Releasable Safety Mechanism for Prosthetic Implants

Prosthetic implants for amputees contain a metal post surgically implanted into the bone that protrudes through the skin. Any torsional or bending force applied to the prosthetic may fracture the bone/implant interface. This technology describes a novel safety device to prevent damage to the bone-implant interface. If an excessive bending, torsional or tensile load is applied to the prostheses, the device will release while transmitting minimal torque to the anchor.

Benefits
Current method of fixation of prostheses to osseointegrated prostheses is by direct attachment and there are no safety devices in the market that protect the implant or bone from damage. This technology can be implemented to any tibial, femoral, humeral or other osseointegrated prosthesis anchor where overload protection is needed. The safety device can be integrated into new prostheses or incorporated into conventional prostheses.
It can also be used in other applications where bending and torsional overload protections are required.

Stage of Development
A PCT patent application has been filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and is pending. This technology is part of an active and ongoing research program. It is available for developmental research support/licensing under either exclusive or non-exclusive terms.

Additional Info
*http://uuhsc.utah.edu/orthopedics/faculty/bachus.htm

Inventor(s): Roy Bloebaum, Richard Vance, Kent Bachus, Raymond Olsen, Jeremy Borchert

Type of Offer: Licensing



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