniscus size and shape and devised treatment
US6770099B2 (en) * 2002-11-19 2004-08-03 Zimmer Technology, Inc. Femoral prosthesis
US20040102852A1 (en) * 2002-11-22 2004-05-27 Johnson Erin M. Modular knee prosthesis
US7901408B2 (en) 2002-12-03 2011-03-08 Arthrosurface, Inc. System and method for retrograde procedure
US20040148028A1 (en) * 2002-12-19 2004-07-29 Ferree Bret A. Artificial disc replacement (ADR) extraction methods and apparatus
AU2003299851B2 (en) 2002-12-20 2009-12-10 Smith & Nephew, Inc. High performance knee prostheses
US8388624B2 (en) 2003-02-24 2013-03-05 Arthrosurface Incorporated Trochlear resurfacing system and method
EP1635744A4 (en) * 2003-03-06 2013-03-13 Spinecore Inc Instrumentation and methods for use in implanting a cervical disc replacement device
US6908484B2 (en) 2003-03-06 2005-06-21 Spinecore, Inc. Cervical disc replacement
AU2004281743B2 (en) 2003-10-17 2011-06-09 Smith & Nephew, Inc. High flexion articular insert
WO2006074321A2 (en) 2003-11-20 2006-07-13 Arthrosurface, Inc. System and method for retrograde procedure
EP1684642A4 (en) 2003-11-20 2008-12-03 Arthrosurface Inc Retrograde delivery of resurfacing devices
CN1972646B (en) * 2004-01-12 2010-05-26 德普伊产品公司 Systems and methods for compartmental replacement in a knee
US8002840B2 (en) 2004-01-12 2011-08-23 Depuy Products, Inc. Systems and methods for compartmental replacement in a knee
US8535383B2 (en) * 2004-01-12 2013-09-17 DePuy Synthes Products, LLC Systems and methods for compartmental replacement in a knee
US7544209B2 (en) * 2004-01-12 2009-06-09 Lotke Paul A Patello-femoral prosthesis
US20060030854A1 (en) 2004-02-02 2006-02-09 Haines Timothy G Methods and apparatus for wireplasty bone resection
US8021368B2 (en) 2004-01-14 2011-09-20 Hudson Surgical Design, Inc. Methods and apparatus for improved cutting tools for resection
US8287545B2 (en) 2004-01-14 2012-10-16 Hudson Surgical Design, Inc. Methods and apparatus for enhanced retention of prosthetic implants
US8114083B2 (en) 2004-01-14 2012-02-14 Hudson Surgical Design, Inc. Methods and apparatus for improved drilling and milling tools for resection
DE202004003133U1 (en) * 2004-02-26 2004-07-29 Aap Implantate Ag Joint replacement tibial plateau
JP3915989B2 (en) * 2004-03-17 2007-05-16 徹 勝呂 Artificial knee joint
JP2008504107A (en) 2004-06-28 2008-02-14 アースロサーフィス・インコーポレーテッド Joint surface replacement system
US8852195B2 (en) 2004-07-09 2014-10-07 Zimmer, Inc. Guide templates for surgical implants and related methods
US7828853B2 (en) 2004-11-22 2010-11-09 Arthrosurface, Inc. Articular surface implant and delivery system
DE102005044044B3 (en) 2005-09-14 2007-06-14 Hjs Gelenk System Gmbh Device and method for determining and adjusting the optimal relative position of a functional surface and accordingly designed implant components of an artificial joint
US8211181B2 (en) * 2005-12-14 2012-07-03 New York University Surface guided knee replacement
US8292964B2 (en) * 2005-12-14 2012-10-23 New York University Surface guided knee replacement
AU2006325787B2 (en) 2005-12-15 2013-07-18 Sergio Romagnoli Distal femoral knee prostheses
US8623026B2 (en) 2006-02-06 2014-01-07 Conformis, Inc. Patient selectable joint arthroplasty devices and surgical tools incorporating anatomical relief
CN102599960B (en) 2006-02-06 2015-08-12 康复米斯公司 The arthroplasty devices that patient-selectable selects and surgical instrument
US7625407B2 (en) * 2006-02-07 2009-12-01 Howmedica Osteonics Corp. Tibial prosthesis with asymmetric articular surfaces
AU2007269203B2 (en) 2006-06-30 2014-03-06 Smith & Nephew, Inc. Anatomical motion hinged prosthesis
EP2040624A2 (en) * 2006-07-17 2009-04-01 ArthroSurface, Inc. System and method for tissue resection
US9358029B2 (en) 2006-12-11 2016-06-07 Arthrosurface Incorporated Retrograde resection apparatus and method
WO2008118247A1 (en) 2007-01-10 2008-10-02 Biomet Manufacturing Corp. Knee joint prosthesis system and method for implantation
US8163028B2 (en) 2007-01-10 2012-04-24 Biomet Manufacturing Corp. Knee joint prosthesis system and method for implantation
US8187280B2 (en) 2007-10-10 2012-05-29 Biomet Manufacturing Corp. Knee joint prosthesis system and method for implantation
US8562616B2 (en) 2007-10-10 2013-10-22 Biomet Manufacturing, Llc Knee joint prosthesis system and method for implantation
US8328873B2 (en) 2007-01-10 2012-12-11 Biomet Manufacturing Corp. Knee joint prosthesis system and method for implantation
EP2591756A1 (en) 2007-02-14 2013-05-15 Conformis, Inc. Implant device and method for manufacture
US20080195113A1 (en) * 2007-02-14 2008-08-14 Arthrosurface Incorporated Bone Cement Delivery Device
DE102007013121A1 (en) * 2007-03-15 2008-09-25 Aequos Endoprothetik Gmbh joint
WO2008157412A2 (en) 2007-06-13 2008-12-24 Conformis, Inc. Surgical cutting guide
DE102007037154B4 (en) 2007-08-07 2011-05-19 Aequos Endoprothetik Gmbh Artificial joint and a joint part intended for this use
US8292965B2 (en) * 2008-02-11 2012-10-23 New York University Knee joint with a ramp
US8682052B2 (en) 2008-03-05 2014-03-25 Conformis, Inc. Implants for altering wear patterns of articular surfaces
EP2303193A4 (en) 2008-05-12 2012-03-21 Conformis Inc Devices and methods for treatment of facet and other joints
CN102076283B (en) * 2008-06-24 2014-03-26 彼得·斯坦利·沃克 Dimpled ramped knee prosthesis
US8808303B2 (en) 2009-02-24 2014-08-19 Microport Orthopedics Holdings Inc. Orthopedic surgical guide
US8808297B2 (en) 2009-02-24 2014-08-19 Microport Orthopedics Holdings Inc. Orthopedic surgical guide
US9017334B2 (en) 2009-02-24 2015-04-28 Microport Orthopedics Holdings Inc. Patient specific surgical guide locator and mount
EP2405865B1 (en) 2009-02-24 2019-04-17 ConforMIS, Inc. Automated systems for manufacturing patient-specific orthopedic implants and instrumentation
BRPI1014917A2 (en) 2009-04-16 2016-04-19 Conformis Inc "Patient specific joint arthroplasty devices for ligament repair"
US9662126B2 (en) 2009-04-17 2017-05-30 Arthrosurface Incorporated Glenoid resurfacing system and method
US9283076B2 (en) 2009-04-17 2016-03-15 Arthrosurface Incorporated Glenoid resurfacing system and method
US10945743B2 (en) 2009-04-17 2021-03-16 Arthrosurface Incorporated Glenoid repair system and methods of use thereof
EP2501340B1 (en) * 2009-11-16 2017-01-18 New York Society for the Ruptured and Crippled Maintaining the Hospital for Special Surgery Prosthetic condylar joints with articulating bearing surfaces having a translating contact point during rotation thereof
US8900315B2 (en) * 2009-11-16 2014-12-02 New York Society For The Ruptured And Crippled Maintaining The Hospital For Special Surgery Constrained condylar knee device
CA2792048A1 (en) 2010-03-05 2011-09-09 Arthrosurface Incorporated Tibial resurfacing system and method
DE102010016308B4 (en) * 2010-04-01 2016-12-22 Limacorporate S.P.A. Mechanical joint
JP5951608B2 (en) 2010-08-12 2016-07-13 スミス アンド ネフュー インコーポレーテッド Structures used to fix orthopedic implants and methods of attachment to bone
AU2011300819B2 (en) * 2010-09-10 2014-01-23 Zimmer Gmbh Femoral prothesis with medialized patellar groove
SG193484A1 (en) 2011-02-15 2013-10-30 Conformis Inc Patent-adapted and improved articular implants, designs, surgical procedures and related guide tools
US9066716B2 (en) 2011-03-30 2015-06-30 Arthrosurface Incorporated Suture coil and suture sheath for tissue repair
US9308095B2 (en) 2011-06-16 2016-04-12 Zimmer, Inc. Femoral component for a knee prosthesis with improved articular characteristics
US8932365B2 (en) 2011-06-16 2015-01-13 Zimmer, Inc. Femoral component for a knee prosthesis with improved articular characteristics
US9060868B2 (en) 2011-06-16 2015-06-23 Zimmer, Inc. Femoral component for a knee prosthesis with bone compacting ridge
CN103997978A (en) * 2011-07-13 2014-08-20 通用医疗公司 Methods and devices for knee joint replacement with anterior cruciate ligament substitution
US20130165982A1 (en) 2011-12-22 2013-06-27 Arthrosurface Incorporated System and Method for Bone Fixation
US9486226B2 (en) 2012-04-18 2016-11-08 Conformis, Inc. Tibial guides, tools, and techniques for resecting the tibial plateau
US9675471B2 (en) 2012-06-11 2017-06-13 Conformis, Inc. Devices, techniques and methods for assessing joint spacing, balancing soft tissues and obtaining desired kinematics for joint implant components
US9468448B2 (en) 2012-07-03 2016-10-18 Arthrosurface Incorporated System and method for joint resurfacing and repair
MY181037A (en) * 2012-11-21 2020-12-16 Krishnachandra Chandrashanker Mehta Knee replacement prosthetic
US9492200B2 (en) 2013-04-16 2016-11-15 Arthrosurface Incorporated Suture system and method
US9655727B2 (en) * 2013-12-12 2017-05-23 Stryker Corporation Extended patellofemoral
US10624748B2 (en) 2014-03-07 2020-04-21 Arthrosurface Incorporated System and method for repairing articular surfaces
US9861492B2 (en) 2014-03-07 2018-01-09 Arthrosurface Incorporated Anchor for an implant assembly
US11607319B2 (en) 2014-03-07 2023-03-21 Arthrosurface Incorporated System and method for repairing articular surfaces
US9387085B2 (en) * 2014-05-30 2016-07-12 Stryker Corporation Stepped tibial baseplate
US10130375B2 (en) 2014-07-31 2018-11-20 Zimmer, Inc. Instruments and methods in performing kinematically-aligned total knee arthroplasty
AU2015320707B2 (en) 2014-09-24 2020-07-02 Depuy Ireland Unlimited Company Surgical planning and method
WO2017058535A1 (en) 2015-09-29 2017-04-06 Zimmer, Inc. Tibial prosthesis for tibia with varus resection
WO2019028344A1 (en) 2017-08-04 2019-02-07 Arthrosurface Incorporated Multicomponent articular surface implant
US11478358B2 (en) 2019-03-12 2022-10-25 Arthrosurface Incorporated Humeral and glenoid articular surface implant systems and methods
CA3129217A1 (en) 2019-05-29 2020-12-03 Wright Medical Technology, Inc. Preparing a tibia for receiving tibial implant component of a replacement ankle

Family Cites Families (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4888021A (en) * 1988-02-02 1989-12-19 Joint Medical Products Corporation Knee and patellar prosthesis
DE3908958C2 (en) * 1989-03-18 1996-09-12 Kubein Meesenburg Dietmar Artificial joint
US5203807A (en) * 1991-07-10 1993-04-20 Smith & Nephew Richards Inc. Knee joint prosthesis articular surface
US5133758A (en) * 1991-09-16 1992-07-28 Research And Education Institute, Inc. Harbor-Ucla Medical Center Total knee endoprosthesis with fixed flexion-extension axis of rotation
DE4202717C1 (en) * 1991-12-11 1993-06-17 Dietmar Prof. Dr. 3350 Kreiensen De Kubein-Meesenburg
JP3714676B2 (en) * 1992-12-14 2005-11-09 バイオメディカル．エンジニアリング．トラスト．アイ Prosthesis with a built-in fixed bearing joint
DE4309577A1 (en) * 1993-03-24 1994-09-29 Kubein Meesenburg Dietmar Exoprosthesis for the human knee joint
DE4310968C2 (en) * 1993-04-03 1995-08-10 Kubein Meesenburg Dietmar Artificial joint as an endoprosthesis for the human patella joint
DE19521597A1 (en) * 1995-06-14 1996-12-19 Kubein Meesenburg Dietmar Artificial joint, especially an endoprosthesis to replace natural joints

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
See references of WO9820816A1 *

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE19646891A1 (en) 1998-05-14
WO1998020816A1 (en) 1998-05-22
JP3674046B2 (en) 2005-07-20
US6235060B1 (en) 2001-05-22
JP2000507486A (en) 2000-06-20

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
EP0951257A1 (en) Artificial joint, in particular endoprosthesis for replacing natural joints
EP0734701B1 (en) Artificial joint
DE10231538C1 (en) Artificial joint, used as endoprosthesis for human knee joint, comprises a first joint compartment and a second joint compartment having contact surfaces arranged at an angle so that their surface normals have a common intersection
DE69306307T2 (en) Complete prosthesis for the metacarpophalangeal joint
EP0831758B1 (en) Artificial joint, in particular endoprosthesis for replacing natural joints
DE69105713T2 (en) PROSTHETIC FEMORAL COMPONENT.
DE69605564T2 (en) IMPLANT DEVICE FOR REPLACING THE CARPOMETIC CARPAL JOINT OF THE HUMAN THUMB
EP0808619B1 (en) Elbow joint endroprosthesis
DE2550704C2 (en) Knee joint endoprosthesis
EP0691830B1 (en) Artificial joint to replace the human patella
EP1250898A1 (en) Intervertebral disc prosthesis system
DE69125375T2 (en) JOINT PROSTHESIS
DE3415022A1 (en) CONTINUOUS VARIABLE CONTACT LENS
DE69425015T2 (en) Femoral component for a hip prosthesis
DE102007037154A1 (en) Artificial joint and a joint part intended for this use
EP1475057A1 (en) Joint ball head
EP0969781B1 (en) Artificial condyle for the human hip joint
DE69108668T2 (en) Ball joint prosthesis.
DE3605776A1 (en) PROSTHESIS FOR THE JOINTS OF THE HUMAN BODY, WHOSE SITTING IN THE JOINT GAP cartilage discs (DISCUS)
EP2552358B1 (en) Knee joint with four-joint function and hinge continuation
DE102004016032A1 (en) Artificial intervertebral disc
DE102019116417A1 (en) Orthosis with a joint device and joint device that simulates a bicondylar joint
DE10213063B4 (en) Artificial joint
EP1970030B1 (en) Joint
DE10343889B3 (en) Artificial joint for replacing a human hip joint has functional surfaces which move relative to a joint shell and joint head in different positions to individually fit the patient

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
PUAI Public reference made under article 153(3) epc to a published international application that has entered the european phase

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009012

17P Request for examination filed

Effective date: 19990512

AK Designated contracting states

Kind code of ref document: A1

Designated state(s): CH DE FR GB LI

RAP1 Party data changed (applicant data changed or rights of an application transferred)

Owner name: HJS GELENK SYSTEM GMBH

17Q First examination report despatched

Effective date: 20030203

STAA Information on the status of an ep patent application or granted ep patent

Free format text: STATUS: THE APPLICATION HAS BEEN REFUSED

18R Application refused

Effective date: 20080208