US Patent 7297165 Joint prostheses

Joint prostheses are provided which may be used to replace, for example, knee, elbow or ankle joints. A knee prosthesis comprises a pin and a pivoting member. The pin bridges a gap between a medial condyle and lateral condyle of a femur. The pivoting member is positioned in the gap and the pin passes through the pivoting member to secure it in position and to allow it to pivot about the pin. The pin and pivoting member of the prosthesis represent a mechanically convenient system which is able to replace the function of a joint and can be positioned with less trauma to the joint whose function they replace than prostheses according to the prior art.