Patient-adapted and improved articular implants, designs and related guide tools

• US 9,439,767 B2
• Filed: 10/10/2013
• Issued: 09/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Conformis Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Conformis Incorporated
• Inventors: Bojarski, Raymond A., Chao, Nam T., Slamin, John, Lang, Philipp, Fitz, Wolfgang, Steines, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Philogene, Pedro
• Application Number:
  US14/051,003
• Publication Number:
  US 20140039631A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,069 Days
• Field of Search: 606/86.R, 606 87- 89, 623/23.46, 623/20.36, 623/20.34, 623/20.35, 623/20.29, 623/20.3, 623/20.32, 623/18.11, 600/410, 600/595, 705/2, 705/26, 700/95, 700/97, 700/98
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1764 for the knee
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/30 Joints
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/30942 for designing or making customized prostheses, e.g. using templates, CT or NMR scans, finite-element analysis or CAD-CAM techniques
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/3859 Femoral components
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/3886 for stabilising knees against anterior or lateral dislocations
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/389 Tibial components A61F2/3868 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/461 of knees
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30322 differing in surface structures
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30324 differing in thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30326 differing in height or in length
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30327 differing in diameter
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30948 using computerized tomography, i.e. CT scans
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30952 using CAD-CAM techniques or NC-techniques
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0036 differing in thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0039 differing in diameter
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49 Method of mechanical manufacture

Abstract

Methods and devices are disclosed relating improved articular models, implant components, and related guide tools and procedures. In addition, methods and devices are disclosed relating articular models, implant components, and/or related guide tools and procedures that include one or more features derived from patient-data, for example, images of the patient'"'"'s joint. The data can be used to create a model for analyzing a patient'"'"'s joint and to devise and evaluate a course of corrective action. The data also can be used to create patient-adapted implant components and related tools and procedures.

Claims

1. A method of designing a patient-matched articular implant for repairing a patient'"'"'s joint having an outer articular surface and an inner bone-facing surface, the method comprising the steps of

(a) preoperatively identifying from patient-specific data of the patient'"'"'s joint a shape of an articular surface of the patient'"'"'s joint;

(b) deriving for the articular implant'"'"'s outer articular surface a shape that substantially matches the shape identified in step (a);

(c) determining a desired minimum peripheral thickness and a desired maximum peripheral thickness for the articular implant;

(d) selecting a blank based on the desired minimum peripheral thickness and the desired maximum peripheral thickness;

(d) modifying the blank to make the patient-matched articular implant based on the derived outer articular surface in step (b) and the desired minimum peripheral thickness and the desired maximum peripheral thickness.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the articular implant is selected from the group consisting of a femoral implant, a tibial implant, a patellar implant, a hip implant, a shoulder implant, and a spinal implant.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the desired minimum or maximum peripheral thickness for the articular implant includes performing a finite element analysis (FEA).

4. The method of claim 1, further including performing a load-bearing analysis of the patient'"'"'s joint.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the substantially matching includes smoothing a line or curve derived from the patient'"'"'s articular surface.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the substantially matching includes modifying the coronal or sagittal curvature.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the modifying comprises increasing or decreasing a radius of the coronal or sagittal curvature.