the stem 10 shown in fig1 is available in a number of different sizes to match the size to which the medullary canal 12 has been reamed or broached . the shaft of the stem 14 is designed to contact the previously reamed or broached medullary canal 12 and extend into the remaining humerus to prevent any undesired movement of the stem 10 . the stem 10 may be prevented from rotating by the use of fins 16 located at the neck of the stem 10 . these fins 16 are wedged into the proximal position of the humerus to prevent any undesired movement of the stem 10 and offer some additional support to the face 18 of the stem 10 . the face 18 of the stem 10 fits onto the previously prepared face of the humerus 20 , and is designed so that the angle of the face 18 is roughly equal to that of the anatomic neck of the humerus . coassigned u . s . patent application ser . no . 08 / 946 , 758 , filed oct . 8 , 1997 , and pct international patent application no . us97 / 18207 , filed oct . 8 , 1997 , both by michel mansat et al disclose a shoulder prosthesis with fins , and are incorporated herein by reference . the humeral head 22 is designed to articulate with the scapula or glenoid prosthesis ( not shown ). the head 22 replaces the articulating surface of the humerus and is largely hemispherical in shape . a variety of sizes of head 22 are provided to complement the patient &# 39 ; s scapula or glenoid prosthesis . the articulating surface of the head 22 is highly polished to reduce friction , hence wear , on the scapula or glenoid prosthesis . based on proximal humeral morphology , the humeral head center of the preferred embodiment is generally medialized and offset posteriorly from the humeral canal . in fact , there is about a 3 mm posterior offset in an average individual . in order to provide optimal proximal humeral bone coverage , it is useful to provide the surgeon with the option of using an eccentric head 200 , shown in fig1 . as with a traditional humeral head , eccentric humeral head 200 is also designed to articulate with the scapula or glenoid process . however , instead of having a centered mating portion , head 200 according to the preferred embodiment has an eccentric mating portion 202 . eccentric mating portion 202 is not coaxial with the head , i . e ., it is offset from the center of the humeral head articular radius . this eccentricity helps to align the proximal humeral stem with the glenoid , providing a shift in the normal anatomy . eccentric humeral head 200 is shown as having a female taper that is offset from the center of the humeral head articular radius . it should be understood , however , that mating portion 202 may be any connecting structure , such as a male mating portion , a tapered mating portion ( whether or not male ), and the like . the essence of the invention is that the humeral head itself displays eccentricity . this eccentricity may range from 1 mm to 5 mm . if eccentric head 200 is used in conjunction with an intermediate connecting member , it allows the surgeon to achieve more options to fit various patient geometries . the variation in patient anatomy , inclination angle , retroversion , and posterior offset of the humeral head necessitate the need for a multitude of intra - operative adjustments . eccentric head 200 allows the surgeon during surgery to adjust for inclination , retroversion , and / or eccentricity . during intra - operative trialing , which the surgeon performs in order to place the correct amount of tension on the soft tissue and supporting tendons , the proper humeral head size ( height and diameter ) is initially selected . the eccentric humeral head 200 enables the surgeon to adjust the humeral head prosthesis in order properly to position the humeral head in an optimum position with respect to the glenoid articular surface , as well as with respect to the tuberosity attachment site . the ability to adjust the eccentricity in the plane of the selected inclination angle along with the ability to adjust retroversion is a distinct advantage in achieving optimal joint balancing and increased range of motion . for example , if the surgeon wishes to vary the inclination angle or provide an offset of the head with respect to the stem , use of an intermediate connecting member , described below , can help achieve this configuration . however , if the surgeon wishes to alter the retroversion angle of the center of the head with respect to the glenoid , the use of eccentric head 200 helps achieve this configuration . an eccentric head used in conjunction with an intermediate stem member allows the surgeon to vary inclination , retroversion , eccentricity and offset , providing the surgeon with an increased range of usability and possibilities to fit various patient features or irregularities . of course , eccentric head 200 may be employed with or without an intermediate connecting member . in other words , the eccentric head described herein may be used coupled directly to the humeral stem . it may also be used in conjunction with an intermediate connecting member that has an offset , that provides an angle , or a combination of both or neither . additionally , eccentric head 200 may be used as an actual implant or as part of a trialing system or method . an exemplary trialing method is described in copending provisional application u . s . ser . no . 60 / 201 , 503 to hartdegen filed may 3 , 2000 , incorporated herein by reference . in a further embodiment , as shown in fig1 , eccentric head 200 has a female mating portion and trench 204 or groove defining mating portion 202 . trench 204 is any groove , indentation , or removed portion that may be milled , molded or otherwise formed . it is located circumferentially around and substantially surrounds or otherwise defines mating portion 202 . trench 204 may extend the entire circumference of the inside of the humeral head , or it may be divided by distraction slots 206 as shown in fig1 and 18 . trench 204 preferably extends to the edge of the modular humeral head . trench 204 may be any depth , but preferably extends to the bottom of the taper , approximately ten millimeters , though it is possible to provide a shallower trench 204 . it is preferred that trench 204 extend to the depth at which the head and stem engage when in use . put another way , trench 204 should extend to the depth where modular humeral head fully cooperates with the end of intermediate connecting member or stem when in use . providing a trench 204 on eccentric head 200 imparts a number of advantages . it provides increased distraction forces , so that when the surgeon impacts the head on the stem , the head provides superior locking forces with respect to the stem taper or intermediate connecting portion . it should be noted that trench 204 may achieve the described advantages if provided on either eccentric head 200 or on a traditional humeral head . it should also be noted that any head having a trench 204 may be used with or without an intermediate connecting member . for purposes of this document , reference to head 22 also includes a reference to eccentric head 200 , a head with a trench 204 ( whether traditional or eccentric ), or both . in use , it is believed that trench 204 allows the female taper to expand , creating hoop stress , which are tensile stresses along circumference of taper / lock interface . the increased tensile stresses help hold the two tapers together and thereby increase distraction forces between the two mating surfaces . without limitation to any theory , it is believed that the trench 204 allows taper to receive and seat further the portion with which it connects ( whether it be the connecting surface of intermediate connecting member or the stem ). as the taper expands , the portion with which it connects can seat even further and deeper into the taper , providing increased locking forces . to the contrary , a solid head not having trench 204 does not provide this benefit because there is no room for the taper to expand . trench 204 on head 200 strengthens the attachment of the head to a corresponding component . currently , other device manufacturers offer only eccentric heads . however , consideration must be given to the locking device when the center line of the morse tapers are not co - axial . the ability of the eccentric head to provide a substantial lock with respect to the stem taper or intermediate member has not been considered in current designs . this invention provides , in preferred embodiments , a superior locking means by the presence of a trench 204 , which provides an increase in taper locking strength . the addition of the trench 204 provides the opportunity to provide up to at least 5 mm of eccentricity , an option that no other system currently provides . because of the increased distraction forces that are required to remove the head from the stem , eccentric head 200 is shown having distraction slots 206 . distraction slots 206 provide an opening , which allows the surgeon to use an osteotome or other instrument to apply a lever - type motion to more easily remove the head from the stem . an intermediate connecting member 24 as shown in fig1 has first and second male tapers 26 and 28 of the “ morse taper ” type . once pushed together two morse taper parts tend to stay together . the first taper 26 is designed to connect with the stem 10 and the second taper 28 with the head 22 . the tapers 26 and 28 are aligned in generally opposite directions for mating with a female taper 30 of the stem 10 and a female taper 32 of the head 22 . the first male taper 26 may also be held onto the female taper 30 of the stem 10 by means of a locking screw 34 , which fits into a counter - bored hole 36 in the intermediate connecting member 24 . the axis of this counter - bored hole 36 is aligned along the central axis of the taper 26 and the screw fits into this counter - bored hole 36 and locates into a threaded hole 38 in the stem 10 . the male tapers 26 , 28 of the intermediate connecting member 24 can be securely connected with the respective female tapers 30 , 32 of the stem 10 and head 22 , which are also of the morse taper type and match the tapers of the intermediate connecting member 24 by applying an external force , to form an interference fit between the mating tapers 24 and 30 , and 26 and 32 , as shown in fig2 . the first and second male tapers 26 and 28 constitute one embodiment of the first and second connecting surfaces of the intermediate connecting member 24 . alternatives include other connecting or mating parts that define the relative orientation and position of the head 22 and the intermediate connecting member 24 or the stem 10 and the intermediate connecting member 24 . for example , the first and / or second male tapers 26 and 28 could be replaced by female tapers ( not shown ) and the female tapers 30 and 32 of the stem 10 and / or head 22 replaced by male tapers ( not shown ). there can be a large variety in the shape , size and orientation of human humeral bones and therefore it is desirable to tailor the humeral prosthesis to suit each individual case . the various designs of intermediate connecting members of the present invention provide a considerable range of different head positions and orientations relative to the humeral stem that can be selected and connected inter - operatively . the position of the head 22 can be varied by using different intermediate connecting members 24 as are appropriate in each individual case . various designs of intermediate connecting members 24 a — a are illustrated in fig3 to 7 . in each of these cases the intermediate connecting member 24 a – e has the same elements and is joined to the stem 10 and head 22 as described above . one configuration of an intermediate connecting member 24 a is illustrated in fig3 . in this configuration , the first male taper 40 and the second male taper 42 are axially aligned with minimum separation or “ neck length ” 44 between them . the design of this intermediate connecting member 24 a matches the anatomical design of some patients &# 39 ; original humerus . for other patients , a larger separation between the head 22 of the humeral prosthesis and a fixed point on the stem 10 is more appropriate . to meet this requirement , the intermediate connecting member 24 b of fig4 is used . in this design , a portion of the intermediate connecting member 24 b between the two tapers 50 and 52 is available in a number of incrementally different sizes to allow the surgeon to select the appropriate separation or “ neck length ” 54 between the tapers 50 and 52 , and hence the separation between the head 22 and stem 10 of the prosthesis . the anterior or posterior offset can be simulated using the design of intermediate connecting member 24 c as shown in fig5 to mimic offsets 66 that can naturally occur in the humerus . in this design , the central axes of the first and second male tapers 60 and 62 are parallel and offset from one another as illustrated at 66 . the second male taper 62 is counter - bored at an off - center position ( e . g ., compare bore 68 or fig5 with bores 48 and 58 of fig3 and 4 ). this allows the head 22 to be attached on a parallel but not coincident axis to the first male taper 60 , and thus to the female taper 30 of the stem 10 . again , this design is available in a number of incrementally different offsets 66 so the surgeon can select the most appropriate intermediate connecting member 24 c for each individual patient inter - operatively . the angle of inclination α of the humeral head relative to the axis of the humeral stem can vary from patient to patient . the intermediate connecting member 24 d can simulate this orientation . the design shown in fig6 comprises a portion of the intermediate connecting member 24 d that has a generally wedge shaped design . the surgeon will be able to select the wedge - shaped intermediate connecting member 24 d from a range of intermediate connecting members 24 d having incremental difference in the inclination angle a as shown in fig6 , to best fit each individual patient . due to the wedge - shape , the central axes of the first and second male tapers 70 and 72 of this design are offset from parallel by an angle equal to the inclination angle α . any of the features of intermediate connecting members 24 a – d illustrated in fig1 to 6 can be combined to provide the desired variation in neck length 44 , 54 , 84 anterior or posterior offset 66 , 86 or angular inclination a to best suit each individual patient &# 39 ; s anatomy . fig7 shows an intermediate connecting member 24 e that includes a combination of the angular inclination α as described in fig6 , the anterior / posterior offset 86 as depicted in fig5 , and the taper separation 84 as illustrated in fig4 . in the above embodiments , the male members of the two connecting surfaces are provided by the intermediate connecting member 24 a – e . in an alternative embodiment one or both of the two connecting surfaces provided by the intermediate connecting member may comprise female portions . for example , fig8 illustrates a second embodiment of the modular humeral prosthesis 100 of the invention similar in many respects to the first embodiment shown in fig1 . differences include the provision of a male tapered connecting portion 102 on the stem 104 , and a female tapered connecting portion 106 on the intermediate connecting member 108 . male connecting portion 102 and female connecting portion 106 are designed for substantially self - locking mating , and preferably have a circular cross section the self - locking function may be accomplished by providing a “ morse taper ” on the male and female connecting portions 102 and 106 . the female connecting portion 106 constitutes a second embodiment of the first connecting surface of the intermediate connecting member 108 . optionally , a fastener 110 may be inserted through a bore 112 through the intermediate connecting member 108 and into engagement with a bore 114 in the stem 104 to further secure the female connecting portion 106 of the intermediate connecting member 108 on the stem 104 . t fastener 110 and the bore 114 are provided with interlocking threads . as an alternative embodiment , the male and female connecting portion 102 and 106 could be provided with a non - self - locking configuration ; in which case the fastener 110 or another locking mechanism would take on a greater importance . as is the case with the first embodiment , the head 114 of the second embodiment is provided with a female connecting portion 116 , and the second connecting surfaces of the intermediate connecting member 108 comprises a male connecting portion 118 . the female and male connecting portions 116 and 118 are also preferably provided with a self - locking tapered configuration , i . e ., a morse taper . fig9 – 13 illustrate various intermediate connecting members 108 a — a for use in the prosthesis 100 . fig9 and 10 illustrate two intermediate connecting members 108 a and 108 b providing two different separations 120 and 122 . in this respect , intermediate connecting member 108 a is similar to intermediate connecting member 24 a of the first embodiment ( fig3 ) due to the minimal separation 120 or 44 , and intermediate connecting member 108 b is similar to intermediate connecting member 24 b of the first embodiment ( fig4 ) due to the greater separation 122 or 54 . both intermediate connecting member 108 a and 108 b show a zero inclination angle and a zero offset . fig1 illustrates another intermediate connecting member 108 c having , like member 108 a , minimal separation . intermediate connecting member 108 c , however , has a non - zero offset 124 . this non - zero offset 124 is accomplished by displacing or offsetting the central axis or axis of rotation of the female locking portion 126 relative to the central axis of axis of rotation of the male locking portion 128 by the offset 124 . in this respect , the intermediate connecting member 108 c is similar to the intermediate connecting member 24 c of the first embodiment ( fig5 ). fig1 illustrates yet another intermediate connecting member 108 d having , like member 108 a , minimal separation and zero offset . intermediate connecting member 108 d , however , has a non - zero inclination angle α . inclination angle α is similar in function and preferred magnitude to the inclination angle α discussed with respect to the first embodiment ( e . g ., fig6 ). fig1 illustrates an intermediate connecting member 108 e having a non - zero separation 130 , a non - zero offset 132 and a non - zero inclination angle α . in this respect , intermediate connecting member 108 e is similar to intermediate connecting member 24 e of the first embodiment ( fig7 ). fig1 – 16 are various intermediate connecting members corresponding to fig1 – 13 , but showing the tapered locking portions in more detail . one consequence of the design of the second embodiment of the prosthesis is that the male connecting portion 118 may have a length extending into the intermediate connecting member , e . g ., 108 a , a distance sufficient that it is received both in the intermediate connecting member 108 a and the void defined by the female connecting portion 116 of the head 114 . this is accomplished without any direct engagement between the male connecting portion 118 of the stem 104 and the female connecting portion 116 of the head 114 . other embodiments , which are not illustrated in the drawing , include ( 1 ) the first connecting surfaces comprising a male connecting portion and the second connecting surfaces to comprising a female connecting portion , and ( 2 ) both the first and second connecting surfaces comprising female portions . in summary , at least one advantage of providing an eccentric humeral head along with an intermediate connecting member having an angulation and / or inclination is that although the intermediate connecting member can change the medial offset ( offset from glenoid to humeral canal ), the eccentric head helps align the humeral head with the glenoid ( to account for natural offset in anatomy .) in other words , even though the intermediate connecting member can change the retroversion angle , the humeral head may still not be in center of glenoid . the eccentric head helps provide this alignment . put another way , the intermediate connecting member provides the ability to adjust the inclination angle and retroversion angle . the addition of eccentric head 200 provides the surgeon with ability to adjust for the posterior offset ( i . e ., eccentricity ) of the humeral head in the plane of the adjusted humeral head . as various changes could be made in the above constructions and methods without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the claims , it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense .
a modular humeral prosthesis for replacement of the humeral head of a humerus . the prosthesis generally comprises a stem to be fitted to a resected humerus ; a head sized and configured to approximate the humeral head ; and an intermediate connecting member for connecting the stem to the head . the intermediate connecting member provides a desired angle of inclination or offset between stem and head . the head may be a traditional humeral head , or it may be an eccentric humeral head , with its mating portion being offset . the head may also comprise a groove or milled trench at least partially surrounding or otherwise defining mating portion . also disclosed is a modular humeral prosthesis kit comprising a variety of different intermediate connecting members that may be selected to tit the prosthesis to the patient , and a method of replacing a humeral head in a patient .