Methods of minimally invasive unicompartmental knee replacement
First Claim
1. A method of surgically preparing a femoral condyle to receive a prosthetic femoral component in a minimally invasive unicompartmental knee replacement procedure, comprising the steps of accessing a knee through a minimal incision;
- positioning a femoral resurfacing guide on a femoral condyle of the knee to externally delineate an area of the femoral condyle to be resurfaced to receive a prosthetic femoral component, said step of positioning including externally delineating the area with a rail member of the femoral resurfacing guide; and
removing anatomical tissue from the externally delineated area by moving a tissue removing instrument along the externally delineated area within the confines of the rail members,wherein said step of removing includes contacting an engagement wall of the tissue removing instrument with an abutment wall of the femoral resurfacing guide to limit removal of anatomical tissue to a predetermined depth, andwherein said step of removing includes accessing the externally delineated area by introducing the tissue removing instrument through a window of a slide movably carried by the rail member and moving the slide along the rail member as the tissue removing instrument is moved along the externally delineated area, and said step of contacting includes contacting the engagement wall with a surface of the slide defining the abutment wall.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method of minimally invasive unicompartmental knee replacement includes accessing a knee through a minimal incision, forming a planar surface along a tibial plateau of the knee, forming a planar posterior surface along a posterior aspect of the corresponding femoral condyle, resurfacing a distal aspect of the femoral condyle to form a resurfaced area having a curved portion, implanting a prosthetic tibial component on the planar surface along the tibial plateau and implanting a prosthetic femoral component on the prepared surface of the femoral condyle formed by the planar posterior surface and the resurfaced area. The curved portion of the resurfaced area has an anterior-posterior curvature corresponding to a fixation surface of the prosthetic femoral component. Prior to implantation, the femur and tibia are prepared to receive fixation structure of the femoral and tibial components.
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Citations
29 Claims
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1. A method of surgically preparing a femoral condyle to receive a prosthetic femoral component in a minimally invasive unicompartmental knee replacement procedure, comprising the steps of accessing a knee through a minimal incision;
- positioning a femoral resurfacing guide on a femoral condyle of the knee to externally delineate an area of the femoral condyle to be resurfaced to receive a prosthetic femoral component, said step of positioning including externally delineating the area with a rail member of the femoral resurfacing guide; and
removing anatomical tissue from the externally delineated area by moving a tissue removing instrument along the externally delineated area within the confines of the rail members,wherein said step of removing includes contacting an engagement wall of the tissue removing instrument with an abutment wall of the femoral resurfacing guide to limit removal of anatomical tissue to a predetermined depth, and wherein said step of removing includes accessing the externally delineated area by introducing the tissue removing instrument through a window of a slide movably carried by the rail member and moving the slide along the rail member as the tissue removing instrument is moved along the externally delineated area, and said step of contacting includes contacting the engagement wall with a surface of the slide defining the abutment wall. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
- positioning a femoral resurfacing guide on a femoral condyle of the knee to externally delineate an area of the femoral condyle to be resurfaced to receive a prosthetic femoral component, said step of positioning including externally delineating the area with a rail member of the femoral resurfacing guide; and
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7. A method of surgically preparing a femoral condyle to receive a prosthetic femoral component in a minimally invasive unicompartmental knee replacement procedure, comprising the steps of accessing a knee through a minimal incision;
- establishing a planar surface on a posterior aspect of a femoral condyle of the knee;
positioning a femoral resurfacing guide on the femoral condyle to externally delineate a distal aspect of the femoral condyle;
removing anatomical tissue from the externally delineated distal aspect; and
removing the femoral resurfacing guide from the femoral condyle,wherein said step of positioning includes externally delineating the distal aspect at least medially, laterally and anteriorly with a rail member of the femoral resurfacing guide, wherein said step of removing anatomical tissue includes moving a tissue removing instrument along the externally delineated distal aspect, wherein said step of removing includes accessing the externally delineated distal aspect by introducing the tissue removing instrument through a window of a slide movably carried by the rail member and moving the slide along the rail member in response to moving the tissue removing member along the externally delineated distal aspect. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10)
- establishing a planar surface on a posterior aspect of a femoral condyle of the knee;
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11. A method of surgically preparing a femoral condyle to receive a prosthetic femoral component in a minimally invasive unicompartmental knee replacement procedure, comprising the steps of accessing a knee through a minimal incision;
- positioning a resection block on the femur of the knee with the knee in flexion such that a planar resection slot through the resection block extends in a plane along a posterior aspect of a femoral condyle of the femur;
positioning a femoral resurfacing guide on the femoral condyle with the knee in flexion such that the femoral resurfacing guide externally delineates a distal aspect of the femoral condyle;
inserting a cutting member through the resection slot to effect a planar surface along the posterior aspect of the femoral condyle; and
moving a tissue removing member within the externally delineated distal aspect to effect a resurfaced area along the distal aspect of the femoral condyle merging with the planar surface. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
- positioning a resection block on the femur of the knee with the knee in flexion such that a planar resection slot through the resection block extends in a plane along a posterior aspect of a femoral condyle of the femur;
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18. A method of surgically preparing a femoral condyle to receive a prosthetic femoral component in a minimally invasive unicompartmental knee replacement procedure, comprising the steps of:
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accessing a knee through a minimal incision; positioning a femoral resurfacing guide on a femoral condyle of the knee wherein the step of positioning includes defining an open unimpeded space with a rail member of the femoral resurfacing guide, the open unimpeded space corresponding to an implant resurface area to be resurfaced by a resurfacing rasp instrument and wherein the resurfacing rasp instrument can reciprocate upward or downward within the rail member without impingement and without leaving an island of bone in the implant resurface area; and removing anatomical tissue from the implant resurface area by reciprocating a resurfacing rasp instrument within the rail member of the femoral resurfacing guide. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 28, 29)
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25. A method of surgically preparing a femoral condyle to receive a prosthetic femoral component in a minimally invasive unicompartmental knee replacement procedure, comprising the steps of:
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accessing a knee through a minimal incision; positioning a femoral resurfacing guide on a femoral condyle of the knee wherein the step of positioning includes defining an open unimpeded space with a rail member of the femoral resurfacing guide, the open unimpeded space corresponding to an implant resurface area to be resurfaced by an end mill cutter and wherein the end mill cutter can remove anatomical tissue from the femoral condyle throughout the implant resurface area without leaving an island of bone in the implant resurface area; and removing anatomical tissue from the implant resurface area by moving an end mill cutter within the rail member of the femoral resurfacing guide throughout the implant resurface area. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27)
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Specification