Methods and apparatus for femoral and tibial resection

• US 20020029038A1
• Filed: 03/05/2001
• Published: 03/07/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/1994
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Biomet Manufacturing, LLC (Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hudson Surgical Design, Inc.
• Inventors: Haines, Timothy G.
• Granted Patent: US 6,695,848 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/54
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/155 Cutting femur
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/157 Cutting tibia
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1675 for the knee
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1764 for the knee
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1767 for the patella
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/1602 Mills
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/3859 Femoral components

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for femoral and tibial resection are provided. The apparatus of the present invention comprises a number of components including a positioning and drill guide, a cutting guide and a cutting apparatus. The drill guide is used to create holes in the medial and lateral sides of the femur that correspond to the fixation features of the cutting guide. The cutting guide is oriented and located by inserting fixation nubs connected to the cutting guide into the medial and lateral holes in the femur. The cutting guide can then be further affixed to the femur. The cutting apparatus can then be used with the cutting guide to resect the femur. A modified cutting guide can be used to position a conventional cutting block against a femur to be resected.

Claims

1. An apparatus for resecting a femur comprising:

a drill guide for locating positioning holes on a femur;

facing pattern plates with corresponding cutting paths described therein;

a bridge interconnecting the facing pattern plates;

fixation nubs for insertion into positioning holes formed in a femur;

a cutting tool movable along the cutting path for resecting a femur.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the cutting tool traverses the cutting path.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the cutting tool is continuously moved along the cutting path.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the cutting path comprises more than two continuous, non-coplanar guide surfaces.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the cutting paths are curved.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the exterior of the pattern plates are curved for ligament balancing.

7. A method for resecting a femur comprising the steps of:

positioning a drill guide along a femur for locating positioning holes on a femur;

drilling positioning holes in a femur;

spreading apart facing pattern plates interconnected with a bridge to position the plates over medial and lateral sides of a femur;

inserting fixation nubs on the pattern plates into the positioning holes in a femur;

additionally fixing the pattern plates to a femur with fixation hardware; and

traversing a cutting tool a cutting path in the pattern plates.

9. An apparatus for resecting a femur comprising:

a drill guide for locating positioning holes on a femur;

facing pattern plates with corresponding location features described therein;

a bridge interconnecting the facing pattern means;

fixation features for insertion into positioning holes formed in a femur; and

a cutting guide engageable with said location features for positioning the cutting guide proximate to a bone to be cut, said cutting guide containing slots for guiding an oscillating saw.