Femoral adjustment device and associated method

• US 20070233140A1
• Filed: 02/27/2006
• Published: 10/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Biomet Manufacturing, LLC (Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Biomet Manufacturing, LLC (Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Metzger, Robert, Serban, Radu, Donaldson, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 7,780,672 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/88
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/155 Cutting femur
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1764 for the knee

Abstract

A femoral adjustment device to balance a flexion gap. The device includes a body attachable to a distal femur, the body having a cutting guide and an adjustment mechanism operable to balance the flexion gap, wherein upon balancing the flexion gap, the cutting guide is operable to guide at least one cut in the distal femur.

Claims

1. A femoral adjustment device to balance a flexion gap, the device comprising:

a body attachable to a distal femur, the body having,

a cutting guide; and

an adjustment mechanism operable to balance the flexion gap, wherein upon balancing the flexion gap, the cutting guide is operable to guide at least one cut in the distal femur.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the adjustment mechanism has two degrees of freedom of adjustment.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the adjustment mechanism comprises:

a linear adjustment mechanism operable to adjust a linear displacement of the cutting guide relative to the distal femur; and

a rotational adjustment mechanism operable to adjust a rotational displacement of the cutting guide relative to the distal femur.

4. The device of claim 1, further including an anterior-posterior sizing stylus.

5. The device of claim 3, wherein the linear adjustment mechanism includes a linear actuator for incrementally displacing the cutting guide relative to the body in an antero-posterior direction defined by the linear displacement.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the linear actuator includes a knob threadably coupled to a post attached to the cutting member such that rotating the knob causes linear displacement of the cutting guide relative to the body.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the rotational adjustment mechanism comprises a rotational member pivotably coupled to the body at a first end and releasably coupled to the body at a second end for permitting relative rotation between the body and the rotational member.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the rotational member comprises at least one bone fastener for attaching the device to the distal femur.

9. The device of claim 7, further comprising a lever movable from a first position that prevents rotation of the rotational member to a second position that permits rotation of the rotational member.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the cutting member is defined in a first cutting member movably coupled to the body.

11. The device of claim 10, further comprising a second cutting member for selective placement in relation to the distal femur of left and right knees.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the two cutting members are connected for simultaneous linear motion relative to the body on opposite sides of the body.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the cutting guide is a slot or an edge.

21. The method of claim 13, further comprising performing a posterior cut.

14. A method for balancing a flexion gap in a knee procedure, the method comprising:

attaching a cutting guide to a distal femur;

adjusting the cutting guide selectively in at least of one of;

a linear adjustment in an antero-posterior direction relative to a distal femur; and

a rotational adjustment relative to the distal femur,

until the flexion gap is balanced; and

guiding a cut.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

inserting a spacer block in the flexion gap; and

measuring the flexion gap.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising matching the flexion gap to an extension gap.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising sizing the distal femur.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising selecting a cutting guide corresponding to the right or left distal femur.

19. The method of claim 14, adjusting the cutting guide in rotational adjustment comprises permitting relative rotation between the cutting guide and a rotational member.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising affixing the rotational member to the distal femur by at least one bone fastener.

22. A method for balancing a flexion gap in a knee procedure, the method comprising:

flexing the knee;

attaching a cutting block device to a distal femur;

balancing the flexion gap using the cutting block device; and

guiding a cut with the cutting block device.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein balancing the flexion gap comprises adjusting the cutting block device in two-degrees-of-freedom.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein adjusting the cutting block device in two-degrees-of-freedom comprises performing a linear adjustment and a rotational adjustment.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the linear adjustment comprises a linear displacement of at least one cutting guide in the antero-posterior direction.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the rotational adjustment comprises a rotation of the cutting guide relative to a longitudinal axis of the distal femur.

27. The method of claim 22, further comprising measuring the flexion gap.

28. The method of claim 22, further comprising inserting a spacer block in the flexion gap.

29. The method of claim 22, further comprising matching the flexion gap to an extension gap.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising sizing the distal femur with the cutting block device.

31. A femoral adjustment system to balance a flexion gap, the system comprising:

a body attachable to a distal femur, the body having,

a drilling guide; and

an adjustment mechanism operable to balance the flexion gap, wherein upon balancing the flexion gap, the drilling guide is operable to guide drilling at least one hole in the distal femur; and

a spacer block positioned in the flexion gap.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the adjustment mechanism has two degrees of freedom of adjustment.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the adjustment mechanism comprises:

a linear adjustment mechanism operable to adjust a linear displacement of the drilling guide relative to the distal femur; and

a rotational adjustment mechanism operable to adjust a rotational displacement of the drilling guide relative to the distal femur.

34. The system of claim 31, further including an anterior-posterior sizing stylus.

35. The system of claim 31, wherein the spacer block is stepped.