Patent ID: 8808390

Claim:
A bearing positioner for use with a prosthetic component, a fastener, and a bearing, the bearing having a convex surface and an oppositely facing bearing surface configured to bear against a first bone of a joint or prosthetic replacement for a portion of a first bone; the prosthetic component configured for attachment to a second bone of the joint, the prosthetic component includes a bone facing surface configured to face the second bone and a concave surface facing away from said bone facing surface and defining a cavity, said bearing positioner comprising: an external convex surface defined at a first spherical radius from a first focus and having a shape configured to be received in said cavity in multiple orientations and to bear and be secured against said concave surface of the prosthetic component when in any orientation selected from said multiple orientations; an internal concave surface defined at a second spherical radius from a second focus and defining a bearing-receiving cavity configured to receive a portion of said convex surface of the bearing therein and configured to orient said bearing surface of said bearing to bear against the first bone of the joint or the prosthetic replacement for the first bone when said external convex surface of said bearing positioner is secured in an orientation selected from said multiple orientations, wherein the second focus is offset from the first focus; a locking member configured to rotationally lock the bearing when the portion of the convex surface of the bearing is received in the bearing-receiving cavity; and a rim surface extending between and coupling said external convex surface and said internal concave surface, an elongated slot displaced from said rim and extending between and coupling said external convex surface and said internal concave surface and configured to engage the fastener having a threaded shaft configured to extend through said slot and to be received in a threaded hole in the prosthetic component.