APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR BALANCING A JOINT

• US 20130066432A1
• Filed: 09/12/2011
• Published: 03/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Scripps Health
• Original Assignee: Scripps Health
• Inventors: Colwell, Clifford W. Jr., D'Lima, Darryl David
• Granted Patent: US 9,307,929 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/18.11
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1664 for the hip
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1671 for the spine
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1675 for the knee
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1682 for the foot or ankle
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1684 for the shoulder
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1686 for the hand or wrist
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/252 indicating steps of a surgical procedure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/254 being adapted depending on the stage of the surgical procedure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/064 for measuring force, pressure or mechanical tension
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/065 for measuring contact or contact pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/067 for measuring angles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/04 Arrangements of multiple sensors of the same type
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/20 Surgical navigation systems; Devices for tracking or guiding surgical instruments, e.g. for frameless stereotaxis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/25 User interfaces for surgical systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/103 Detecting, measuring or recording devices for testing the shape, pattern, colour, size or movement of the body or parts thereof, for diagnostic purposes A61B5/08 takes precedence; measuring aids for tailors A41H1/00; measuring instruments specially adapted for dentistry A61C19/04
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1036 Measuring load distribution, e.g. podologic studies
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1076 for measuring dimensions inside body cavities, e.g. using catheters A61B3/1005 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4528 Joints A61B5/4533, A61B5/4538 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4585 Evaluating the knee
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/06 Measuring instruments not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/38 : for elbows or knees
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/461 : of knees
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/4657 : Measuring instruments used for implanting artificial joints for surgical instruments A61B90/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/4666 : for measuring force, pressure or mechanical tension
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/4668 : for measuring angles
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/4688 : having operating or control means

Abstract

An apparatus includes a first portion configured to be coupled to a first bony structure and a second portion configured to be coupled between the first portion and a second bony structure. The second bony structure is disposed opposite the first bony structure. The apparatus further includes a transducer coupled between the first portion and the second portion.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a first portion configured to be coupled to a first bony structure;

a second portion configured to be coupled between the first portion and a second bony structure, the second bony structure being disposed opposite the first bony structure; and

at least one of a transducer and an actuator coupled between the first portion and the second portion.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transducer is one transducer from a plurality of transducers, each transducer from the plurality of transducers configured to output data associated with the apparatus.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the data includes at least one of force data, position data, displacement data or rotation data.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the transducer is configured to output the data during a surgical procedure.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a mount coupled to the first portion, the mount configured to be coupled to the first bony structure.

6. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the mount is removably coupled to the first portion.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further including an intermediate portion, disposed between the first portion and the second portion, configured to restrict the movement of the first portion relative to the second portion.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the intermediate portion is one of a post, a bearing, or a gasket.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further including a flexible member, disposed between the first portion and the second portion, configured to limit a movement of the first portion relative to the second portion.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the transducer or the actuator includes a fixed portion coupled to one of the first portion or the second portion, and a movable portion coupled to the other of the first portion or the second portion and movable relative to the fixed portion.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the actuator is configured to receive data associated with a simulated surgical procedure.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first bony structure and the second bony structure include one of (1) a portion of a tibia and a portion of a femur, (2) a portion of a humerus and a portion of a scapula, (3) a portion of a femur and a portion of a pelvis, (4) a portion of a vertebra and a portion of an adjacent vertebra, (5) a portion of a humerus and a portion of an ulna, (6) a portion of a tibia and a portion of a talus (7) a portion of a radius or an ulna and a bone of the hand, or (8) a first bone of a finger and a second bone of a finger.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the transducer or the actuator includes a fixed portion fixedly coupled to one of the first portion or the second portion, and a movable portion slidably coupled to the other of the first portion or the second portion and movable relative to the fixed portion.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transducer is configured to move the first portion relative to the second portion in response to data associated with a proposed surgical procedure.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the simulated surgical procedure is one of modifying a connective tissue or changing an angle of a bone cut.

16. A method, comprising:

outputting a signal including a first data set associated with at least one of a force, a position, a displacement or a rotation associated with an apparatus disposed between a first bony structure and a second bony structure, the apparatus including a first portion configured to be coupled to the first bony structure, a second portion configured to be disposed between the first portion and the second bony structure, and a transducer and an actuator disposed between the first portion and the second portion;

outputting a signal including a second data set, the second data set associated with at least one of a force, a position, a displacement or a rotation associated with the apparatus after the performance of at least a part of a surgical procedure, the surgical procedure based at least in part on a recommendation based on the first data set; and

moving in response to a received signal a movable portion of an actuator, the movable portion of the actuator causing one of the first and second portion of the apparatus to move with respect to the other of the first and second portion of the apparatus.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the outputting the signal includes outputting a plurality of signals while the first bony structure is moved through a full range of motion with respect to the second bony structure.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the surgical procedure is associated with one of modifying a connective tissue or an angle of a bone cut.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the signal including the first data set is output when a pressure measurement is above a predetermined threshold.

20. The method of claim 16, the transducer being one transducer from a plurality of transducers, the first portion of the apparatus being substantially parallel to the second portion of the apparatus, the method further comprising:

measuring a force associated with each transducer from the plurality of transducers;

comparing the force associated with each transducer from the plurality of transducers to the force associated with at least one other transducer from the plurality of transducers.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the first bony structure and the second bony structure include one of (1) a portion of a tibia and a portion of a femur, (2) a portion of a humerus and a portion of a scapula, (3) a portion of a femur and a portion of a pelvis, (4) a portion of a vertebra and a portion of an adjacent vertebra, (5) a portion of a humerus and a portion of an ulna, and (6) a portion of a tibia and a portion of a talus.

22. A non-transitory processor-readable medium storing code representing instructions to cause a processor to:

receive a signal including a first data set associated with at least one of a force, a position, a displacement or a rotation associated with an apparatus disposed between a first bony structure and a second bony structure, the apparatus including a first portion configured to be coupled to the first bony structure, a second portion configured to be disposed between the first portion and the second bony structure, and a transducer disposed between the first portion and the second portion;

generate, based on the first data set, a recommended action to complete a surgical procedure, the generating occurring during the surgical procedure.

23. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the code representing instructions to cause a processor to receive the signal includes code to receive the signal as the apparatus is moved through a predefined range of motion.

24. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the code representing instructions to cause a processor to receive the signal includes code to receive a plurality of signals as the first bony structure is moved through a predefined range of motion with respect second bony structure.

25. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 22, further including code representing instructions to cause a processor to receive a signal including a second data set, the second data set associated with at least one of a force, a position, a displacement or a rotation associated with the apparatus after the performance of at least a part of a surgical procedure.

26. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the transducer being one transducer from a plurality of transducers, the first portion of the apparatus being substantially parallel to the second portion of the apparatus, further including code representing instructions to cause a processor to:

receive a plurality of signals each including a force associated with one of the transducers from the plurality of transducers;

compare the force associated with each transducer from the plurality of transducers to the force associated with at least one other transducer from the plurality of transducers.