36 results about "Knee operations" patented technology

An orthopedic knee brace provides an apparatus for accurately prescribing the anatomical motion of the human knee. The orthopedic knee brace is used for treatment and rehabilitation following surgery to the knee, protection for a surgically repaired knee, and protection for an uninjured knee, among other applications. The orthopedic knee brace actively prescribes asymmetric three-dimensional anatomic motion in six degrees of freedom of the wearer's knee. The rigid connections between the thigh and calf engaging members and the medial and lateral hinges provide the ability of the orthopedic knee brace to prescribe asymmetric three-dimensional anatomic motion in six degrees of freedom by actively prescribing flexion and extension, abduction and adduction, internal / external rotation, anterior / posterior translation, medial / lateral translation, and proximal / distal translation between a femur and a tibia of a wearer's leg. In alternate embodiments a single-hinge brace design is provided for treatment and prevention of osteoarthritis and other joint diseases and conditions.

In order to conduct navigation-assisted knee operations in a simple and optimum manner, a patella reference device is proposed for the determination of the spatial position of a patella of a human knee joint during a navigation-assisted surgical procedure, comprising a base unit that can be secured on the patella, a reference element that can be detected by a detection device and a connecting device for the detachable connection of the base unit and the reference element in a first reference position and in at least one further second reference position differing from the first reference position.

Instrumentation for use in knee surgery comprises an intramedullary rod (10) for insertion into an end of a femur (100) and a distraction device (62) coupleable to the intramedullary rod (10) and operable between the intramedullary rod (10) and the tibia for adjusting the tension of the collateral ligaments on either side of the knee. A cutting guide (70) is configured to locate over an intramedullary rod (10) that has been inserted into an end of a femur (100), such that the position of the cutting guide (70) relative to the intramedullary rod (10), and therefore the femur (100), is adjustable in at least the anterior-posterior direction. A kit for use in knee surgery is provided and a method of adjusting the tension of the collateral ligaments on either side of a knee is taught.

A system is provided for positioning a cutting guide on a femur of a knee to make a cut along a distal end of the femur during knee surgery. The system may generally include an adjustable femoral attachment member configured to attach to a cut distal end of the femur, a cutting guide removably attachable to the femoral attachment member and configured to guide a surgical saw to make an additional cut on the distal end of the femur, and a force sensor for positioning between the femoral attachment member and a proximal end of a tibia of the knee. The force sensor may include a medial portion for sensing a medial force in the knee and a lateral portion for sensing a lateral force in the knee.

A patient's leg is clamped into place for knee surgery by placement of the lower leg and foot in a leg receiving structure which is removably attached to a platform through the use of VELCRO closures. The platform is adjustably connected to a rail of an operating table. The leg receiving structure includes a foot holder, into which the foot is strapped, and a leg holder, into which a lower part of the leg is strapped. The leg holder is pivotally mounted on the foot holder, so that the foot may be flexed as the foot holder is moved among various positions on the platform.

An apparatus and method for preparing a tibia for knee surgery. The apparatus includes a tibial base having a center axis, and a handle coupled to the base at an anterior base location that is offset relative to the center axis.

An orthopedic knee brace provides an apparatus for accurately prescribing the anatomical motion of the human knee. The orthopedic knee brace is used for treatment and rehabilitation following surgery to the knee, protection for a surgically repaired knee, and protection for an uninjured knee, among other applications. The orthopedic knee brace actively prescribes asymmetric three-dimensional anatomic motion in six degrees of freedom of the wearer's knee. The rigid connections between the thigh and calf engaging members and the medial and lateral hinges provide the ability of the orthopedic knee brace to prescribe asymmetric three-dimensional anatomic motion in six degrees of freedom by actively prescribing flexion and extension, abduction and adduction, internal / external rotation, anterior / posterior translation, medial / lateral translation, and proximal / distal translation between a femur and a tibia of a wearer's leg.

A system for resecting a tibia and femur during arthroplasty includes anchoring devices, a three-way alignnment guide attachable to an anchoring device. The alignment guide provides for locating a resection guide in three degrees of freedom, including one translation and two rotations. The resection guide is coupled to a computer navigation system.

The present invention provides for an apparatus for cutting a tibia, a stylus, an apparatus for cutting a femur, an apparatus for aligning a femoral cutting guide, and an ankle clamp in support of a unicondylar knee surgery. The present invention further provides for a method of preparing a femoral condyle of a femur for the implantation of a unicondylar femoral knee implant. The apparatus for cutting a tibia includes a unicondylar tibial resection guide that is adjustably connectable to a unicondylar tibial alignment guide and configured to operate concurrently with the tibial alignment guide. The apparatus for cutting a femur includes a spacer block and a cutting guide configured to operate concurrently with the spacer block.

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.

A system of surgical instruments for use with at least a first implant and a second implant of the same type but different sizes is provided. The system includes a first container containing at least a first surgical instrument of a first type that is size specific and a second surgical instrument of a second type that is size specific; a second container containing at least a third surgical instrument of the first type and a fourth surgical instrument of the second type, wherein both the third and fourth instruments are of a second size that is different from the first size and that corresponds to the second implant; and a third container containing at least a fifth surgical instrument of a third type that is size independent.

A device for rehabilitating a knee after knee surgery includes a support adapted to support the leg at the popliteal fossa while allowing the knee to be bent about the support with little interference from the support. A method of knee rehabilitation includes the step of supporting the patient's leg on the support and allowing the patient to control to movement in order to overcome muscle guarding. The support is carried by uprights that are spaced apart far enough to allow the patient to be positioned on his back between the uprights with the knee to be rehabilitated disposed over the support and the other leg stretched straight under the support.

Tools may be used individually and / or in combination to allow minimally invasive and safer orthopedic surgery. A femur adjustment tool lifts and lateralizes the proximal end of the femur during hip replacement surgery by pivoting on a ball temporarily placed in the acetabulum. A tissue protection and broach (rasp, cutting, drilling) guide tool may retract tissue at the incision, protect tendons and soft tissue, and provides a curved, elongated surface that cradles and guides the broaching tool. A tip of the main body of the protection and guide tool, and a hook protruding from the main body, may extend along opposite surfaces of the femur to help “capture” a portion of the femur for tool stability and to effectively and positively protect the piriformus tendon that will reside in the “V” between the hook and tip. A bone clamp is used when a generally transverse cut is made across a bone, for example, a knee surgery proximal tibial cut, wherein the clamp improves control of the bone portion for safer freeing of the bone portion from soft tissue and extracting the bone portion from the incision. A broad, flat plate of the bone clamp may be slid between the bone and the bone portion into the narrow space that has been created by cutting the bone, and a relatively narrow gripping member may be slid along / across the opposing surface of the bone portion, which allows the narrow gripping member to fit into the intercondylar notch of the femur.

The present invention includes a rehabilitation apparatus that can assist a patient that has been impaired, injured / traumatized, or subject to degenerative conditions in his or her lower limbs. The apparatus may be designed to exercise the extension and flexion movements for a patient's leg after knee surgery. A thigh support link may be connected to an upper leg link, which is connected to a lower leg link for supporting the patient's leg during the extension and flexion range of movements. A foot plate with wheels may be connected to the lower leg link, and the wheels enable the foot plate to slide along a base as the patient moves in both directions. A sled or connector provides a flexible connection between the thigh support link and the base, which allows the thigh support link to travel along the base in conjunction with the foot plate wheels. The present invention provides adjustable, constant resistance as the extension and flexion exercises are done. In some embodiments, the resistance may be different for the extension and flexion ranges of motion. The resistance may be applied through the connection of the sled or connector to the base. This can be done with direct or magnetic resistance mechanisms. In one embodiment, one or more b-motors or magnetic clutches are used to provide magnetic resistance.

This invention is a device and a method for preparing a knee joint for a prosthesis in a patient undergoing TKA surgery for any knee implant (prosthesis). The device and the method are used in a universal and an open platform fashion for any currently available knee implant, all patient specific implants and any knee implants that could be produced in future.The device is a patient specific instrument, which is based on a method comprising of image based (CT, MRI or computed X-ray) 3-D preoperative planning to design the templates (PSI) that are used to perform the knee surgery for any knee implant in a universal and open platform fashion.

Aspects of the present disclosure involve systems, methods, computer program products, and the like, for utilizing a series of images of a patient's anatomy to determine a cut plane for use during a knee procedure. To determine a cut plane for use during a knee replacement procedure, the 2D images may be analyzed by a computer program to determine a femoral shaft axis reference line, a center of rotation of the knee, and the valley floor of the condyle notch. With these landmarks identified in the images, a cut plane through the femur for use during a TKA procedure may be determined. Further, the location of these features in the images may be determined by analyzing the gray scale value of one or more pixels around a selected point on the image. The pixel with the lowest gray scale value may then be assumed to be the edge of the cortical bone in the 2D image.

A ligament retractor assembly including a first retractor paddle, a second retractor paddle and an elastic member having one end received in an opening of the first retractor paddle and an opposite end received by an opening of the second retractor paddle. Each of the first and second retractor paddles includes a retaining section and a lever section. The lever section extends at a generally acute angle with respect to the retaining section. The first and second retractor paddles are integrally formed of a polymeric material. Each of the first and second retractor paddles includes a gripping portion formed at an end of the retaining section adjacent the lever section. The opening is formed on the retaining section of the paddles and has a generally dog leg configuration opening at a side of the retaining section and extending at an angle toward a median of the retaining section. A hole is formed through the retaining section adjacent the opening.

A method of navigating a cutting instrument, via a computer system, the method comprising: (a) mounting a patient-specific anatomical mapper (PAM) to a human in a single known location and orientation, where the PAM includes a surface precisely and correctly mating with a human surface correctly in only a single location and orientation; (b) mounting a reference inertial measurement unit (IMU) to the human; (c) operatively coupling a guide to the PAM, where the guide includes an instrument inertial measurement unit (IMU) and at least one of a cutting slot and a pin orifice; (d) outputting data from the reference IMU and the instrument IMU indicative of changes in position and orientation of the guide with respect to the human; (e) repositioning the guide with respect to the human to a position and an orientation consistent with a plan for carrying out at least one of a cut and pin placement; and, (f) visually displaying feedback concerning the position and orientation of the guide with respect to the human using data output from the reference IMU and the instrument IMU, which data is processed by a computer program and the computer program directs the visually displayed feedback.

The present invention is directed to a femoral sizing device that can be used in knee surgery and to techniques in which this device may prove useful.

The invention relates to a knee operation fixing device which comprises a foot fixing part and a locating frame. The foot fixing part comprises a shoe plate, a first sliding block and a bottom plate.The bottom of the shoe plate is spherically hinged to the first sliding block. The bottom plate is provided with a first sliding rail, and the first sliding block is mounted on the first sliding railin a sliding mode and can drive the shoe plate to move along the first sliding rail. A traction belt fixing lever is arranged on the front side of the first sliding block, a traction lever is arrangedat the front end of the first sliding rail, one end of the traction belt is connected with the first sliding block through the traction belt fixing lever, and the other end of the traction belt penetrates the traction lever downwards and is provided with a balance weight for fixing the knee. The locating frame comprises a connecting part, and connected with the bottom plate through the connectingpart, the locating frame is arranged on one side of the bottom plate, and the bottom plate is fixed to a frame to be mounted. The knee operation fixing device can replace a doctor to fix the foot andleg space positions of a patient, and the knee of the patient can be kept at different bending stretching degrees and enstrophe and ectropion angles for a long time.

A physical therapy device including a vertically elongated lever arm turned to project medially on the upper and lower extremities to form repetitive thigh and ankle bearing rods and further including an elongated crank.

A method of navigating a cutting instrument, via a computer system, the method comprising: (a) mounting a patient-specific anatomical mapper (PAM) to a human in a single known location and orientation, where the PAM includes a surface precisely and correctly mating with a human surface correctly in only a single location and orientation; (b) mounting a reference inertial measurement unit (IMU) to the human; (c) operatively coupling a guide to the PAM, where the guide includes an instrument inertial measurement unit (IMU) and at least one of a cutting slot and a pin orifice; (d) outputting data from the reference IMU and the instrument IMU indicative of changes in position and orientation of the guide with respect to the human; (e) repositioning the guide with respect to the human to a position and an orientation consistent with a plan for carrying out at least one of a cut and pin placement; and, (f) visually displaying feedback concerning the position and orientation of the guide with respect to the human using data output from the reference IMU and the instrument IMU, which data is processed by a computer program and the computer program directs the visually displayed feedback.

The invention provides an internal fixation device special for Hoffa fracture, and belongs to the technical field of medical apparatus. The internal fixation device special for the Hoffa fracture includes a joint-capsule internal anatomical fixation plate and a joint-capsule external anatomical fixation plate, the joint-capsule internal anatomical fixation plate is arc and provided with a first bridge connection hole, a second bridge connection hole is formed in the distal end of the joint-capsule external anatomical fixation plate, a plurality of first positioning screw holes are formed in the joint-capsule internal anatomical fixation plate, and a plurality of second positioning screw holes are formed in the joint-capsule external anatomical fixation plate. The joint-capsule external anatomical fixation plate is fixed above and behind the joint-capsule internal anatomical fixation plate to support the joint-capsule internal anatomical fixation plate, so that the stability of a fracture site is improved, and other traditional internal fixation operations are not influenced. On the basis of the internal fixation device special for the Hoffa fracture, a better Hoffa fracture treating method is provided and is special for complex and severely comminuted fracture; the internal fixation device is conducive to accurately restoring the fracture site and carrying out early functionalexercise, post-knee-operation complications are reduced, and therefore the treating effect on such fracture is improved.

Described are methods, processes, tools, techniques and / or devices suitable for use in total or partial knee arthroplasty procedures, which can be used to balance the knee and / or allow confirmation of the various gaps in flexion and / or extension prior to resecting the distal and posterior cuts of the femur and / or the resection of the tibia. The various techniques and embodiments described herein may be particularly useful in optimizing and / or reducing the number of resection cuts and / or improper resection cuts made during knee surgery which could result from resecting the knee before balancing.

Described are methods, processes, tools, techniques and / or devices suitable for use in total or partial knee arthroplasty procedures, which can be used to balance the knee and / or allow confirmation of the various gaps in flexion and / or extension prior to resecting the distal and posterior cuts of the femur and / or the resection of the tibia. The various techniques and embodiments described herein may be particularly useful in optimizing and / or reducing the number of resection cuts and / or improper resection cuts made during knee surgery which could result from resecting the knee before balancing.

A surgical instrument, for example a cutting block for use in knee surgery, comprises a mounting surface defining at least one opening for receiving a mounting projection. The mounting surface further defines a blind recess which extends linearly from the at least one opening. The blind recess may extend to an edge of the mounting surface. A system including a surgical instrument and one or more mounting projections is also disclosed. The blind recess can be used as a track to guide a projection to an opening, increasing the area of the instrument that can be used to locate the projection in the correct position. The recess acts as a guide for the projection to enter the opening by providing tactile feedback to guide the projection towards the opening. If the recess also extends to the edge of the instrument, the recess may be visible more easily when the surgeon is installing the instrument providing visual as well as tactile feedback.

A multifunctional spacer for knee surgery is described comprising a main body configured for use with a single femoral condyle and having an anterior portion of a first height and a posterior portion of a second height, wherein the second height is greater than, equal to or less than the first height. In addition, the anterior portion and / or the posterior portion is provided with an attachment mechanism for selective attachment of a height adjuster.

Disclosed herein are prosthesis, surgical tools, and methods to preserve one or more ligaments of the knee by cutting a least a portion of natural bone during joint surgery, with a portion of the natural bone retained along with the natural attachment of an associated soft tissue structure. The natural bone portion with the associated soft tissue may be re-secured to relevant anatomy during or after knee surgery, which may include retention by features of a tibial prosthesis.