Ceramic-ceramic articulation surface implants
View Patent ↗An implantable articulating bone prosthesis (e.g., hip or joint prosthesis) is provided, which includes a pair of articulation components respectively defining a pair of articulation surfaces movably engageable with each other. Each of the articulation surfaces is formed from a biocompatible ceramic (e.g., doped silicon nitride ceramic) having a flexural strength greater than about 700 Mega-Pascal (MPa) and a toughness greater than about 7 Mega-Pascal root meter (MPam 0.5 ).
1. A joint prosthesis for articulation, comprising:
a first component having an articulation surface formed from a biocompatible ceramic comprising doped silicon nitride and having a flexural strength greater than about 700 Mega-Pascal (MPa) and a toughness greater than about 7 Mega-Pascal root meter (MPam 0.5 ); and
a second component having an articulation surface formed from a biocompatible ceramic comprising doped silicon nitride and having a flexural strength greater than about 700 Mega-Pascal (MPa) and a toughness greater than about 7 Mega-Pascal root meter (MPam 0.5 ).
2. The prosthesis of claim 1 wherein said doped silicon nitride further includes dopants including yttrium oxide and alumina.
3. The joint prosthesis of claim 1 wherein said joint prosthesis is shaped as a hip prosthesis.
4. The joint prosthesis of claim 1 wherein said first component has a generally concave articulation surface shaped as a hip joint acetabular cup prosthesis, and wherein said second component has a generally convex articulation surface shaped as a hip joint femoral head prosthesis.
5. A hip joint prosthesis, comprising:
an acetabular cup having a generally concave articulation surface formed from a biocompatible ceramic comprising dosed silicon nitride and having a flexural strength greater than about 700 Mega-Pascal (MPa) and a toughness greater than about 7 Mega-Pascal root meter (MPam 0.5 ); and
a femoral head having a generally convex articulation surface formed from a biocompatible ceramic comprising doped silicon nitride and having a flexural strength greater than about 700 Mega-Pascal (MPa) and a toughness greater than about 7 Mega-Pascal root meter (MPam 0.5 ).
6. The hip joint prosthesis of claim 5 wherein said doped silicon nitride further includes dopants including yttrium oxide and alumina.
7. An implantable articulating bone prosthesis, comprising:
a pair of articulation components respectively defining a pair of articulation surfaces movably engageable with each other, wherein each of said articulation surfaces comprises a biocompatible ceramic comprising doped silicon nitride and having a flexural strength greater than about 700 Mega-Pascal (MPa) and a toughness greater than about 7 Mega-Pascal root meter (MPam 0.5 ).
8. The implantable articulating bone prosthesis of claim 7 wherein said doped silicon nitride further includes dopants including yttrium oxide and alumina.
9. The implantable articulating bone prosthesis of claim 7 wherein said pair of articulation surfaces respectively define a generally concave and a generally convex geometry.
10. The joint prosthesis of claim 1 wherein said doped silicon nitride does not include strontium oxide.
11. The hip joint prosthesis of claim 5 wherein said doped silicon nitride does not include strontium oxide.
12. The prosthesis of claim 7 wherein said doped silicon nitride does not include strontium oxide.