Inventors:
A. Seth Greenwald - Cleveland Heights OH
Jack M. Geiger - Cleveland Heights OH
Nathaniel C. Narten - Cleveland Heights OH
Derek S. Porritt - Medina OH
Steven P. Combs - Dayton OH
John J. Brems - Lakewood OH
International Classification:
A61M 100
Abstract:
The suction lavage system of this invention incorporates a pulsatile water lavage in combination with a suction system to improve the interface between a prosthesis, such as a hip replacement, and the interdigitating network of cancellous bone in which it is secured with acrylic cement. The water lavage effectively evacuates the medullary fat and hematopoietic tissue from the trabecular interstices of cancellous bone.
The suction irrigation system comprises a probe having two configurations which assist in impinging water on cancellous bone for evacuating fat and tissue along with water to improve the interface between the bone and cement. It has been found that weakening of the interface through stress may result in loosening of a prosthesis. The probe consists of a water conduit generally located on the outside of a suction conduit. The suction opening is located below the aperture for the pulsatile jet a distance large enough to insure that the apertures are not immersed in irrigating fluid; the apertures may be displaced to the side or down, or some combination of the two.