TIBIAL INSERT HAVING A REINFORCED KEEL

• US 20070299530A1
• Filed: 06/22/2006
• Published: 12/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Depuy Products Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Depuy Products Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Rhodes, James Matthew, Lee, Jordan Soonja
• Granted Patent: US 8,163,027 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/20.32
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/389 Tibial components A61F2/3868 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/3895 unicompartimental

Abstract

A tibial insert includes a platform defining an upper bearing surface and a bottom surface. A keel of the tibial insert is coupled to the bottom surface of the platform and a rod of the tibial insert extends through a portion of the keel. A surgical method for knee arthroplasty is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A tibial insert comprising:

a platform including an upper bearing surface,

a keel extending downwardly from the platform, and

a rod spaced-apart from the platform and positioned to extend through a portion of the keel.

2. The tibial insert of claim 1, wherein the keel and the platform are made from a first material and the rod is made from a second material.

3. The tibial insert of claim 2, wherein the keel and the platform are made from a polymer and the rod is made from a metal.

4. The tibial insert of claim 1, wherein the rod is positioned along a length of the keel.

5. The tibial insert of claim 4, further comprising a second rod positioned to lie along a width of the keel.

6. The tibial insert of claim 5, wherein the first rod and the second rod intersect each other.

7. The tibial insert of claim 1, wherein the rod is positioned to lie along a width of the keel.

8. The tibial insert of claim 1, wherein a longitudinal axis of the keel and a longitudinal axis of the rod are positioned along an anterior-posterior direction.

9. The tibial insert of claim 1, wherein the keel includes an anterior face and a posterior face such that a first end of the rod is generally planar with the anterior face of the keel and a second end of the rod is positioned within the keel and is spaced-apart from the posterior face of the keel.

10. The tibial insert of claim 1, wherein the rod is solid.

11. The tibial insert of claim 1, wherein the rod is hollow and defines an outer shell and an inner passageway.

12. The tibial insert of claim 11, wherein the keel further includes interior passageways in fluid communication with the inner passageway of the rod.

13. The tibial insert of claim 12, wherein the keel further includes a channel defined in an outer surface of the keel, the channel being in fluid communication with the interior passageways of the keel.

14. The tibial insert of claim 12, wherein the rod includes apertures formed in the outer shell to provide fluid communication between the inner passageway of the rod and the interior channels of the keel.

15. A tibial insert comprising:

a platform including an upper bearing surface,

a keel extending downwardly from the platform, and

a rod positioned within at least a portion of the keel, wherein a longitudinal axis of the rod is parallel to a longitudinal axis of the keel.

16. The tibial insert of claim 15, wherein a length of the keel is greater than a length of the rod.

17. The tibial insert of claim 15, wherein a length of the keel is generally the same as a length of the rod.

18. A surgical method for knee arthroplasty comprising:

resecting at least a portion of a condyle of a patient'"'"'s tibia to create a surgically-prepared tibial surface,

positioning a tibial insert on the surgically-prepared tibial surface, and

injecting bone cement into a passageway formed through a rod positioned within the keel of the tibial insert.

19. The surgical method of claim 18, wherein injecting bone cement comprises injecting bone cement through the passageway and into a space defined between an outer surface of the keel and a portion of the patient'"'"'s tibia.

20. The surgical method of claim 19, wherein the space is defined by a channel formed in an outer surface of the keel.

21. The surgical method of claim 19, wherein injecting bone cement through the passageway and into the space includes forcing the injected bone cement through interior passageways of the keel which fluidly connect the passageway of the rod with the channel of the keel.