Health Sciences · Robert W. Jackson Arthroscopy
A padded postal envelope, dated April of 1979, from the company Osteo AG in Selzach, Switzerland to the Toronto residence of Dr. Robert W. Jackson, contains four items representing two complete partial knee prostheses :
2025.JAC.296.1: An off-white ceramic tibial plateau with a smooth, roughly semi-circular in form, with a glossy bearing surface and a textured lower surface.
2025.JAC.296.2: A second example identical to 2025.JAC.296.1.
2025.JAC.296.3: A white plastic (likely high density polyethylene) femoral member whose bearing surface bearing corresponds to the femoral condyle. Its inner (non-bearing) surface has a complex shape that is meant to fit into slots cut into the femoral condyle. Within this portion of the implant is a slot containing a metal wire assembly that is used to locate the implant on an x-ray.
2025.JAC.296.4: A second example identical to 2025.JAC.296.3.
Accession Number: 2025.JAC.296.1-4
Alternative Name:
2025.JAC.296.1 and 2 are ceramic. 2025.JAC.296.3 and 4 are likely high density polyethylene.
The padded postal envelope includes the following information:
– A printed address tag with the address of Osteo AG (2545 Selzach, Switzerland) and the former Toronto residence of Dr. Robert W. Jackson.
– A Swiss customs label that identifies the envelopes contents in German as follows: “10 Plastikteile// ZUR PROBE// G R A T I S”
– Two Canadian registration stamps with the dates “IV//11// 1979” (likely 11 April 1979) and “10/IV/1979”
2025.JAC.296.1 and 2: Height = .5, Width = 4.5, Length = 3.2; 2025.JAC.296.3 and 4: Height = 5.4, Width = 2, Length = 2.
This artifact includes two examples of a partial knee replacement consisting of a ceramic tibial plateau and a plastic (likely HDPE) femoral component.
These items are likely prototypes of a design that did not make it to market. It is likely a sample or prototype sent from the manufacturer to the designer as part of a testing program.
All items are in excellent condition and appear to be unused.
Associated Instruments:
Manufacturer: Osteo AG. Selzach, Switzerland.
Date of Manufacture: c. 1979
This and other items related to the development of a partial knee replacement based on a MacIntosh plateau and a plastic femoral component were likely gathered by Dr. Robert W. Jackson during his time on staff at the Division of Orthopedic Surgery
The Robert W. Jackson Arthroscopy Collection was acquired by the University of Toronto from Dr. Jackson’s family on November 12th, 2020.
Robert W. Jackson, Frederick P. Dewar, David L. MacIntosh, John P. Kostuik, and Robin Black. US4034418A: Artificial knee joint. US Patent. Awarded July 12, 1977.
G. Langer and S. Blumentritt (1987). “Our Ceramic Endoprostheses Programme – Investigations and Results.” In: Vincenzini P, editor. Ceramics in clinical applications. Amsterdam, Oxford, New York, Tokyo: Elsevier, 313–9.
Günther Heimke, Stefan Leyen, and Gerd Willmann. “Knee Arthoplasty: Recently Developed Ceramics Offer New Solutions.” Biomaterials 23, no. 7 (2002).
W. Mittelmeier, S Ansorge, D Klüß, J Kircher, R Bader, Francesco Benazzo, Martin Dietrich, and Francesco Falez. “Ceramic Knee Endoprostheses: Reality or Future?” In Bioceramics and Alternative Bearings in Joint Arthroplasty, 125–31. Germany: Dietrich Steinkopff, 2007.
Historical Notes: