Tibial prosthesis systems, kits, and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9492290-B2
Application number	US-201313837294-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 15, 2013
Priority date	Mar 30, 2012
Publication date	Nov 15, 2016
Grant date	Nov 15, 2016

Abstract

Systems for determining force balance on a knee joint during a surgical procedure are disclosed. A system can include a tibial prosthesis. The tibial prosthesis can include a bearing component, a base component, and a shim component. The bearing component can have a superior articulating surface and an inferior surface. The bearing component can include a top portion, a bottom portion, a frame disposed between the top portion and the bottom portion, and a plurality of sensors disposed between the frame and the bottom portion. The frame can have a plurality of apertures corresponding in size or shape to the plurality of sensors. The base component can have a superior surface and an inferior surface. The shim component can be configured to be slidable between the inferior surface of the bearing component and the superior surface of the base component in an anterior to posterior direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for determining force balance on a knee joint during a surgical procedure, the system comprising:
a tibial prosthesis including a bearing component, a base component, and a shim component, the bearing component, having a superior articulating surface and an inferior surface, and comprising a top portion, a bottom portion, a frame disposed between the top portion and the bottom portion, a plurality of sensors disposed between a superior surface of the frame and the bottom portion, the frame having a plurality of apertures corresponding in a size or shape to the plurality of sensors, the base component having a superior surface and an inferior surface, the shim component configured to be slidable between the inferior surface of the bearing component and the superior surface of the base component, and a plurality of distinct projections extending from the top portion of the bearing component that are sized and shaped to fit within the plurality of apertures of the frame and positioned between the superior articulating surface and the inferior surface of the bearing component, each of the plurality of distinct projections is configured to operatively engage with at least one of the plurality of sensors.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sensors are positioned on a plate disposed between the frame and the bottom portion.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of sensors occupies a substantial portion of the plate such that the sensors align with a substantial portion of the superior articulating surface of the bearing component.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sensors is selected from the group consisting of piezoelectric sensors, force sensing resistors, strain gauges, force gauges, load cells, potentiometers, barometers, other pressure sensors, and other force sensors.

5. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a user interface providing a representation of an area or volume of the tibial prosthesis for presentation on a display, the representation comprising a medial/lateral indication and an anterior/posterior indication.

6. The system of claim 5 , further comprising a wired or wireless connection between the plurality of sensors and the user interface.

7. The system of claim 5 , wherein the user interface includes at least one force center indicator for presentation on the display and based on sensed force or pressure data and sensor locations from at least a first subset of the plurality of sensors, and the at least one force center indicator is indicative of balance or imbalance between force or pressure levels on the knee joint.

8. The system of claim 5 , further comprising a processor, configured to receive and process information from the plurality of sensors, in communication with the user interface.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the processor is included in the tibial prosthesis.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the shim component is selected from a plurality of shims based on a proximal/distal spacing between the bearing component and the base component.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of shims includes different-sized shims and at least one shim includes one or both of a medial edge having a different height than a lateral edge or an anterior edge having a different height than a posterior edge.

12. A system for determining force balance on a knee joint during a surgical procedure, the system comprising:
a tibial prosthesis including a bearing component and a base component, the bearing component, having a superior articulating surface and an inferior urface, and comprising a top portion, a bottom portion, a frame disposed between the top portion and the bottom portion, a plurality of sensors disposed between a superior surface of the frame and the bottom portion, the frame having a plurality of apertures corresponding in a size or shape to the plurality of sensors, the base component having a superior surface and an inferior surface, and a plurality of distinct projections extending from the top portion of the bearing component that are sized and shaped to fit within the plurality of apertures of the frame and positioned between the superior articulating surface and the inferior surface of the bearing component, each of the plurality of distinct projections is configured to operatively engage with at least one of the plurality of sensors;
at least one shim component configured to be slidable between the inferior surface of the bearing component and the superior surface of the base component in an anterior/posterior direction, the at least one shim component selected from a plurality of shim components of varying sizes;
a user interface having a representation of an area or volume of the tibial prosthesis for presentation on a display; and
a connection between the user interface and the plurality of sensors, configured such that the user interface receives information from the plurality of sensors and provides at least one force center indicator of balance or imbalance on the knee joint for presentation on the display.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of shim components of varying sizes includes a plurality of shim components having one or both of a medial edge having a different height than a lateral edge or an anterior edge having a different height than a posterior edge.

14. The system of claim 12 , wherein the at least one shim component includes a first shim and a second shim, each of which is slidable between the inferior surface of the bearing component and the superior surface of the base component after the tibial prosthesis is inserted in the knee joint.

15. The system of claim 12 , wherein the user interface comprises a plurality of sensor icons for presentation on the display, the sensor icons having locations on the display corresponding to a relative location of the sensors within the bearing component.

16. The system of claim 12 , wherein the connection between the user interface and the plurality of sensors includes a processor, configured to receive and process force or pressure data from the plurality of sensors, and a computing device, that receives the force or pressure data from the processor, and wherein the processor and the computer device communicate wirelessly.

Assignees

• Zimmer Inc
• Synvasive Tech Inc

Inventors

• Claypool Jody
• Paprosky Wayne
• Lewallen David
• Stump Steven
• Chana Barjinder S
• Fisher Michael G
• Johannaber Kenneth D
• Sizelove Andrew P
• White Stephen E

Classifications

• A61F2002/4666

  for measuring force, pressure or mechanical tension · CPC title

• A61F2002/4661

  for measuring thickness · CPC title

• A61F2/4684 Primary

  Trial or dummy prostheses · CPC title

• A61F2/4657

  Measuring instruments used for implanting artificial joints (for surgical instruments A61B90/06) · CPC title

• A61F2/389

  Tibial components (A61F2/3868 takes precedence) · CPC title