초록 ▼

A system and method for aligning a patient's leg, for establishing the ultimate alignment of the leg prior to making a horizontal femoral cut or a horizontal tibial cut, for preparing the distal femur for receiving a femoral implant, and for making the horizontal, femoral and tibial cuts. The system

A system and method for aligning a patient's leg, for establishing the ultimate alignment of the leg prior to making a horizontal femoral cut or a horizontal tibial cut, for preparing the distal femur for receiving a femoral implant, and for making the horizontal, femoral and tibial cuts. The system and method incorporate a spacer, a cutting guide, and a template. The spacer is insertable between a distal femur and a proximal tibia to rotate the tibia with respect to the femur into the desired alignment. The cutting guide is engageable with the spacer, and can be fixed to the proximal tibia and the distal femur. The cutting guide has openings sized and shaped to guide a surgical saw to make the horizontal femoral cut and the horizontal tibial cut. The template is shaped to closely conform with the distal femur to allow the leg to be extended and to allow the procedure to be performed without dislocating a patella. Through one method of the present invention, the practitioner can select the desired ultimate alignment of the leg prior to making the horizontal, tibial and femoral cuts. As a result, when a replacement knee is implanted, the leg will be in the desired alignment.

대표청구항 ▼

1. An instrument for aligning a leg during a knee replacement procedure, the instrument comprising:a first member configured to contact a distal femur and to exert a force on the distal femur in a first direction; and a second member configured to contact a proximal tibia and to exert a force on the

1. An instrument for aligning a leg during a knee replacement procedure, the instrument comprising:a first member configured to contact a distal femur and to exert a force on the distal femur in a first direction; and a second member configured to contact a proximal tibia and to exert a force on the proximal tibia in a second direction substantially opposite the first direction, the second member being movable in the second direction in a substantially fixed orientation with respect to the first member to move the tibia relative to the femur; wherein the first and second members are laterally disposed with respect to each other and are elongated and extending at least substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis between proximal and distal ends, the distal end of the first member having a thickness that is sufficiently thin to be manually, slidably inserted at a first lateral location between the distal femur and the proximal tibia, the distal end of the second member having a thickness that is sufficiently thin to be manually, slidably inserted at a second lateral location between the distal femur and the proximal tibia, the second lateral location being distinct from the first lateral location.