Patent ID: 7976580

Claim:
A first carpometacarpal ball and socket joint implant for implantation in a patient's wrist following removal of a trapezium from the wrist, including: a proximal component having a joint portion, a trapezoid-engaging fixation portion, and a skid, wherein the joint portion includes one of a ball-shaped member having a convex surface and a socket-shaped member having a concave surface, the one of the convex surface of the ball-shaped member and the concave surface of the socket-shaped member of the joint portion extending from the fixation portion at an angle offset from a longitudinal axis of the fixation portion and the fixation portion adapted to penetrate and be fixedly mounted to one or more elements of a patient's distal carpal row including at least a trapezoid to locate and support the joint portion in a fixed cantilevered position with respect to the one or more elements of the patient's distal carpal row in a space previously occupied by the trapezium with the one of the convex surface of the ball-shaped member and the concave surface of the socket-shaped member configured to be aligned with a longitudinal axis of a patient's thumb metacarpal, wherein the skid on the joint portion of the proximal component is configured for movably engaging a patient's scaphoid bone; and a distal component having a joint portion movably mounted to the joint portion of the proximal component, and a metacarpal-engaging fixation portion for attachment to the patient's thumb metacarpal, wherein the joint portion of the distal component includes the other of the ball-shaped member and the socket-shaped member.