Patent ID: 6863691

Claim:
An ankle implant comprising a tibial component for attachment to the lower end of the patient's tibia; a bearing component of anti-friction material fixedly attached to said tibial component and extending therebelow; said bearing component having anterior and posterior end faces, opposite side faces, and a bottom face of continuous concave curvature both longitudinally between said end faces and laterally between said opposite side faces; and a talar component having an oblong periphery and a top face of continuous convex curvature substantially matching that of said bottom face of the bearing component both longitudinally and laterally to allow a full range of movement like that of a natural ankle, said talar component having attachment means for seating it on top of a patient's talus; wherein said tibial component is substantially channel-shaped, with a bottom wail shaped and dimensioned for snug reception in a surgically prepared recess in the bottom of the patient's tibia from its anterior surface to its posterior surface, and anterior and posterior end walls extending up from said bottom wall at its opposite ends for tight engagement respectively with said anterior and posterior surfaces of the patient's tibia just above said recess.