System and method for joint resurface repair
First Claim
1. A method for fabricating an implant for installation into an articular surface, said method comprising:
- mapping the contours of said articular surface; and
fabricating an implant based on said contours.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention provides tools and methods for mapping and measuring the articular surface of a joint (or of any bony surface) and for fabricating a prosthetic device based on this recorded data. In one embodiment, once the defect of the chondral surface has been identified, a guide pin is inserted arthroscopically. A fixation screw is driven into the subchondral bone in relation to a reference axis that is approximately central to the defect, the fixation device also serving to define a tangent point to the surrounding articular surface. A further cylindrical proximal extension of the screw that eventually serves as a fixation element for the surface prosthetic is concealed with a cover or plug. The depth positioning of the cover or plug establishes an origin or reference point for all future measuring, cutting, and prosthetic machining operations. A measuring tool having a static post that establishes the axial location of origin is inserted on the reference axis. By rotating the outer arm or outrigger of the measuring tool relative to the static post while also maintaining contact with the articular surface, an axial displacement or Z dimension is established relative to the origin for any point along the known radial sweep of the outrigger to determine the final geometry of the prosthetic surface which fits within the defect. Data recorded during the mapping procedure is entered into parametric engineering design software or similar algorithm to define a three dimensional surface matched to the bearing surface geometry to be implanted and reproduce the anatomic contours mapped.
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Citations
57 Claims
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1. A method for fabricating an implant for installation into an articular surface, said method comprising:
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mapping the contours of said articular surface; and
fabricating an implant based on said contours. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. A fixation element for an implant for installation into an articular or bony surface, said fixation element comprising:
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a surface to engage said fixation element into an articular or bony surface; and
a surface to engage said fixation element into an implant. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5)
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6. A method for mapping the contours of an articular surface, said method comprising:
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establishing a working axis with respect to said articular surface; and
recording, at a fixed or variable distance from said working axis, the location of a plurality of points along the articular surface with respect to said working axis.
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7. A method for mapping the contours of an articular surface, said method comprising:
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establishing a working axis with respect to said articular surface; and
recording the axial travel of an element contacting said articular surface as said element rotates about said working axis. - View Dependent Claims (8)
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9. An implant for installation into an articular surface, said implant comprising:
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a bone-contacting or bone-facing surface; and
a surface having a contour substantially matching or based on the contour of said articular surface.
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10. A method for determining the minimum thickness for an implant for installation into an articular surface, said method comprising:
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assigning a first data point as the maximum value;
comparing said maximum value to other data points; and
reassigning said maximum value for other data points that are greater than the existing maximum value.
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11. A method for replacing a portion of an articular surface of bone with an artificial implant, said method comprising:
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establishing a working axis with respect to an articular surface of bone;
measuring the location of a plurality of points on said articular surface in relation to said working axis;
removing only a portion of said articular surface, thereby creating an implant site; and
at least one step selected from the group consisting of;
(a) fabricating an artificial implant corresponding to said plurality of points and adapted for installation into said implant site;
(b) selecting from a set of artificial implants an artificial implant corresponding to said plurality of points and adapted for installation into said implant site; and
(c) installing an artificial implant corresponding to said plurality of points and adapted for installation into said implant site. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A method for replacing a portion of an articular surface of bone with an artificial implant, said method comprising:
fabricating an artificial implant for installation into only a portion of an articular surface of bone, said artificial implant corresponding to a plurality of points measured on said articular surface in relation to a working axis established with respect to said articular surface.
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25. A method for replacing a portion of an articular surface of bone with an artificial implant, said method comprising:
selecting, from a set of artificial implants of varying dimensions, an artificial implant for installation into only a portion of an articular surface of bone, said artificial implant corresponding to a plurality of points measured on said articular surface in relation to a working axis established with respect to said articular surface.
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26. A method for replacing a portion of an articular surface of bone with an artificial implant, said method comprising:
installing, into only a portion of an articular surface of bone, an artificial implant corresponding to a plurality of points measured on said articular surface in relation to a working axis established with respect to said articular surface.
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27. An artificial implant device for installation into a portion of an articular surface of bone, said implant device comprising:
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a bone-facing distal surface adapted to mate with an implant site created by excising only a portion of an articular surface of bone; and
a proximal surface having a contour substantially matching or based on the original surface contour of said excised portion of said articular surface. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. An implant device for installation into an articular surface of bone, said implant device comprising:
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a bone-facing distal surface adapted to mate with an implant site created by excising only a portion of an articular surface of bone, said distal surface comprising a fixation element having a contact surface adapted to engage said implant site; and
a proximal surface having a contour substantially matching or based on the original surface contour of said excised portion of said articular surface. - View Dependent Claims (35)
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36. A fixation element for an implant for installation through an articular surface of bone, said fixation element comprising:
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a bone-facing distal surface adapted to mate with an implant site created by excising only a portion of an articular surface of bone, said distal surface comprising a fixation element having a first contact surface adapted to engage said implant site; and
a second contact surface to engage an artificial implant having a corresponding mating element, said artificial implant having a contour substantially matching or based on the original surface contour of said excised portion of said articular surface. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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42. A device for measuring a portion of an articular surface of bone, said device comprising:
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a stationary element having a central axis;
a translating element rotatably and slidably disposed with respect to the central axis of said stationary element;
a traveling element fixedly attached to said translating element and adapted, based on the contours of said articular surface, to travel along a portion of an articular surface of bone both rotatably with respect to the central axis of said stationary element and axially along the central axis of said stationary element or along an axis parallel to the central axis of said stationary element. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49)
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50. A device for preparing a portion of an articular surface of bone to receive an implant, said device comprising:
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a shaft having a central axis; and
a blade adapted to rotate about the central axis of said shaft or about an axis parallel to the central axis of said shaft, said blade further adapted to travel along a portion of an articular surface of bone in its rotation and to cut said portion of said articular surface as said blade rotates. - View Dependent Claims (51, 52)
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53. A method for depth-positioning an implant with respect to an articular surface of bone, said method comprising:
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establishing a working axis with respect to an articular surface of bone;
installing a fixation element into said articular surface, wherein said installed fixation element has a central longitudinal axis substantially coaxial with said working axis, wherein said fixation element is adapted to mate with an extension element adapted to aid in the depthwise positioning of said fixation element with respect to said articular surface; and
mating said fixation element with said extension element. - View Dependent Claims (54, 55)
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56. A method for replacing a portion of an articular surface of bone, said method comprising:
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establishing a working axis with respect to an articular surface of bone;
measuring the location of a plurality of points on said articular surface in relation to said working axis;
removing only a portion of said articular surface, thereby creating an implant site;
at least one step selected from the group consisting of;
(a) fabricating an artificial implant comprising an integrated fixation element, said artificial implant corresponding to said plurality of points and being adapted for installation into said implant site; and
(b) selecting, from a set of artificial implants comprising integrated fixation elements, an artificial implant comprising an integrated fixation element, said artificial implant corresponding to said plurality of points and being adapted for installation into said implant site. - View Dependent Claims (57)
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Specification