Elbow arthroplasty instrumentation and surgical procedure

• US 5,041,117 A
• Filed: 01/19/1990
• Issued: 08/20/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: De Puy, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Boehringer Mannheim Corporation
• Inventors: Engelhardt, John A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hafer, Robert A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brown, Michael
• Application Number:
  US07/467,670
• Time in Patent Office: 578 Days
• Field of Search: 128/872, 606/79, 606/85, 606/86, 606/88, 623/20, 623/57, 623/59
• US Class Current: 606/79
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/15 Guides therefor arrangements for guiding straight saw blades in general B23D51/025
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/152 for removing a wedge-shaped piece of bone
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1659 Surgical rasps, files, planes, or scrapers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1684 for the shoulder
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/3804 for elbows
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/3822 Humeral components

Abstract

A method and apparatus for modifying the distal end of the humerus deformed by injury or disease in preparation for fixation of an elbow joint replacement. A through hole is first formed in the superior aspect of the olecranon fossa communicating with the humeral canal. A stem member which extends from the platform of a distal cut guide tool is received through the hole and extends into the humeral canal. The distal cut guide tool is held so that the platform is generally coplanar with the junction of the medial epicondyle and the trochlea with proper inclinations, both in an anterior view and in a lateral view. Thereupon, a first resected surface is formed by sawing, using as a guide, a planar guiding surface provided on the platform. With removal of the distal cut guide tool, a broach and chamfer cut guide tool having a plurality of saw guide slots is positioned on the first resected surface and additional cuts are made with the aid of the latter tool to form a wedge of bone onto which a humeral prosthesis can be impacted.

Claims

1. A distal cut guide tool for use in a surgical procedure of modifying injured or diseased geometry existing at the distal end of a humerus in preparation for fixation thereto of a replacement for an elbow joint comprising:

a platform having a peripheral edge and a planar guide surface for guiding a saw blade for forming a resected surface at the distal end of the humerus lying in a plane transverse to the longitudinal axis of the humerus;

a stem member integrally connected to said platform and extending away form said peripheral edge and away form said planar guide surface, said stem member being receivable through a hole formed in the superior aspect of the olecranon fossa of the humerus and extending into the humeral canal and generally aligned with the longitudinal axis of the humerus;

whereby, when said stem member is received in the humeral canal and aligned with the longitudinal axis of the humerus, said platform is positioned offset from said longitudinal axis adjacent the distal end of the humerus and said planar guide surface lies in a plane parallel to the anatomical axis of rotation of the elbow joint and said planar guide surface is inclined relative to said stem member such that, in an anterior view, it generally assumes the normal valgus angle of a healthy humerus and such that, in a lateral view, it generally assumes the anterior angle of inclination of a healthy humerus.

2. A distal cut guide tool for use in a surgical procedure of modifying injured or diseased geometry existing at the distal end of a long bone in preparation for fixation thereto of a replacement joint at the distal end comprising:

a platform having a peripheral edge and a planar guide surface for guiding a saw blade for forming a resected surface at the distal end of the long bone lying in a plane transverse to the longitudinal axis of the long bone;

a stem member integrally connected to said platform and extending away from said peripheral edge and away from said planar guide surface, said stem member being receivable through a hole formed in the superior aspect of the distal end of the long bone and extending into the intramedullary canal and generally aligned with the longitudinal axis of the long bone;

whereby, when said stem member is received in the intramedullary canal and aligned with the longitudinal axis of the long bone, said platform is positioned offset from said longitudinal axis adjacent the distal end of the long bone and said planar guide surface lies in a plane parallel to the anatomical axis of rotation of the joint and said planar guide surface at the distal end thereof is inclined relative to said stem member such that, in an anterior view, it generally assumes the normal valgus angle of a healthy long bone and such that, in a lateral view, it generally assumes the anterior angle of inclination of a healthy long bone.