Knee Prosthesis Assembly With Ligament Link

• US 20100305698A1
• Filed: 05/27/2010
• Published: 12/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Biomet Manufacturing, LLC (Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Biomet Manufacturing, LLC (Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Metzger, Robert, Stone, Kevin T., Uthgenannt, Brian A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,343,227 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/13.12
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/3836 Special connection between upper and lower leg, e.g. constrained
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/3868 with sliding tibial bearing
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/3886 for stabilising knees against anterior or lateral dislocations
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30462 retained or tied with a rope, string, thread, wire or cable
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30708 Means for distinguishing between left-sided and right-sided devices, Sets comprising both left-sided and right-sided prosthetic parts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0075 sutured, ligatured or stitched, retained or tied with a rope, string, thread, wire or cable

Abstract

A prosthetic knee joint assembly includes a femoral component that engages a femur and at least one bearing that supports articulation of the femoral component thereon. Also, the assembly includes a tibial tray that engages a tibia and that supports the bearing. A ligament link coupling component is included on the femoral component or the tibial tray. The ligament link coupling component is operable to couple to a ligament link to couple the ligament link to the femoral component or the tibial tray. Moreover, the assembly includes an opening included on the other of the femoral component or the tibial tray. The ligament link is received in the opening to bypass the other of the femoral component or the tibial tray to operably couple to the respective one of the femur or the tibia.

Claims

1. A prosthetic knee joint assembly for a knee joint of a patient with a tibia, a femur, and a ligament link, the prosthetic knee joint assembly comprising:

a femoral component that engages the femur;

at least one bearing that supports articulation of the femoral component thereon;

a tibial tray that engages the tibia and that supports the at least one bearing;

a ligament link coupling component that is included on one of the femoral component or the tibial tray, the ligament link coupling component operable to couple to the ligament link to couple the ligament link to the one of the femoral component or the tibial tray; and

an opening included on the other of the femoral component or the tibial tray, the ligament link received in the opening to bypass the other of the femoral component or the tibial tray to operably couple to the respective one of the femur or the tibia.

2. The prosthetic knee joint assembly of claim 1, further comprising the ligament link.

3. The prosthetic knee joint assembly of claim 2, wherein the ligament link includes at least one of an autograft, an allograft, a xenograft, an artificial graft, and combinations thereof.

4. The prosthetic knee joint assembly of claim 2, wherein the ligament link extends from a first end to a second end and includes an outer wall that defines an interior longitudinal passage portion disposed between the first and second ends, the ligament link including a first aperture extending through the outer wall and disposed between the first and second ends, the ligament link also including a second aperture extending through the outer wall and disposed between the first and second ends, the first end extending through the first and second apertures and the longitudinal passage portion to define a first adjustable loop, the second end extending through the first and second apertures and the longitudinal passage portion to define a second adjustable loop.

5. The prosthetic knee joint assembly of claim 1, wherein the ligament link coupling component is included on the tibial tray and includes a through hole that receives the ligament link.

6. The prosthetic knee joint assembly of claim 5, wherein the through hole has an axis that extends through a superior surface of the tibial tray and through an inferior surface of the tibial tray.

7. The prosthetic knee joint assembly of claim 1, wherein the ligament link coupling component is included on the tibial tray and includes a groove that receives at least a portion of the ligament link.

8. The prosthetic knee joint assembly of claim 7, wherein the tibial tray includes an inferior, anterior edge, and wherein the groove is defined on the inferior, anterior edge.

9. The prosthetic knee joint assembly of claim 7, wherein the groove has an axis that is disposed at a positive, acute angle relative to a longitudinal axis of the tibia.

10. The prosthetic knee joint assembly of claim 1, wherein the ligament link coupling component is disposed on an anterior portion of the tibial tray.

11. The prosthetic knee joint assembly of claim 1, wherein the ligament link coupling component is included on the tibial tray and includes an eyelet that selectively closes to secure the ligament link to the tibial tray and that selectively opens to allow the ligament link to move into the eyelet.

12. The prosthetic knee joint assembly of claim 1, wherein the tibial tray includes a first ligament link coupling component and a second ligament link coupling component, the first and second ligament link coupling components spaced apart from each other.

13. The prosthetic knee joint assembly of claim 12, wherein the tibial tray defines a median plane, and the first and second ligament link coupling components are disposed on opposite sides of the median plane.

14. The prosthetic knee joint assembly of claim 1, wherein the femoral component includes a medial condyle portion and a lateral condyle portion joined by a patellar track portion, and wherein the opening is an intercondylar opening defined between the medial and lateral condyle portions.

15. The prosthetic knee joint assembly of claim 1, wherein the femoral component includes a medial condyle portion and a lateral condyle portion joined by a patellar track portion, an intercondylar opening being defined between the medial and lateral condyle portions, the ligament link coupling component extending from at least one of the medial and lateral condyle portions into the intercondylar opening.

16. The prosthetic knee joint assembly of claim 15, wherein the opening includes a first opening and a second opening, the first and second opening both defined on the tibial tray, the first and second openings being disposed on opposite sides of a medial plane of the tibial tray.

17. A method of implanting a prosthetic knee joint assembly comprising:

selecting for implantation a ligament link from a plurality of ligament links;

engaging a femoral component to a femur;

engaging a tibial tray to a tibia;

intraoperatively choosing whether to operably couple the selected ligament link to one of the femur or the tibia;

operably coupling the selected ligament link to the one of the femur or the tibia;

extending the selected ligament link through an opening of one of the femoral component or the tibial tray, the one of the femoral component or the tibial tray operable to engage to the one of the femur or the tibia; and

operably coupling the selected ligament link to a coupling component of the other of the femoral component or the tibial tray.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising selecting a fastener from a plurality of fasteners for operably coupling the selected ligament link to the one of the femur or the tibia.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising selecting the coupling component from a plurality of coupling components disposed on the tibial tray, and wherein operably coupling the selected ligament link to the coupling component includes operably coupling the selected ligament link to the selected coupling component.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein selecting the coupling component from the plurality of coupling components includes determining whether the prosthetic knee joint assembly is for a left knee or a right knee and selecting the coupling component corresponding to the determined one of the left knee and the right knee.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein selecting the ligament link includes selecting between an autograft, an allograft, a xenograft, an artificial graft, and combinations thereof.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein operably coupling the selected ligament link to one of the femur or the tibia includes operably coupling the selected ligament link to a resected anatomical ligament that is fixed to the one of the femur or the tibia.

23. The method of claim 17, wherein extending the selected ligament link through the opening includes extending the selected ligament link through one of a first opening of the tibial tray or a second opening of the tibial tray.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein extending the selected ligament link through one of the first opening of the tibial tray or the second opening of the tibial tray includes selecting the first opening or the second opening based on whether the prosthetic knee joint assembly is for a left knee or a right knee.

25. The method of claim 17, wherein extending the selected ligament link through the opening includes extending the selected ligament link through an intercondylar opening of the femoral component.

26. A prosthetic knee joint assembly for a knee joint of a patient with a tibia and a femur, the prosthetic knee joint assembly comprising:

a femoral component that engages the femur, the femoral component including a medial and lateral condyle portion connected by a patellar track portion, an intercondylar opening defined between the medial and lateral condyle portions;

at least one bearing that supports articulation of at least one of the medial and lateral condyle portions thereon;

a tibial tray that engages the tibia and that supports the at least one bearing, the tibial tray including a plurality of coupling components, the plurality of coupling components disposed on an anterior portion of the tibial tray, the plurality of coupling components disposed on opposite sides of a medial plane of the tibial tray; and

an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) link operably coupled to at least one of a resected anatomical ACL and the femur, the ACL link also operably and directly coupled to the tibial tray via a selected one of the coupling components, the ACL link extending through the intercondylar opening, the ACL link including at least one of an autograft, an allograft, a xenograft, an artificial graft, and combinations thereof.

27. A prosthetic knee joint assembly for a knee joint of a patient with a tibia and a femur, the prosthetic knee joint assembly comprising:

a femoral component that engages the femur, the femoral component including a first condylar portion and a second condylar portion separated at a distance apart to define an intercondylar opening, the femoral component including a ligament link coupling component extending from at least one of the first and second condylar portions into the intercondylar opening;

at least one bearing that supports articulation of the femoral component thereon;

a tibial tray that engages the tibia, the tibial tray including a superior surface that supports the at least one bearing thereon, the tibial tray including a plurality of openings; and

an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) link operably coupled to at least one of the tibia and a resected anatomical ACL, the ACL link also operably and directly coupled to the femoral component via the ligament link coupling component, the ACL link extending through one of the plurality of openings of the tibial tray, the ACL link including at least one of an autograft, an allograft, a xenograft, an artificial graft, and combinations thereof.