The BiContact Hip System with u-CaP® (prosthesis, hip, semi-constrained, metal/polymer, porous uncemented) is intended to replace a hip joint. The device is intended for: Patients suffering from severe hip pain and disability due to rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, traumatic arthritis, polyarthritis, collagen disorders, avascular necrosis of the femoral head and nonunion of previous fractures of the femur. Patients with congenital hip dysplasia, protrusion acetabuli, or slipped capital femoral eptiphysis. Patients suffering from disability due to previous fusion. Patients with acute femoral neck fractures.
Device Story
BiContact Hip System with u-CaP® is a semi-constrained, metal/polymer, porous uncemented hip prosthesis. System components include a titanium femoral stem with Plasmapore® titanium plasma spray coating and a calcium phosphate (u-CaP®) layer, and a CoCrMo femoral head. The acetabular cup is manufactured from UHMWPE. Device is intended for surgical implantation by physicians to replace a diseased or damaged hip joint. It functions as a mechanical replacement to restore joint function and alleviate pain in patients with specified orthopedic conditions. Clinical benefit is derived from the restoration of hip joint mobility and reduction of pain.
Clinical Evidence
Bench testing only. Testing performed in accordance with FDA guidance documents for orthopedic implants, including: "Draft Guidance for the Preparation of Premarket Notifications (510(k)s) Applications for Orthopedic Devices-The Basic Elements", "Guidance Document for Testing Orthopedic Implants with Modified Metallic Surfaces Apposing Bone or Bone Cement", "Guidance for Industry on the Testing of Metallic Plasma Sprayed Coatings on Orthopedic Implants", "Guidance Document for Testing Non-articulating, 'Mechanically Locked' Modular Implant Components", "Draft Guidance for Femoral Stem Prostheses", and "Draft Guidance for Calcium Phosphate (Ca-P) Coating".
Technological Characteristics
Materials: Titanium femoral stem with Plasmapore® (Ti plasma spray) and Calcium Phosphate coating; CoCrMo femoral head; UHMWPE acetabular cup. Design: Semi-constrained, porous uncemented hip prosthesis. Energy source: None (mechanical). Connectivity: None. Sterilization: Not specified.
Indications for Use
Indicated for patients requiring hip joint replacement due to severe pain/disability from rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, traumatic arthritis, polyarthritis, collagen disorders, avascular necrosis of femoral head, nonunion of femoral fractures, congenital hip dysplasia, protrusion acetabuli, slipped capital femoral epiphysis, previous fusion, or acute femoral neck fractures.
Regulatory Classification
Identification
A hip joint metal/ceramic/polymer semi-constrained cemented or nonporous uncemented prosthesis is a device intended to be implanted to replace a hip joint. This device limits translation and rotation in one or more planes via the geometry of its articulating surfaces. It has no linkage across-the-joint. The two-part femoral component consists of a femoral stem made of alloys to be fixed in the intramedullary canal of the femur by impaction with or without use of bone cement. The proximal end of the femoral stem is tapered with a surface that ensures positive locking with the spherical ceramic (aluminium oxide, A12 03 ) head of the femoral component. The acetabular component is made of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene or ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene reinforced with nonporous metal alloys, and used with or without bone cement.
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# DEC - 8 2004
Image /page/0/Picture/3 description: The image shows a handwritten string of characters, "K043079". The characters are written in a bold, somewhat messy style, with thick strokes. The numbers are easily readable, and the letter K is distinct.
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#### 510(k) SUMMARY OF SAFETY AND EFFECTIVENESS in Accordance with SMDA of 1990
## BICONTACT HIP SYSTEM with u-CAP®
November 5, 2004
- Aesculap®, Inc. COMPANY: 3773 Corporate Parkway Center Valley, PA 18034
- Kathy A. Racosky, Regulatory Affairs Associate CONTACT: 800-258-1946 (phone) 610-791-6882 (fax) kathy.racosky @ aesculap.com (email)
- TRADE NAME: BiContact
- BiContact Hip System with u-CaP® COMMON NAME:
- DEVICE CLASS: Class II
- PRODUCT CODE: 87MEH
- Orthopedic REVIEW PANEL:
#### INTENDED USE
The BiContact Hip System with u-CaP® (prosthesis, hip, semi-constrained, metal/polymer, porous uncemented) is intended to replace a hip joint.
The device is intended for:
- Patients suffering from severe hip pain and disability due to rheumatoid arthritis, . osteoarthritis, traumatic arthritis, polyarthritis, collagen disorders, avascular necrosis of the femoral head and nonunion of previous fractures of the femur.
- Patients with congenital hip dysplasia, protrusion acetabuli, or slipped capital femoral . eptiphysis
- . Patients suffering from disability due to previous fusion
- Patients with acute femoral neck fractures .
#### DEVICE DESCRIPTION
The BiContact Hip System with u-CaP® is available in one design. The femoral stem is manufactured from Ti with a Ti plasma spray coating (Plasmapore®) and a layer of Calcium Phosphate. This component is intended for uncemented use. A CoCrMo femoral head is available. The acetabular cup is manufactured solely of UHMWPE.
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043079
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### PERFORMANCE DATA
All required testing per "Draft Guidance for the Preparation of Premarket Notifications (510(k)s) Applications for Orthopedic Devices-The Basic Elements" were done where applicable. In addition, testing per the;
- "Guidance Document for Testing Orthopedic Implants with Modified Metallic Surfaces . Apposing Bone or Bone Cement",
- "Guidance for Industry on the Testing of Metallic Plasma Sprayed Coatings on Orthopedic . Implants to Support Reconsideration of Postmarket Surveillance Requirements",
- "Guidance Document for Testing Non-articulating, "Mechanically Locked" Modular Implant . Components",
- . "Draft Guidance for Femoral Stem Prostheses",
- . "Draft Guidance for Calcium Phosphate (Ca-P) Coating" was completed where applicable.
# SUBSTANTIAL EQUIVALENCE
The Aesculap BiContact Hip System with u-CaP® is essentially identical to the BiContact Hip System (K040191), Accolade-TMZF Plus HA Hip System (K023102), Taperloc Porous Femoral Stem & Ha Taperloc Porous (K020963) and the Corail (K953111).
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Image /page/2/Picture/1 description: The image shows a circular seal with the words "DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES - USA" arranged around the top half of the circle. Inside the circle is a stylized image of an eagle with its wings spread. The eagle is facing to the right.
Food and Drug Administration 9200 Corporate Boulevard Rockville MD 20850
DEC - 8 2004
Ms. Kathy A. Racosky Regulatory Affairs Associate Aesculap Inc 3773 Corporate Parkway Center Valley, Pennsylvania 18034
Re: K043079
Trade/Device Name: BiContact Hip System with μ-Cap Regulation Number: 21 CFR 888.3353 Regulation Name: Hip joint metal/polymer semi-constrained cemented or nonporous uncemented prosthesis Regulatory Class: II Product Code: MEH Dated: November 5, 2004 Received: November 9, 2004
Dear Ms. Racosky:
We have reviewed your Section 510(k) premarket notification of intent to market the device referenced above and have determined the device is substantially equivalent (for the indications for use stated in the enclosure) to legally marketed predicate devices marketed in interstate 10 mover ce prior to May 28, 1976, the enactment date of the Medical Device Amendments, or to devices that have been reclassified in accordance with the provisions of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (Act) that do not require approval of a premarket approval application (PMA). You may, therefore, market the device, subject to the general controls provisions of the Act. The general controls provisions of the Act include requirements for annual registration, listing of devices, good manufacturing practice, labeling, and prohibitions against misbranding and adulteration.
If your device is classified (see above) into either class II (Special Controls) or class III (PMA), it may be subject to such additional controls. Existing major regulations affecting your device can be found in the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 21, Parts 800 to 898. In addition, FDA may publish further announcements concerning your device in the Federal Register.
Please be advised that FDA's issuance of a substantial equivalence determination does not mean that FDA has made a determination that your device complies with other requirements of the Act or any Federal statutes and regulations administered by other Federal agencies. You must comply with all the Act's requirements, including, but not limited to: registration and listing (21 CFR Part 807); labeling (21 CFR Part 801); good manufacturing practice requirements as set forth in the quality systems (QS) regulation (21 CFR Part 820); and if applicable, the electronic product radiation control provisions (Sections 531-542 of the Act); 21 CFR 1000-1050.
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Page 2 – Ms. Kathy A. Racosky
This letter will allow you to begin marketing your device as described in your Section 510(k) I mis letter will and in yours ough anding of substantial equivalence of your device to a legally prematicated predicated on "The classification for your device and thus, permits your device to proceed to the market.
If you desire specific advice for your device on our labeling regulation (21 CFR Part 801), please If you desire spocific acrievier - at (240) 276-0210. Also, please note the regulation entitled, Connact the Office of Commarket notification" (21CFR Part 807.97). You may obtain Whisofanding by reference to premains on your responsibilities under the Act from the Division of Small other general international and Consumer Assistance at its toll-free number (800) 638-2041 or (301) 443-6597 or at its Internet address http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/dsma/dsmamain.html
Sincerely yours,
Mark N. Milhem
Celia M. Witten, Ph.D., M.D. Director Division of General, Restorative
and Neurological Devices Office of Device Evaluation Center for Devices and Radiological Health
Enclosure
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#### INDICATIONS FOR USE STATEMENT
510(k) Number (if known):
K043079
Device Name: BiContact Hip System with u-CaP®
#### Indication for Use:
The BiContact Hip System with u-CaP® (prosthesis, hip, semi-constrained, metal/polymer, porous uncemented) is intended to replace a hip joint.
The device is intended for:
- . Patients suffering from severe hip pain and disability due to rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, traumatic arthritis, polyarthritis, collagen disorders, avascular necrosis of the femoral head and nonunion of previous fractures of the femur.
- Patients with congenital hip dysplasia, protrusion acetabuli, or slipped capital femoral ● eptiphysis
- Patients suffering from disability due to previous fusion .
- Patients with acute femoral neck fractures .
Mark A. Mullens
(Division Sign-Off)
Prescription Use __
(per 21 CFR 801.109)
or Over-the Dissio ral, Restorative. and Neurological Devices
510(k) Number K043079
(PLEASE DO NOT WRITE BELOW THIS LINE - CONTINUE ON ANOTHER PAGE IF NEEDED) Concurrence of CDRH, Office of Device Evaluation (ODE)
Two short videos show you everything — or skip straight to the written tutorial if you'd rather read. You can reopen this any time from the Tutorial button in the top bar.
Part 1 — Search, results, and everyday workflows 16 min
Part 2 — Embeddings: the galaxy map 3 min
1. Search: exact and fuzzy
Type a phrase like "coronary artery calcification" into the search box. You get two kinds of results. Exact results match the literal phrase — prefix searches work ("coronary artery calcificati") but suffix searches do not. Fuzzy results match on the meaning and intent of your phrase rather than the exact words, and are sorted by relevance score. Hover over the Exact or Fuzzy badge on any row to see exactly why it matched.
Use the checkboxes above the results to narrow: SaMD keeps only software-only devices, AI / ML keeps only devices with AI.
Exact vs. fuzzy search: what's the difference?
Exact matches on the literal phrase (prefix search works, suffix does not). Fuzzy matches on the meaning and intent of the phrase rather than the exact words. Hover over the badge on any row to see why it matched.
You search "coronary artery calcification" and want only software devices with AI. What two filters do you apply?
Narrow by SaMD (software-only devices), then narrow by AI/ML (devices with AI).
2. The results table
Scroll right in the results table. The intended use is extracted for you — no need to open the PDF. The device story gives a high-level snapshot of what the device does and how it's used. The AI Performance sub-table shows each output name, acceptance criteria, observed values, and development/test dataset descriptions — the same format Innolitics uses for regulatory strategy outputs, and the fastest high-level fingerprint of an AI device. It is AI-generated but has been very reliable in practice.
Where do you find a device's intended use without opening the PDF?
Scroll right in the search results table. The intended use column is extracted for you; no need to dig into the 510(k) summary PDF.
What does the AI Performance sub-table show, and why is it useful?
Output name, acceptance criteria, observed values, development dataset description, and test dataset description. It's the same format we use for regulatory strategy output and Fast 510(k) input, and the fastest high-level fingerprint of an AI device. AI-generated but reliable in practice.
3. Judging fuzzy relevance
Fuzzy results trail off in relevance as you scroll. Use three signals to decide how far down to go: the fuzzy badge explanations, the intended use column, and whether your target output (e.g., Cobb angle) still appears in the AI Performance sub-table. Once it stops appearing, you're past the relevant zone. A top hit with a low score (~0.4) and a stretched explanation is a hint the closest predicates are far away — the project may be headed for De Novo. Note the fuzzy search is a pattern match: it doesn't handle negation ("not") well, and hardware devices can appear — filter by SaMD/AI ML to cut them.
How do you judge how far down fuzzy search results to go?
Use the relevancy signals: the fuzzy badge explanations, the intended use column, and whether the target output (e.g., Cobb angle) still appears in the AI Performance sub-table. Once it stops appearing, results are trailing off in relevancy.
4. Device detail page: chat and citations
Click a device name to open its detail page: device facts on the left, a chat window on the right. Ask something like "Describe the training data". The answer carries little citation bubbles — click one to jump to the highlighted passage in the source PDF, so you can verify every AI answer against the document. There's also a Download PDF button for sharing.
How do you verify an AI chat answer on the device detail page?
Click the citation bubbles to jump to the relevant highlight in the source document.
Reading rule for every project: how many summaries do you read in full?
At least the three most relevant 510(k) or De Novo summaries, in full. After that, use targeted chat questions to confirm your memory quickly. The tool supports this professional habit — it doesn't replace it.
5. Side-by-side comparison
Select multiple rows in the results table (aim for under ~10), then open the PDF Viewer tab. Ask one question — it goes to all selected devices in parallel, each with citations. This is the fastest way to compare and contrast devices: training data, PCCP scope, how they handled adding new scanners, and so on.
What does the side-by-side PDF viewer mode do?
Select multiple devices, open the PDF viewer tab, and ask one question (e.g., "Describe the training data"). It queries all selected devices simultaneously with citations, so you can compare and contrast quickly.
6. Collections
With rows selected, go to the Collections tab and create a labeled collection (e.g., "Cobb Angle Project"). Reload that selection any time — before a client call, pull up the collection and ask questions across all of its devices at once.
How do you save a set of selected devices for later use?
Select the rows, go to the Collections tab, and create a labeled collection (e.g., "Cobb Angle Project"). You can reload the selection anytime and carry it into the PDF viewer and other tabs that support selections.
7. Product codes and the regulations tree
Click a product code in the results to jump to it in the regulations tree — identification text, sibling product codes, and devices you can open in a PDF viewer on the right. Click a regulation number to see its identification, special controls, and related product codes. You can also search by product code or regulation number at the top of the tree. Always read the special controls if any exist for your device — it broadens your search and sharpens pre-kickoff research.
What can you do from the regulations tree view?
Browse product codes and regulation numbers, read the identification text and special controls, browse sibling product codes, open device PDFs on the right, and search by product code or regulation number at the top of the tree.
8. Chart view
Click Show Chart and segment by regulation number (or product code) to see which regulations dominate your result set. Clicking a regulation takes you into the regulations tree. Great for spotting that most matches are, say, hardware laparoscopic devices — a cue to go back and filter.
How do you see which regulations dominate a search result set?
Click "Show Chart" and segment by Regulation Number. Clicking a regulation takes you to the regulations tree.
9. The predicate graph
Open the Predicates tab for a family-tree view of predicate relationships. Click a node to trace its parents and children; selections from search carry over pre-selected. Commonly predicated devices are worth reading — a lot of people predicated them for a reason. The visual lineage is also handy on client calls, e.g. to show how a predicate family evolved and justify why your predicate still holds.
In the predicate graph, why are commonly predicated devices worth reading?
A lot of people predicated them for a reason. Clicking a node traces parents and children, and selections from search carry over pre-selected.
10. Embeddings: the galaxy map
The Embeddings tab plots every matching document in a 2-D "galaxy map" where semantically similar devices cluster together. Hover or click clusters to explore, and let AI label the clusters for you. Embeddings beat product codes for grouping: two devices can carry different product codes (LLZ vs. QIH) yet do the same thing — the embedding captures the meaning of the intended use and device story. This is also exactly how retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) works under the hood, and it makes a great visual on client calls.
Try it yourself
Head to the search page and work through a few of these AI/ML fuzzy searches to build intuition: perivascular fat on CT · aortic valve calcification opportunistic screening on noncontrast CT · breast cancer prediction on digital pathology slides · autism detection · gestational age prediction · a hearing aid that can also detect a pulse · foundation model based analysis of ECG · large language models · penetration test. Watch how the relevance scores, intended use, and AI Performance tables tell you when results stop being meaningful.
