Patent ID: 7396357

Claim:
A method for positioning a prosthetic acetabulum with inner and outer surfaces in an anatomical or prosthetic cavity of a patient's hip, comprising the steps of: providing a tool having a handle for manipulating the acetabulum, the handle, including a rod and a head, the head adapted to cooperatively engage inner faces of an elastically deformable ring including a plurality of petals in an endpiece that is used to grip the inner surface of the acetabulum and which endpiece is removably secured to the distal end of the handle, the petals of the elastically deformable ring including outer surfaces adapted to wedge against the inner surface of the acetabulum and opposite inner surfaces adapted to interact said endpiece with said handle, wherein said endpiece includes a supple part and a rigid part secured to the supple part, wherein the rigid part includes structure for removably securing the rod to the endpiece and wherein said handle further includes elements for applying a first force to urge said head into cooperative engagement with said inner surfaces of said petals of the elastically deformable ring to thereby radially expand said petals of the elastically deformable ring with respect to a longitudinal axis of said endpiece wherein said elements include a threaded portion on the rod, a grip screwed on the threaded section and a movable sleeve fitted between the grip and the head; placing said endpiece in engagement with said head of said handle and said head within said acetabulum and providing said first force between said head and said endpiece so as to provoke radial elastic deformation of the petals of said elastically deformable ring to thereby grip said acetabulum by said endpiece; positioning said acetabulum in said cavity of said patient's hip; applying a second force along said handle to cause said acetabulum to seat within said cavity of said patient's hip; disengaging said head from said endpiece and releasing said first force to allow the petals of said elastically deformable ring to recover to a non-expanded configuration; and withdrawing said endpiece from the positioned acetabulum.