Intracorporeal Component for a Percutaneous Device

Abstract

An intracorporeal portion of a percutaneous device for a joint disarticulation prosthesis or joint replacement prosthesis, the intracorporeal portion having an extracorporeal portion or having means for rigidly coupling directly to an extracorporeal portion, the extracorporeal portion being for location exterior to the skin, the intracorporeal portion having an articulating component for articulating with an articulating surface, wherein the articulating component is intracorporeal when installed in a human or animal subject.

1 - 40 . (canceled) 
     
     
         41 . An intracorporeal portion of a percutaneous device, the intracorporeal portion having an articulating component for articulating with an articulating surface, wherein the articulating component is intracorporeal when installed in a subject. 
     
     
         42 . An intracorporeal portion according to  claim 41 , wherein the articulating component is integral with or rigidly coupled to the intracorporeal portion of the percutaneous device in use. 
     
     
         43 . An intracorporeal portion according to  claim 41 , wherein the articulating component comprises a ball component and the device articulates with an articulating surface of a ball and socket joint, when implanted. 
     
     
         44 . An intracorporeal portion according to  claim 41  wherein the articulating component articulates with an articulating surface of a hinge joint when implanted. 
     
     
         45 . An intracorporeal portion according to  claim 41 , wherein the intracorporeal portion comprises a proximal end and a distal end, the articulating component being located at the proximal end of the intracorporeal portion when installed in a subject. 
     
     
         46 . An intracorporeal portion according to  claim 41 , wherein the articulating component articulates with a natural articulating surface of a subject's joint in use. 
     
     
         47 . An intracorporeal portion according to  claim 46 , wherein the articulating surface is a hip socket or a shoulder socket of a subject, or is a prosthetic bearing surface installed in a hip socket or shoulder socket of a subject in use. 
     
     
         48 . An intracorporeal portion according to  claim 45 , wherein the articulating surface is a condylar surface of a subject's knee joint and the articulating component is a corresponding tibial hinge component for articulating with the condylar surface. 
     
     
         49 . An intracorporeal portion according to  claim 46 , wherein the articulating surface is a condylar surface of a subject's knee joint and the articulating component is a corresponding tibial hinge component for articulating with the condylar surface. 
     
     
         50 . An intracorporeal portion according to  claim 41 , wherein the articulating component articulates with a prosthetic articulating surface in use. 
     
     
         51 . An intracorporeal portion according to  claim 50 , wherein articulating surface is a prosthetic articulating surface of an endoprosthesis. 
     
     
         52 . An intracorporeal portion according to  claim 50 , wherein the articulating component comprises a socket component, the socket component articulating with a ball component of a bone anchored endoprosthesis in use. 
     
     
         53 . An intracorporeal portion according to  claim 51 , wherein the articulating component comprises a socket component, the socket component articulating with a ball component of a bone anchored endoprosthesis in use. 
     
     
         54 . An intracorporeal portion according to  claim 50 , wherein the articulating component comprises a tibial component for articulating with a femoral hinge component of a knee endoprosthesis. 
     
     
         55 . An intracorporeal portion according to  claim 51 , wherein the articulating component comprises a tibial component for articulating with a femoral hinge component of a knee endoprosthesis. 
     
     
         56 . A kit for a joint prosthesis, the kit comprising an intracorporeal portion according to  claim 50  and an endoprosthesis having an articulating surface for articulating with the articulating component. 
     
     
         57 . A kit for a shoulder or hip joint disarticulation prosthesis, the kit comprising an intracorporeal portion according to  claim 50  and an endoprosthesis having a ball component and a bone anchoring component for rigidly attaching the endoprosthesis to bone in use. 
     
     
         58 . A kit according to  claim 57 , wherein the endoprosthesis has a body portion for mounting into bone, the body portion having a substantially frustoconical taper with an integral screw formation extending terminally therefrom whereby when the endoprosthesis is fixed in place to bone by the screw formation, the taper of the body assists in stabilising the endoprosthesis. 
     
     
         59 . An intracorporeal portion according to  claim 41 , wherein the articulating component is a ball component. 
     
     
         60 . An intracorporeal portion according to  claim 59 , wherein the ball component is substantially spherical. 
     
     
         61 . A kit comprising an intracorporeal portion according to  claim 41 , the kit further comprising an extracorporeal component for location exterior to the skin, the extracorporeal component being integral with or coupled to the intracorporeal portion in use. 
     
     
         62 . A joint prosthesis including an intracorporeal portion device according  claim 41 . 
     
     
         63 . A method of installing in a subject an intracorporeal portion for a joint prosthesis as claimed in  claim 41 , the method comprising the steps of
 (i) implanting the intracorporeal portion under the skin;   (ii) coupling the articulating component with the articulating surface such that the articulating component can articulate with the articulating surface in use.