Method for installing a femoral component
First Claim
1. A method for reconstructing a femoral portion of a knee in a total knee replacement of both the medial and lateral condyles to locate the intercondylar notch and distal patellar groove of the reconstructed knee in a position generally coinciding with the natural intercondylar notch and distal patellar groove, said method comprising the steps of:
- locating the position of the intercondylar notch;
resecting the distal medial and lateral condyles along a plane to form a resected distal surface with reference to the intercondylar notch wherein the distance from the resected surface of the distal end of the original lateral condyle is less than the distance from the resected surface of the distal end of the original medial condyle;
selecting a femoral component sized to place the lateral condyle of the femoral component at a distal position approximately equal to the distal position of the original lateral condyle; and
installing the selected femoral component on the resected distal surface whereby the installed femoral component has an intercondylar notch and distal patellar groove at the same general distal position as the original natural intercondylar notch and distal patellar groove being replaced.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention relates to a method for reconstructing a femoral portion of a knee in a total knee replacement, the distal end of which has medial and lateral condyles and an intercondylar notch therebetween defining a distal patellar groove for the articulation of the patella with the femur during flexion of the knee. The method comprising the steps of:
locating and drilling a hole in the intercondylar notch to access an intermedullary canal of a femur;
installing a femoral alignment guide onto an intermedullary rod;
inserting the intermedullary rod through said hole toward a proximal end of the femur;
moving said femoral alignment guide into contact with the intercondylar notch of the knee;
positioning a femoral cutting block relative to the alignment guide;
securing the cutting block to the femur to align a guide surface of the cutting block at a predetermined proximal distance from said intercondylar notch;
removing the femoral alignment guide and rod from the femur;
resecting the distal lateral and medial condyles along a plane using the guide surface of the resection block as a resection reference, wherein the plane is displaced from what will become a new prosthetic joint line generally coincidental with the end of the distal end of the original lateral condyle, and wherein the distance from the resected surface of the distal end of the original lateral condyle is less than the distance from the resected surface of the distal end of the original medial condyle; and
determining an appropriate size of a femoral component having a size and condyle thickness which will reconstruct the lateral condyle and position the distal patellar groove at about the same distal locations to approximate the anatomy of the natural knee being replaced and to position the medial condyle of the femoral component at the same distal position as the original lateral condyle. The structures of the femoral alignment guide and cutting block are also disclosed.
272 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A method for reconstructing a femoral portion of a knee in a total knee replacement of both the medial and lateral condyles to locate the intercondylar notch and distal patellar groove of the reconstructed knee in a position generally coinciding with the natural intercondylar notch and distal patellar groove, said method comprising the steps of:
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locating the position of the intercondylar notch; resecting the distal medial and lateral condyles along a plane to form a resected distal surface with reference to the intercondylar notch wherein the distance from the resected surface of the distal end of the original lateral condyle is less than the distance from the resected surface of the distal end of the original medial condyle; selecting a femoral component sized to place the lateral condyle of the femoral component at a distal position approximately equal to the distal position of the original lateral condyle; and installing the selected femoral component on the resected distal surface whereby the installed femoral component has an intercondylar notch and distal patellar groove at the same general distal position as the original natural intercondylar notch and distal patellar groove being replaced. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method for reconstructing a femoral portion of a knee in a total knee replacement of both the medial and lateral condyles so that both the medial and lateral condyles of the reconstructed knee are located at about the same distal position as the original natural lateral condyle, said method comprising the steps of:
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locating the position of the intercondylar notch; resecting the distal medial and lateral condyles along a plane to form a resected distal surface with reference to the intercondylar notch wherein the distance from the resected surface of the distal end of the original lateral condyle is less than the distance from the resected surface of the distal end of the original medial condyle; selecting a femoral component sized to place the lateral condyle of the femoral component at a distal position approximately equal to the distal position of the original lateral condyle; and installing the selected femoral component on the resected distal surface whereby the installed femoral component has both the medial and lateral condyles at the same general distal position as the original natural lateral condyle being replaced. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method for reconstructing a femoral portion of a knee in a total knee replacement, the distal end of which has medial and lateral condyles and an intercondylar notch therebetween defining a distal patellar groove for the articulation of the patella with the femur during flexion of the knee, the method comprising the steps of:
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locating and drilling a hole in the intercondylar notch to access an intermedullary canal of a femur; installing a femoral alignment guide onto an intermedullary rod; inserting the intermedullary rod through said hole toward a proximal end of the femur; moving said femoral alignment guide into contact with the intercondylar notch of the knee; positioning a femoral cutting block relative to the alignment guide; securing the cutting block to the femur to align a guide surface of the cutting block at a predetermined proximal distance from said intercondylar notch; removing the femoral alignment guide and rod from the femur; resecting the distal lateral and medial condyles along a plane using the guide surface of the resection block as a resection reference, wherein the distance from the resected surface of the distal end of the original lateral condyle is less than the distance from the resected surface of the distal end of the original medial condyle; and determining an appropriate size of a femoral component having a size and condyle thickness which will reconstruct the lateral condyle and position the distal patellar groove at about the same distal locations to approximate the anatomy of the natural knee being replaced and to position the medial condyle of the femoral component at the same distal position as the original lateral condyle. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
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Specification