Frank Gunston type of polycentric total knee replacement, which consists of (a) a femoral component and (b) a tibial component; the femoral component consists of a single piece of cobalt chromium alloy moulded into a flattened semicircle with a squared tab on one side and two cylindrical posts in t…
Frank Gunston type of polycentric total knee replacement, which consists of (a) a femoral component and (b) a tibial component; the femoral component consists of a single piece of cobalt chromium alloy moulded into a flattened semicircle with a squared tab on one side and two cylindrical posts in the middle; the outside front and back of the component have concentric circular grooves stamped into the metal; the outside lower edges are smooth and rounded; the tab at the side is squared with a rounded top and a threaded hole through its centre; the top of the component is flat with a semicircular curve in the centre and a cylindrical post coming up from the surface on either side; the tops of the posts have blunt points; the outside bottom of the femoral component fits into the top of the tibial component; the tibial component consists of a single length of curved polyethylene with a concave groove on the top and a squared section on the bottom; from the side, this piece is Y-shaped; there is a groove on both sides of the component between the bottom and the top; the bottom of the component has two round holes drilled into the polyethylene; there is another round hole drilled into one side of the component.
Number Of Parts
2
Part Names
a - femoral component - Size: Length 4.0 cm x Width 3.6 cm x Depth 0.9 cm
b - tibial component - Size: Length 3.2 cm x Width 1.5 cm x Depth 1.4 cm
Provenance
Research material used at the Human Mobility Research Centre.
Dates
1979
circa 1979
Material
metal: silver
polyethylene: off-white
Inscriptions
(a) One side of the femoral component has, "A // 982 - 2" etched into the metal; (b) one side of the tibial component has the letter "B" stamped into the polyethylene
Permanent Location
Storage Room 0010
0010-E2-5
Unit Of Measure
centimeters
Condition Remarks
The metal shows minor wear only; no corrosion is visible; the polyethylene shows minor wear only.
Copy Type
Original
Reference Types
Book
Person
Other
Reference Comments
Dr. Charles Sorbie; "1983 Annual Product Catalogue," by Howmedica International, 1983, p. C-20
Research Facts
Frank Gunston, the designer of this type of joint, was a Canadian; he was the first to use a cobalt chromium alloy with polyethylene for a knee prosthesis; this design of prosthesis failed because it was not robust enough.
Exhibit History
"Joint Ventures," Museum of Health Care, Nov. 19, 2001-Jan. 2013