Method for performing an orthopaedic surgical procedure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9649119-B2
Application number	US-201414246799-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 7, 2014
Priority date	Mar 31, 2009
Publication date	May 16, 2017
Grant date	May 16, 2017

Abstract

A method for performing an orthopedic surgical procedure on a knee joint of a patient includes resecting a proximal end of a patient's tibia to create a resected surface of the patient's tibia and positioning a tibial paddle of a sensor module on the proximal end of the patient's tibia. The tibial paddle includes a sensor array generating sensor signals indicative of the joint force of the patient's knee joint. The method also includes performing a number of orthopedic surgical steps while monitoring a display of the sensor module that provides a visual indication of the medial-lateral balance of the joint force of the patient's knee joint.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for performing an orthopaedic surgical procedure on a knee joint of a patient, the method comprising:
positioning a tibial paddle of a sensor module on a proximal surface of a patient's tibia, the tibial paddle including a sensor array and having an upper tibial paddle housing with a flat surface,
distracting the patient's knee joint, wherein distracting the patient's knee joint comprises positioning a joint distractor in the patient's knee joint such that a medial tibial paddle of the joint distractor and a lateral tibial paddle of the joint distractor each contacts the upper tibial paddle housing of the sensor module,
monitoring a display of the sensor module, the display providing a visual indication of the medial-lateral joint force balance of the patient's knee joint,
performing a balancing procedure to adjust the medial-lateral balance as indicated by the display of the sensor module, and
resecting a distal end of the patient's femur after performing the balancing procedure.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein resecting the distal end of the patient's femur comprises performing one of an anterior femoral cut, a posterior femoral cut, or a chamfer cut on the distal end of the patient's femur.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising resecting a proximal end of the patient's tibia to create a resected surface of the patient's tibia, wherein positioning the tibial paddle on the proximal surface of the patient's tibia comprises positioning the tibial paddle on the resected surface of the patient's tibia.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein distracting the patient's knee joint comprises distracting the patient's knee joint while the knee joint is in extension.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein distracting the patient's knee joint comprises distracting the patient's knee joint while the knee joint is in flexion.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
distracting the patient's knee joint comprises distracting the patient's knee joint while the knee joint is in extension,
monitoring the display comprises monitoring the display while the patient's knee joint is in extension to determine a first medial-lateral joint force balance of the patient's knee as indicated by the display with the knee joint in extension, and
performing the balancing procedure comprises performing a first balancing procedure while the patient's knee joint is in extension to adjust the first medial-lateral joint force balance of the patient's knee joint.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
distracting the patient's knee joint while the knee joint is in flexion,
monitoring the display of the sensor module while the patient's knee joint is in flexion to determine a second medial-lateral joint force balance of the patient's knee as indicated by the display with the knee joint in flexion, and
performing a second balancing procedure while the patient's knee joint is in flexion to adjust the second medial-lateral joint force balance of the patient's knee joint.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein distracting the patient's knee joint comprises coupling the sensor module to the joint distractor.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein distracting the patient's knee joint comprises:
moving a medial femoral paddle of the joint distractor away from a corresponding medial tibial paddle of the joint distractor, and
moving a lateral femoral paddle of the joint distractor away from a corresponding lateral tibial paddle of the joint distractor.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein performing the balancing procedure comprises surgically altering the patient's knee joint to achieve a predetermined medial-lateral balance of the patient's knee joint as indicated by the display.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein surgically altering the patient's knee joint comprises performing a ligament release on soft tissue of the patient's knee joint.

12. A method for performing an orthopaedic surgical procedure on a knee joint of a patient, the method comprising:
positioning a joint distractor in the patient's knee joint such that a medial tibial paddle of the joint distractor and a lateral tibial paddle of the joint distractor each contacts a flat surface of an upper tibial paddle housing of a sensor module, wherein the sensor module includes a tibial paddle configured to be positioned on a proximal surface of the patient's tibia, and wherein the tibial paddle includes a sensor array and the upper tibial paddle housing,
monitoring a visual indication of the relative balance of a medial joint force and a lateral joint force of the patient's knee joint displayed on a display of the sensor module,
performing a balancing procedure on the patient's knee joint to place the medial joint force and the lateral joint force within a first predetermined percentage of each other as indicated on the visual indication displayed on the display module, and
resecting a distal end of the patient's femur in response to determining the medial joint force and the lateral joint force are within the first predetermined percentage of each other.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein resecting the distal end of the patient's femur comprises performing one of an anterior femoral cut, a posterior femoral cut, or a chamfer cut on the distal end of the patient's femur.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
resecting a proximal end of the patient's tibia to create a resected surface of the patient's tibia, and
positioning the tibial paddle of the sensor module on the resected surface of the patient's tibia.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein performing the balancing procedure on the patient's knee joint comprises performing a first balancing procedure while the patient's knee joint is in extension to place the medial joint force and the lateral joint force within the first predetermined percentage of each other, and
further comprising performing a second balancing procedure on the patient's knee joint while the patient's knee joint is in flexion to place the medial joint force and the lateral joint force within a second predetermined percentage of each other as indicated on the visual indication displayed on the display module.

16. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
coupling the sensor module to the joint distractor; and
distracting the patient's knee joint to establish a generally rectangular joint gap between the patient's proximal tibia and a resected distal end of the patient's femur such that the resected proximal end of the patient's tibia is approximately parallel with the resected distal end of the patient's femur.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein distracting the patient's knee joint comprises positioning a spacer block on the tibial paddle of the sensor module.

18. The method of claim 12 , wherein performing the balancing procedure comprises surgically altering the patient's knee joint such that the medial joint force and the lateral joint force are within the first predetermined percentage of each other as indicated on the visual indication displayed on the display module.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein surgically altering the patient's knee joint comprises performing a ligament release on soft tissue of the patient's knee joint.

20. A method for performing an orthopaedic surgical procedure on a knee joint of a patient, the method comprising:
positioning a tibial paddle of a sensor module on a proximal surface of a patient's tibia, the tibial paddle including a sensor array positioned therein and hav

Assignees

• Depuy Ireland Ultd Co

Inventors

• Rock Michael J
• Sherman Jason T
• Bertazzoni Mario M

Classifications

• A61B17/1764 Primary

  for the knee · CPC title

• A61B2017/0268

  for the knee · CPC title

• A61B2017/2837

  with a locking ratchet · CPC title

• A61B17/2812

  with a single pivotal connection (A61B17/29 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61B17/025

  Joint distractors · CPC title