Patent ID: 7219555

Claim:
An apparatus for testing components of a joint replacement device in desired articulation relative to one another under a load, comprising: a first unit operable to impart undulating orientations to a first member of the joint replacement device; the first unit including: (i) a base operable for rotational movement about a first longitudinal axis and having a slanted plane with respect to a first plane substantially perpendicular to the first longitudinal axis, and (ii) an undulating platform to which the first member of the joint replacement device is to be coupled, the undulating platform being rotationally coupled to the base about a second longitudinal axis and oriented in a second plane that is substantially perpendicular to the second longitudinal axis and that is substantially parallel to the slanted plane of the base such that rotational movement of the base about the first longitudinal axis causes the orientations of the second longitudinal axis of the undulating platform to sweep through a frustoconical path and effects undulating orientations of the slanted plane and corresponding undulating orientations of the undulating platform by way of the rotational coupling between the undulating platform and the base; and a second unit operable to locate a second member of the joint replacement device proximate to the first member of the joint replacement device such that an articulation surface of the second member engages an articulation surface of the first member for articulation in response to the undulating orientations of the first member, the second unit being operable to automatically adjust the location of the second member of the joint replacement device relative to the first member for the desired articulation in response to lateral forces exerted by the first member upon the second member during the undulating orientations.