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United States Patent [19] [ii] Patent Number: 5,500,018
Spotorno et al. [45] Date of Patent: Mar. 19, 1996
[54] SEALING ELEMENT IN THE FORM OF A STRAP
[75] Inventors: Lorenzo Spotorno, Finale Ligure, Italy;
Willi Fick, Wabem; Roland Willi,
Neftenbach, both of Switzerland
[73] Assignees: Protek AG, Bern, Switzerland; Sulzer Medizinaltechnik AG, Winterthur, Switzerland
[21] Appl. No.: 207,776
[22] Filed: Mar. 8, 1994
[30] Foreign Application Priority Data
Mar. 23, 1993 [EP] European Pat. Off. 93810207.6
[51] Int. CI.6 A61F 2/02; A61K 9/22
[52] U.S. CI 623/11; 623/16; 623/22;
623/66; 606/74; 606/92
[58] Field of Search 623/11, 16, 18,
623/22-23, 66; 24/16 R, 16 PB. 17 R, 17 A, 17 B, 17 AP; 606/92-94, 53, 60, 72, 73, 74
[56] References Cited
U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
H968 10/1891 Moyles .
4,119,091 10/1978 Partridge 606/74
4,997,448 3/1991 Filer.
5,061,287 10/1991 Feiler 606/92
5,147,366 9/1992 Arroyo et al 606/92
5,443,483 8/1995 Kirsch 606/74
FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS
0073604 3/1983 European Pat. Off. .
0315283 5/1989 European Pat. Off. .
0516569 12/1992 European Pat. Off. .
2662931 12/1991 France .
1430071 3/1976 United Kingdom 623/22
WO90/02284 3/1990 WIPO .
Primary Examiner—Randall L. Green
Assistant Examiner—P. Zuttarelli
Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Townsend and Townsend and
Crew
[57] ABSTRACT
A method and apparatus for introducing a shank (5) of a prosthesis into a bone cavity is disclosed. A strap 1 having an loop portion 2 and an end portion 3 is wrapped around the shank. The end portion of the strap is then clamped by a clamping device 4 to secure the strap around the shank. The bone cavity is filled with bone cement and the lower end of the shank is introduced into the bone cavity thereby forming a gap between the shank and the outer wall of the bone cavity. A strap substantially seals this gap to minimize leakage of bone cement from the bone cavity. The clamping device 4 allows the end portion of the strap to slip relative to the clamping device when a threshold force is applied against the clamping device. In this manner, the strap will conform to the increasing cross-sectional area of the elongate body of the shank as the shank is introduced into the bone cavity.
14 Claims, 4 Drawing Sheets
