Knee prosthesis assembly with ligament link

• US 8,343,227 B2
• Filed: 05/27/2010
• Issued: 01/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Biomet Manufacturing, LLC (Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Biomet Manufacturing, LLC (Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Metzger, Robert, Uthgenannt, Brian A., Stone, Kevin T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Matthews, William H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hoffman, Marcia
• Application Number:
  US12/788,966
• Publication Number:
  US 20100305698A1
• Time in Patent Office: 950 Days
• Field of Search: 623/13.12, 623/20.14, 623/20.21, 623/20.22, 623/20.24, 623/20.26, 623/20.28, 623/20.29, 623/20.33, 623/23.41
• US Class Current: 623/20.31
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/3836 Special connection between upper and lower leg, e.g. constrained
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/3868 with sliding tibial bearing
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/3886 for stabilising knees against anterior or lateral dislocations
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30462 retained or tied with a rope, string, thread, wire or cable
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30708 Means for distinguishing between left-sided and right-sided devices, Sets comprising both left-sided and right-sided prosthetic parts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0075 sutured, ligatured or stitched, retained or tied with a rope, string, thread, wire or cable

Abstract

A prosthetic knee joint assembly includes a femoral component that engages a femur and at least one bearing that supports articulation of the femoral component thereon. Also, the assembly includes a tibial tray that engages a tibia and that supports the bearing. A ligament link coupling component is included on the femoral component or the tibial tray. The ligament link coupling component is operable to couple to a ligament link to couple the ligament link to the femoral component or the tibial tray. Moreover, the assembly includes an opening included on the other of the femoral component or the tibial tray. The ligament link is received in the opening to bypass the other of the femoral component or the tibial tray to operably couple to the respective one of the femur or the tibia.

Claims

1. A prosthetic knee joint assembly for a knee joint of a patient with a tibia, and a femur, the prosthetic knee joint assembly comprising:

a unitary, single body femoral component that is adapted to engage the femur, the femoral component including an articulating surface;

a ligament link;

at least one bearing that supports articulation of the articulating surface of the femoral component thereon;

a tibial tray that is adapted to engage the tibia and that supports the at least one bearing;

a ligament link coupling component that is included directly on the femoral component, the ligament link coupling component operable to couple to the ligament link to couple the ligament link to the femoral component; and

a first opening and a second opening included anteriorly on the tibial tray, the ligament link extending from the femoral component, bypassing the at least one bearing, and received in one of the first opening and the second opening to bypass the tibial tray to operably couple to the tibia, the first and second openings being disposed on opposite sides of a medial plane of the tibial tray,

wherein the femoral component includes a medial condyle portion and a lateral condyle portion joined by a patellar track portion, an intercondylar opening being defined between the medial and lateral condyle portions, the femoral component also including a wall that extends superiorly from one of the medial condyle portion and lateral condyle portion, the ligament link coupling component extending from the wall into the intercondylar opening.

2. The prosthetic knee joint assembly of claim 1, wherein the ligament link includes at least one of an autograft, an allograft, a xenograft, an artificial graft, and combinations thereof.

3. The prosthetic knee joint assembly of claim 1, wherein the ligament link extends from a first end to a second end and includes an outer wall that defines an interior longitudinal passage portion disposed between the first and second ends, the ligament link including a first aperture extending through the outer wall and disposed between the first and second ends, the ligament link also including a second aperture extending through the outer wall and disposed between the first and second ends, the first end extending through the first and second apertures and the longitudinal passage portion to define a first adjustable loop, the second end extending through the first and second apertures and the longitudinal passage portion to define a second adjustable loop.

4. The prosthetic knee joint assembly of claim 1, wherein the wall is a first wall extending superiorly from the medial condyle portion, the femoral component including a second wall that extends superiorly from the lateral condyle portion, the ligament link coupling component fixed directly to both the first wall and the second wall and extending through the intercondylar opening.

5. The prosthetic knee joint assembly of claim 1, wherein the first opening and the second opening are each a through hole extending through the tibial tray.

6. The prosthetic knee joint assembly of claim 5, wherein the tibial tray includes a superior surface and an inferior surface, and wherein the through hole extends through both the superior surface and the inferior surface.

7. The prosthetic knee joint assembly of claim 5, wherein an axis of the through hole is disposed at an acute angle relative to the medial plane of the tibial tray.

8. The prosthetic knee joint assembly of claim 5, wherein an axis of the through hole is disposed at an acute angle relative to a coronal plane of the tibial tray.

9. The prosthetic knee joint assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one bearing includes a bearing opening, the ligament link adapted to be received in the bearing opening to bypass the bearing.