BONE CUTTING APPARATUS

• US 20080195107A1
• Filed: 04/14/2008
• Published: 08/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Biomet Manufacturing, LLC (Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Biomet Manufacturing, LLC (Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Metzger, Robert, Schmidt, Kurt, Schlueter, Trevor S., McKale, James M., Cuckler, John M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,029,508 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/83
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1675 for the knee
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1764 for the knee
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/1602 Mills

Abstract

A bone-cutting apparatus and associated method and system. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a guide removably attachable to a bone, and a rotatable mill coupled to the guide. The guide has a box-cut opening and the mill is pivotable within the opening. In one embodiment, the mill is laterally adjustable relative to the opening.

Claims

1. A method for performing a box resection of a bone, the method comprising:

attaching a guide to the bone;

pivoting a rotatable mill that is coupled to the guide; and

forming the box resection with the mill.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising inserting an intercondylar box of a femoral component into the box resection formed in the bone.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

selectively shifting the mill to a lateral location in a box-cut opening of the guide;

pivoting the mill; and

repeating shifting and pivoting until the box resection is completed.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein shifting the mill includes moving the mill to a different engagement position with a rod that is rotatably supported on the guide.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

constraining the mill laterally relative to the box-cut opening prior to pivoting; and

unconstraining the mill after pivoting.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein shifting the mill includes shifting a rod rotatably supported on the guide and coupled with the mill.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein constraining the mill includes pivoting the mill toward the bone to engage a pin attached to the guide into a groove of the rod.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein unconstraining the mill includes pivoting the mill away from the bone until the pin is disengaged from the groove.

9. The method of claim 3, wherein selectively shifting includes shifting with an indexing mechanism.