Medullary nail and process for the production thereof

US4446857A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Schwarzkopf Development Corporation · US

Inventors

• Wolf-Dieter Otte · Volkach, DE
• Heinz Otte · Volkach, DE
• Siegfried Schider · Reutte, AT
• Otto Wiesner · Reutte, AT

Key dates

• Filing date: May 9, 1980
• Grant date: May 8, 1984
• Expiry date: May 9, 2000

Classification

• Technology area (CPC A): Human Necessities
• CPC primary: A61B17/72
• WIPO field: Medical technology
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

There is provided a medullary nail having a hollow body provided with a plurality of longitudinal concave zones (3) in the outer surface and contiguous zones of annular form (2) and having a cutter (4) at one end. The body is of tantalum, an alloy thereof containing more than 50% tantalum, niobium, or an alloy thereof containing more than 50% niobium and is provided with a female thread (1) at the end opposite the cutter (4) and is anodically oxidized and the wall thickness is approximately the same over the entire length. There is also provided a process for making the nail by rolling a sintered body of tantalum or niobium to form a sheet which is then shaped into a slotted tubular form and welded and then rolling, forging or pressing to form the concave zones (3) or making the tubular form by extruding it from sheet of sintered body material and then proceeding as above stated.