Method of repairing a knee joint

• US 20070100459A1
• Filed: 10/27/2005
• Published: 05/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Depuy Products Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Depuy Products Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Rhodes, James
• Granted Patent: US 8,216,319 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/20.190
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/30721 Accessories
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/30767 Special external or bone-contacting surface, e.g. coating for improving bone ingrowth
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/3877 Patellae or trochleae
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30604 modular
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30616 Sets comprising a plurality of prosthetic parts of different sizes or orientations
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/3093 for promoting ingrowth of bone tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/3895 unicompartimental
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2310/00023 Titanium or titanium-based alloys, e.g. Ti-Ni alloys
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2310/00029 Cobalt-based alloys, e.g. Co-Cr alloys or Vitallium
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2310/00179 Ceramics or ceramic-like structures

Abstract

A knee joint is repaired by implanting a trochlear implant component, a patellar implant component and an anti-abrasion stud. The stud has a bearing surface, a bone-facing surface and a fixation post. The fixation post is implanted in the distal femur so that the bearing surface of the stud stands above the patient'"'"'s native articular cartilage. The stud and trochlear component are implanted in close enough proximity to limit contact between the patellar component and the native articular cartilage around the trochlear component during flexion and extension of the knee joint.

Claims

1. A method of repairing a knee joint comprising:

implanting a trochlear component on the femur, the trochlear component having a distal portion;

implanting a patellar component on the patella;

providing a stud having a bearing surface, a bone-facing surface and a fixation post extending outward from the bone-facing surface

implanting the stud on the femur so that the bearing surface of the stud stands above the native articular cartilage and the fixation post extends into the bone of the femur;

wherein the stud and trochlear component are implanted in close enough proximity to limit contact between the patellar component and the native articular cartilage around the trochlear component during flexion and extension of the knee joint.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the stud is implanted adjacent to the distal end of the trochlear groove adjacent to the trochlear groove.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of implanting the trochlear component and the step of implanting the stud are performed in separate surgical procedures.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of implanting the trochlear component and the step of implanting the stud are performed in a single surgical procedure.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of implanting a uni-condylar component on one of the condyles of the distal femur, and wherein the uni-condylar component and the stud are spaced from each other.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the stud is implanted between the trochlear component and the uni-condylar component and wherein there is no contact between the stud and the trochlear component and no contact between the stud and the uni-condylar component.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the step of implanting the uni-condylar component and the step of implanting the trochlear component are performed in separate surgical procedures.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein the step of implanting the uni-condylar component, the step of implanting the trochlear component and the step of implanting the stud are performed in three separate surgical procedures.