Upper tibial osteotomy system

• US 5,053,039 A
• Filed: 04/25/1991
• Issued: 10/01/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Zimmer Incorporated (Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Intermedics Orthopedics, Inc.
• Inventors: Burdulis, Albert G. Jr., Hofmann, Aaron A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hafer, Robert A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): RIMELL, SAMUEL G
• Application Number:
  US07/691,394
• Time in Patent Office: 159 Days
• Field of Search: 606/53, 606/86, 606/87, 606/88, 606/90, 606/96, 606/97, 606/98, 606/102, 606/103, 606/104, 606/105
• US Class Current: 606/87
• 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 17/86 Pins or screws or threaded wires; nuts therefor A61B17/72 take precedence

Abstract

A method and apparatus for performing an upper tibia osteotomy comprising cutting a wedge from the bone using a first guide assembly to cut a first slot partially through a bone and a second guide assembly to cut a second intersecting slot to define a wedge shaped bone segment. An external compressor device draws the osteotomy closed by plastic deformation of the unsevered portion of the bone. The bone is secured by a plate and screws.

Claims

1. A method for performing an upper tibia osteotomy comprising the steps of:

placing a first guide assembly against a tibia head;

extending a cutting blade through a first slot in said guide assembly;

cutting a first slot through said tibia to a depth less than the depth of the tibia;

placing a second guide assembly in allignment with the first slot cut in the tibia;

inserting the cutting blade through a second slot in the second guide assembly and cutting into said tibia at an angle intersecting said first slot and severing a wedge shaped segment of the tibia;

removing the segment leaving a wedge shaped void in the tibia;

drawing the sides of the void together; and

applying a fixation plate so as to hold the tibia against relative movement.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the step of placing a second guide comprises inserting a blade portion of the second guide assembly into the first slot cut in the tibia.

3. A method according to claim 2 wherein the step of placing the first guide comprises clamping the tibia head between opposed portions of the first guide assembly.

4. A method according to claim 3 wherein the step of drawing the sides of the void together comprises

mounting a clamp assembly to engage said tibia on opposite side of the void and

exerting compressive pressure to draw the side of the void together.

5. A method according to claim 4 further comprising

boring a bore through the tibia head using the first guide assembly to align the bore with respect to the head;

and

extending a depth measuring guage through the bore to determine the depth of the tibia head; and

wherein the step of cutting a first slot through said tibia to a depth less than the depth of the tibia comprises cutting a first slot through the tibia to a depth less than the depth of the tibia as determined by the depth guage.