System and method for total hip arthroplasty

A system for aligning and installing a prosthetic acetabular cup in a pelvis of a patient, said system comprising:

• a trial cup, configured to fit into a reamed acetabulum in the pelvis of the patient, said trial cup configured for rotation within the reamed acetabulum;
• trial components including a trial femoral head, trial neck and trial stem, said trial neck having a trial neck long axis;
• a jig comprising a fixation element and an aiming clamp;
• handle means for releasably connecting the aiming clamp to the trial components, said handle means comprising an alignment shaft configured for releasable fixation to the aiming clamp;
• said jig further comprising means for connecting the fixation element to the aiming clamp, with the aiming clamp fixed to the trial components through alignment shaft of the handle means, allowing manipulation of the trial components relative to the fixation element and trial cup and thereafter rigidly locking the jig in a shape after manipulation to rigidly fix the alignment shaft in alignment with the trial neck long axis;
• and
• an inserter characterized by an inserter axis, said inserter configured for fixation within the aiming clamp, such that inserter is rigidly fixed within the alignment clamp with the inserter axis aligned with the trial neck longitudinal axis, such that, upon removal of the alignment shaft from the aiming clamp, the inserter may be fixed to the aiming clamp such that the inserter axis is aligned on trial neck longitudinal axis.

A method of performing total hip arthroplasty on a pelvis and femur of a patient, said method comprising:

• installing a trial cup in a reamed acetabulum in the pelvis of the patient, such that said trial cup is rotatable within the reamed acetabulum;
• temporarily installing trial components including a trial head and trial neck in the femur;
• manipulating the femur with the installed trial components through a range of movement, with the trial head disposed within the trial cup, as necessary to impact a rim of the trial cup with the trial head and rotate the trial cup within the reamed acetabulum and position the trial cup in a stable position;
• temporarily securing the trial stem to a handle means, and temporarily securing the handle means to a manipulable and lockable jig, and temporarily securing the manipulable and lockable jig to the pelvis;
• after the step of manipulating the femur to position the trial cup in a stable position, further manipulating the femur to place the femur and trial components in a position in which an axis of the trial head and neck coincides with an axis of the trial cup, and thereafter locking the manipulable and lockable jig into the shape corresponding to the position in which an axis of the trial head and neck coincides with an axis of the trial cup;
• disconnecting the handle means from the trial components and the jig;
• and
• temporarily securing to the jig an inserter with an implantable acetabular cup attached, with an axis of the inserter aligned with the axis of trial cup determined in the locking step, locating the implantable acetabular cup in the reamed acetabulum, and thereafter operating the inserter permanently secure the implantable acetabular cup in the reamed acetabulum.