Guides for inclined surgical cuts or resections

• US 4,738,253 A
• Filed: 03/07/1984
• Issued: 04/19/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/1981
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Biomedical Engineering Trust I
• Original Assignee: Biomedical Engineering Trust I
• Inventors: Pappas, Michael J., Buechel, Frederick F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rosenbaum, C. Fred
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shedd, C. W.
• Application Number:
  US06/587,264
• Time in Patent Office: 1,504 Days
• Field of Search: 128/92 H, 128/303 R, 128/92 E, 128/92 V, 128/92 VW, 128/92 VV, 128/92 R
• US Class Current: 606/80
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/157 Cutting tibia

Abstract

A guide for a cutting device used to make a surgical cut in a first bone in desired spatial relationship with a pre-existing cut in a second bone is disclosed to include a means for contacting the pre-existing cut to establish a reference for the desired spatial relationship and a body member engaging the means for contacting and including a guide surface for establishing the desired spatial relationship and guiding a surgical cutting tool to cut the first bone in a plane which is not normally inclined with respect to the long axis of the first bone.

Claims

1. A guide for a cutting device used to make a surgical cut in a first bone in desired spatial relationship with a pre-existing cut in a second bone, said first bone having a long axis and an articular surface adjacent the portion of the bone to be cut, said guide comprising:

means for contacting said pre-existing cut to establish a reference for said desired spatial relationship; and

body means engaging said means for contacting, said body means including a guide surface displaced from said means for contacting by an amount defining said desired spatial relationship, said guide surface for engaging a surgical cutting tool during cutting of said first bone, said body means further including means for maintaining said first bone in a position with respect to said second bone such that said guide surface is within a plane which is inclined from but not perpendicular to the long axis of said first bone and also generally parallel to the general plane of said articular surface prior to being cut.

2. A guide according to claim 1 wherein said pre-existing cut in said second bone is a bore and said means for contacting said pre-existing cut comprises a rod slidably received within said bore.

3. A guide according to claim 1 wherein said pre-existing cut in said second bone is a resected surface and said means for contacting comprises a plate for engaging at least a portion of said resected surface.

4. A guide according to claim 3 wherein said resected surface is generally planar, said plate for engaging at least a portion of said resected surface has a planar surface for engaging said resected surface, and wherein said guide surface is generally parallel to said planar surface of said plate.

5. A guide according to claim 1 wherein said second bone has a long axis, and wherein said reference for said desired spatial relationship is in a plane which s inclined with respect to the long axis of said second bone such as to be not normal to said long axis of said second bone.

6. A guide according to claim 5 wherein said guide surface is in a plane which is parallel to a plane containing said reference.

7. A guide according to claim 1 including means on said body means for selectively varying the desired spatial relationship.

8. A guide according to claim 7 wherein said guide surface is defined by a slot formed in said body means, and said means for selectively varying the desired spatial relationship comprises a plate means removably received within said slot.

9. A guide according to claim 1 wherein said first bone and said second bone ware connected by ligametns, and further including means for establishing a desired degree of ligamentous tension during cutting of said first bone.

10. A guide according to claim 9 wherein aid means for establishing a desired degree of ligamentous tension comprises at least one expander means positionable between said first and second bones, said expander means including a first element for bearing against said first bone, a second element for bearing against said secondb one, and means engaging said first and second elements for selectively increasing or decreasing the space between said first and second elements whereby to change the spacing between said first and secondb ones and therewith the ligamentous tension therebetween.

11. A guide according to claim 10 wherein said second element is said means for contacting said pre-existing cut.

12. A guide according to claim 10 wherein said second element is rotatably mounted on said body means.

13. A guide according to claim 1 wherein said first bone is a tibia and said second bone is a femur and wherein said means for contacting said pre-existing cut comprises a positioning rod disposed on said body means, said guide surface being parallel to the axis of said positioning rod and further being either a plane inclined with respect to the long axis of said tibia by an angle of between 5°

and 15°

.

14. A guide according to claim 1 wherein said first bone is a femur and said second bone is a tibia, and wherein said means for contacting said pre-existing cut comprises of a planer surface disposed on said body means, said guide surface being parallel to said planar surface and further being within a plane inclined with respect to the long axis of said tibia by an angle of between 5°

and 15°

.