SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DISPLAYING JOINT FORCE DATA

• US 20100249660A1
• Filed: 03/31/2009
• Published: 09/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Depuy Ireland Unlimited Company (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Depuy (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Bertazzoni, Mario, Bartelme, Michael J., Rock, Mick, Sherman, Jason T.
• Granted Patent: US 8,597,210 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/587
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/064 for measuring force, pressure or mechanical tension
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/25 User interfaces for surgical systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/06 Measuring instruments not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/40 relating to mechanical, radiation or invasive therapies, e.g. surgery, laser therapy, dialysis or acupuncture

Abstract

A computer assisted orthopaedic system includes a sensor module, a display, and a computer coupled to the display. The sensor module is configured to be positioned in a knee joint of a patient and transmit joint force data indicative of a joint force of the patient'"'"'s knee joint. The computer includes a receiver circuit to receive the joint force data. The computer is configured to determine position data indicative of a position of a patient'"'"'s femur and a patient'"'"'s tibia and display an image of the patient'"'"'s femur and the patient'"'"'s tibia based on the position data. The computer is also configured to determine a medial force value and a lateral force value based on the joint force data and display the medial and lateral force values on the display.

Claims

1. A computer assisted orthopaedic system comprising:

a display

a sensor module configured to transmit joint force data indicative of the joint force of a patient'"'"'s knee joint;

a computer coupled to the display and including a receiver circuit configured to receive the joint force data from the sensor module, the computer being configured to;

determine position data indicative of a position of a patient'"'"'s femur and a patient'"'"'s tibia;

display an image of the patient'"'"'s femur and the patient'"'"'s tibia based on the position data;

determine a medial force value indicative of a medial component of the joint force based on the joint force data,

determine a lateral force value indicative of a lateral component of the joint force based on the joint force data, and

display the medial force value and the lateral force value on the display.

2. The computer assisted orthopaedic system of claim 1, wherein the computer is configured to determine an average force value based on the medial force value and the lateral force value and display the average force value on the display.

3. The computer assisted orthopaedic system of claim 1, wherein the computer is configured to:

determine an angle of flexion between the patient'"'"'s femur and the patient'"'"'s tibia based on the position data,

determine a medial force value indicative of the medial component of the joint force at the angle of flexion, and

determine a lateral force value indicative of the lateral component of the joint force at the angle of flexion.

4. The computer assisted orthopaedic system of claim 3, wherein the computer is configured to display the angle of flexion and the associated medial force value and the associated lateral force value on the display.

5. The computer assisted orthopaedic system of claim 4, wherein the computer is configured to store the angle of flexion, the medial force value, and the lateral force value in association with each other.

6. The computer assisted orthopaedic system of claim 4, wherein the computer is configured to display an image indicative of flexion angle versus medial force value and lateral force value on the display.

7. The computer assisted orthopaedic system of claim 1, wherein the computer is configured to:

determine a varus/valgus angle of between the patient'"'"'s femur and the patient'"'"'s tibia based on the position data, and

display the varus/valgus angle on the display in association with the greater of the medial force value and the lateral force value.

8. The computer assisted orthopaedic system of claim 7, wherein the computer is configured to determine a condyle of the patient'"'"'s femur that corresponds to the greater of the medial force value and the lateral force value at the varus/valgus angle and identify the condyle on the display.

9. The computer assisted orthopaedic system of claim 1, wherein the computer is configured to store the medial force value and the lateral force value in association with other orthopaedic surgical data related to an orthopaedic surgical procedure.

10. The computer assisted orthopaedic system of claim 9, wherein the computer is configured to store the medial force value and the lateral force value in association with identification data that identifies the patient and implant data that identifies an implant used in the orthopaedic surgical procedure.

11. The computer assisted orthopaedic system of claim 1, wherein the computer is configured to determine the position data based on signals received from sensors coupled to the patient'"'"'s femur and the patient'"'"'s tibia.

12. A computer assisted orthopaedic system comprising:

a display

a sensor module the sensor module including a sensor array having (i) a plurality of medially located pressure sensors configured to generate medial sensor signals indicative of a medial joint force between a patient'"'"'s tibia and a medial condyle of the patient'"'"'s femur and (ii) a plurality of laterally located pressure sensors configured to generate lateral sensor signals indicative of a lateral joint force between the patient'"'"'s tibia and a lateral condyle of the patient'"'"'s femur, the sensor module being configured to wirelessly transmit medial force data indicative of the medial joint force and lateral force data indicative of the lateral force;

a computer coupled to the display and including a receiver circuit configured to receive the medial and lateral force data, the computer being configured to;

determine position data indicative of a position of a patient'"'"'s femur and a patient'"'"'s tibia;

display an image of the patient'"'"'s femur and the patient'"'"'s tibia based on the position data;

determine a medial force value based on the medial joint data;

determine a lateral force value based on the lateral joint data; and

display the medial force value and the lateral force value on the display.

13. The computer assisted orthopaedic system of claim 12, wherein the computer is configured to determine an average force value based on the medial force value and the lateral force value and display the average force value on the display.

14. The computer assisted orthopaedic system of claim 12, wherein the computer is configured to:

determine an angle of flexion between the patient'"'"'s femur and the patient'"'"'s tibia based on the position data,

determine a medial force value indicative of the medial joint force at the angle of flexion, and

determine a lateral force value indicative of the lateral joint force at the angle of flexion.

15. The computer assisted orthopaedic system of claim 14, wherein the computer is configured to display the angle of flexion and the associated medial force value and the associated lateral force value on the display.

16. The computer assisted orthopaedic system of claim 15, wherein the computer is configured to display a graph of flexion angle versus medial force value and lateral force value on the display.

17. The computer assisted orthopaedic system of claim 12, wherein the computer is configured to:

determine a varus/valgus angle of between the patient'"'"'s femur and the patient'"'"'s tibia based on the position data, and

display the varus/valgus angle on the display in association with the greater of the medial force value and the lateral force value.

18. The computer assisted orthopaedic system of claim 17, wherein the computer is configured to determine a condyle of the patient'"'"'s femur that corresponds to the greater of the medial force value and the lateral force value at the varus/valgus angle and identify the condyle on the display.

19. A method for operating a computer assisted orthopaedic surgery system, the method comprising:

determining position data indicative of a position of a patient'"'"'s femur and a patient'"'"'s tibia;

displaying an image of the patient'"'"'s femur and the patient'"'"'s tibia based on the position data;

determining a medial force value indicative of a medial component of the joint force based on the joint force data,

determining a lateral force value indicative of a lateral component of the joint force based on the joint force data, and

displaying the medial force value and the lateral force value on the display.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

determining an average force value based on the medial force value and the lateral force value, and

displaying the average force value on the display.