Method and apparatus for minimally invasive knee arthroplasty
First Claim
1. A method of total knee arthroplasty of a knee of a patient, said knee having a front or anterior portion at which a patella is located, an opposing rear or posterior portion, and a pair of opposing sides or medial or lateral portions located between said anterior and posterior portions, said method comprising the steps of:
- creating an incision in a skin between said front and rear portions of said knee at one of said sides of the knee of the patient;
incising the ligaments, patellar retinaculum, and other soft tissue structures along the side and length of the skin incision, splitting the fiber of said structures longitudinally without transecting them;
accessing a knee joint of the patient through said incision;
resecting a distal end of a femur at said knee joint;
resecting a proximal end of a tibia at said knee joint;
resecting a posterior portion of a patella at said knee joint;
passing a femoral component through said incision;
connecting said femoral component to said resected distal end of said femur;
passing a tibial component through said incision;
connecting said tibial component to said resected proximal end of said tibia;
passing a patellar component through said incision; and
connecting said patellar component to said resected patella.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention is a method for performing a minimally invasive knee arthroplasty and components for this procedure. The method involves creating an incision along the medial or lateral aspect of a patient'"'"'s knee, exposing the knee joint, resecting the distal end of the femur, the proximal end of the tibia and the posterior patella through the medial or lateral incision, and connecting a femoral, tibial and patellar knee replacement component through the incision. Components include specialized femoral, tibial and patellar cutting guides for use in resecting the femur, tibia and patella through the medial or lateral incision. In one embodiment, the method is performed with the aid of an image guidance system. In another embodiment, the method is performed with instruments which align the components, such as the cutting guides, without the use of an image guidance system.
386 Citations
23 Claims
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1. A method of total knee arthroplasty of a knee of a patient, said knee having a front or anterior portion at which a patella is located, an opposing rear or posterior portion, and a pair of opposing sides or medial or lateral portions located between said anterior and posterior portions, said method comprising the steps of:
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creating an incision in a skin between said front and rear portions of said knee at one of said sides of the knee of the patient; incising the ligaments, patellar retinaculum, and other soft tissue structures along the side and length of the skin incision, splitting the fiber of said structures longitudinally without transecting them; accessing a knee joint of the patient through said incision; resecting a distal end of a femur at said knee joint; resecting a proximal end of a tibia at said knee joint; resecting a posterior portion of a patella at said knee joint; passing a femoral component through said incision; connecting said femoral component to said resected distal end of said femur; passing a tibial component through said incision; connecting said tibial component to said resected proximal end of said tibia; passing a patellar component through said incision; and connecting said patellar component to said resected patella. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method of total knee arthroplasty of a knee of a patient, said knee having a front or anterior portion at which a patella is located, an opposing rear or posterior portion, and a pair of opposing sides or medial or lateral portions located between said anterior and posterior portions, each side of said knee having a mid-line, said method comprising the steps of:
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creating an incision in a skin between said front and rear portions of said knee at one of said sides thereof; incising the ligaments, patellar retinaculum, and other soft tissue structures along the side and length of the skin incision, splitting the fiber of said structures longitudinally without transecting them; accessing a knee joint of the patient through said incision without everting or laterally displacing said patella; resecting a distal end of a femur at said knee joint; resecting a proximal end of a tibia at said knee joint without dislocating said tibia relative to said femur; passing a femoral component through said incision; connecting said femoral component to said resected distal end of said femur; passing a tibial component through said incision; and connecting said tibial component to said resected proximal end of said tibia. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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Specification