Tibia part for a knee joint prosthesis and a kit with a tibia part of this kind

• US 6,755,864 B1
• Filed: 09/22/2000
• Issued: 06/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Zimmer GmbH (Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Sulzer Orthopedics Inc. (Centerpulse Orthopedics Incorporated)
• Inventors: Leclercq, Vincent, Scherrer, Roger, Brack, René
• Primary Examiner(s): Isabella, David J.
• Application Number:
  US09/667,950
• Time in Patent Office: 1,376 Days
• Field of Search: 623/20.14, 623/20.15, 623/20.27, 623/20.28, 623/20.29, 623/20.3, 623/20.32, 623/20.33, 623/20.34, 623/20.35
• US Class Current: 623/20.29
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/3868 with sliding tibial bearing
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/3886 for stabilising knees against anterior or lateral dislocations

Abstract

A tibia part for a knee joint prosthesis. The prosthesis includes a tibia bearing surface for the support of a bearing body and a bore for the reception of a guiding element. A cut-out for the rear cruciate ligament is provided in the tibia bearing surface and the bore is formed in such a manner that it can, depending on the design of the guiding element, receive the latter either rotationally fixedly relative to the tibia part or rotatably relative to the tibia part.

Claims

1. A knee joint prosthesis kit adapted to change a mode of operation of a knee joint, the kit comprising a tibia part and a plurality of different guiding elements including at least one configured to be rotationally fixed relative to the tibia part and at least one configured to be rotatable relative to the tibia part;

the tibia part having a bearing surface for supporting a bearing body and a bore for receiving any one of said guiding elements whereby the bore is configured to optionally mount the selected guiding element therein so that the guiding element is either rotationally fixed or rotatable relative to the tibia part, wherein each selected guiding element, when combined with the tibia part, is designed to provide the knee joint prosthesis with a different mode of operation depending on the selected guiding element.

2. A knee joint prosthesis kit in accordance with claim 1 further comprising an extension piece for securing the tibia part to the tibia, an anchoring shaft for the tibia part, and a connector for firmly connecting the extension piece to the anchoring shaft.

3. A knee joint prosthesis kit in accordance with claim 1, including means securing the bearing body on the tibia bearing surface.

4. A knee joint prosthesis kit adapted to change a mode of operation of a knee joint, the kit comprising at least one tibia part having a tibia bearing surface, a plurality of different guiding elements including at least one configured to be rotationally fixed relative to the tibia part and at least one configured to be rotatable relative to the tibia part, at least one bearing body to be supported on the tibia bearing surface, the at least one bearing body including bearing shells on a side that faces away from the tibia bearing surface, at least one femur part including condyles for cooperating with the bearing shells of the bearing body, the tibia part including a bore for receiving any one of the guiding elements, the bore being configured to optionally receive a selected guiding element therein so that the guiding element is either rotationally fixed or rotatable relative to the tibia part.

5. A knee joint prosthesis kit in accordance with claim 4 at least one tibia part and at least one bearing body define means for fixing the bearing body at the tibia bearing surface.

6. A knee joint prosthesis kit in accordance with claim 5 wherein at least one bearing body includes a bearing slidingly displaceably mounting the bearing body on the tibia bearing surface, and wherein at least one of the guiding elements includes a connecting rod having one end rotatably journalled in the bore of the tibia part and a guiding section which cooperates with the bearing body and permits displacement of the bearing body relative to the tibia bearing surface in anterior and posterior directions.

7. A knee joint prosthesis kit in accordance with claim 4 wherein at least one bearing body has a fixed guiding element on its side facing the tibia bearing surface which rotatably journals the bearing body in the bore of the tibia part.

8. A knee joint prosthesis kit in accordance with claim 4 wherein the femur part includes a stabilizing element, wherein at least one bearing body has an axial through-going hole, and wherein at least one guiding element is provided which can be passed through the hole in the bearing body, one end of the guiding element forming a pin which extends into the bore in the tibia part and being rotatably journalled therein, another end of the guiding element protruding in between the condyles of the femur part and having a guiding surface cooperating with a stabilizing element of the femur part.

9. A knee joint prosthesis kit in accordance with claim 4 wherein the femur part includes a stabilizing element, wherein at least one guiding element includes a guiding piece which extends into the bore in the tibia part and which is formed so that it is rotationally fixed relative to the tibia part and the bearing body, and a coupling piece rotatably journalled in the guiding piece and having a stabilizing piece which reaches between the condyles of the femur part and includes a guiding surface cooperating with the stabilizing element of the femur part.

10. A knee joint prosthesis kit in accordance with claim 9 wherein the stabilizing element of the femur part comprises a connection web which cooperates with first and second side walls to form a box arranged between the condyles cooperating with one of a guiding surface of a guiding element and a stabilizing piece of the guiding element.

11. A method for implanting a knee joint prosthesis comprising preparing the knee joint for implanting the prosthesis, assembling an implant from an implant kit comprising at least one tibia part for the knee prosthesis, at least one femur part for the knee prosthesis, and a plurality of different guiding elements providing the knee prosthesis with a desired mode of operation, the guiding elements including at least one configured to be rotationally fixed relative to the tibia part and at least one configured to be rotatable relative to the tibia part, the tibia part including a tibia bearing surface for supporting a bearing body and a bore for receiving any one of the guiding elements, the bore being configured to optionally receive a selected guiding element therein so that the guiding element is either rotationally fixed or rotatable relative to the tibia part, determining the desired mode of operation for the knee prosthesis, selecting a guiding element which, upon implantation, provides the knee prosthesis with the desired mode of operation, inserting the selected guide element into the tibia part bore, and connecting the selected guiding element to the bearing body.