| abstract |
Joint prosthesis for implantation in a human or animal body comprises a joint member for mounting to a bone. Flexible tension transmitting wires are connected at their one ends to the joint member at a first location thereon, the ends of the wires being anchored in the bone at a location therein normally subjected to tensile forces. A compression transmitting member has one end portion coupled to the joint member at a second location thereon different from the first location and its opposite end portion is anchored in said bone at a location therein normally subjected to compression forces. The coupling to the compression transmitting member is such that only compressive forces are coupled to that member from the joint member. The components of the prosthesis are arranged to emulate as closely as possible the natural bone structure so that the forces exerted on the remaining bone approximate those applied to the normal bone. |