A human joint 10 is the junction of four bones: a femur 12, a tibia 14, a fibula 16 and a patella 18, as shown in FIGS. 1-3. Myriad medical problems can require partial or complete replacement of one or more portions of the aforesaid bones that form the knee joint 10. When using one or more prosthetic devices to replace one or more portions of the bones of the knee joint 10, preparation portions of the various bones can be necessary to supply a proper fit for the prosthetic. Preparation can include resection or fashioning of the bones to complement an interior portion of a prosthetic.
When implanting a prosthetic on a distal end 20 of the femur 12, portions of the distal end 20 can be resected to provide a proper fit for the prosthetic. For example, a lateral condyle 22 and a medial condyle 24 can be partially or completely resected in preparation for implantation of the prosthetic. A distal femoral planar cut is generally performed relative to a mechanical angle of the knee joint 10. To vary the angle of the distal femoral planar cut, multiple components typically have to be disassembled and reassembled to provide the proper angle. One or more of the components used to provide the distal femoral planar cut are typically positioned above an anterior surface of the femur. In such a position, access to an anterior portion of the femur and positioning components in the same area can be relatively difficult. While the above methods and components remain useful for their intended purpose, there remains room in the art for improvement.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds