# US 12,178,450 B2 · Graft placement system and method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,178,450 B2 - Document ID: US12178450B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/368,234 - Filed: 2021-07-06 - Published: 2021-10-28 - Granted: 2024-12-31 - Earliest claimed: 2015-06-29 - Assignees: Smith & Nephew, Inc. - Applicants: Smith & Nephew, Inc. - Inventors: Daniel Haberman; Stephen A. Santangelo; Nikhil N. Verma - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12178450B2 ## CPC - A61B 17/1635: {for grafts, harvesting or transplants} - A61B 17/17: Guides {or aligning means} for drills {, mills, pins or wires} - A61B 17/1739: {specially adapted for particular parts of the body} - A61B 90/06: {Measuring instruments not otherwise provided for} - A61B 17/1778: {for the shoulder} - A61B 17/8866: {for gripping or pushing bones, e.g. approximators (joint distractors A61B17/025)} - A61B 2017/2808: {Clamp, e.g. towel clamp} - A61B 2090/061: {for measuring dimensions, e.g. length} - A61F 2002/2835: {Bone graft implants for filling a bony defect or an endoprosthesis cavity, e.g. by synthetic material or biological material} - A61F 2002/285: {Fixation appliances for attaching bone substitute support means to underlying bone} - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - A61F: FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS (dental prosthetics A61C) ## Abstract Embodiments of the invention include a system for coupling a graft to a bone. A graft preparation tool may be used to place one or more holes in a graft and an offset measurement tool may be used to determine the distance of the one or more holes from an edge of the graft to be aligned with a portion of the bone. One or more complementary holes may then be created in the bone and fasteners applied through the holes to couple the graft to the bone. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A graft preparation tool, comprising: a tool body having a proximal end and a distal end; a pivotably actuatable jaw at the distal end of the tool body, the jaw including a first handle portion connected to a first jaw portion and a second handle portion connected to a second jaw portion, the first jaw portion comprising a first gripping surface and a first planar surface perpendicular thereto, and the second jaw portion comprising a second gripping surface and a second planar surface perpendicular thereto; a pivot mounting the first jaw portion to the second jaw portion such that the first and second gripping surfaces face one another and define a gripping area therebetween, the gripping area dimensioned for and configured to receive a graft, the first planar surface and the second planar surface lying in the same plane, and a tool axis extends through the pivot and the gripping area; an alignment guide comprising: an elongated guide body extending between a first end and a second end along a guide axis; and at least one guide hole extending through a thickness of the elongated guide body, the at least one guide hole positioned along the guide axis; and a locking bolt disposed closer to the pivot than to the proximal end of the tool body for locking the graft preparation tool in a closed position, the locking bolt extending through an entire width of each of the first handle portion and the second handle portion; wherein the alignment guide is mounted to the pivot adjacent the first end of the elongated guide body such that the at least one guide hole extends perpendicular to the plane of the first and second planar surfaces of the jaw, the alignment guide being rotatable about the pivot between the tool axis and a selected angle. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The graft preparation tool of claim 1, further including a locking knob for securing the alignment guide at the selected angle with respect to the tool axis. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The graft preparation tool of claim 1, wherein the at least one guide hole extends through a boss extending from a surface of the elongated guide body opposite the jaw. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The graft preparation tool of claim 1, wherein the at least one guide hole is at least two guide holes. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The graft preparation tool of claim 1, wherein the at least one guide hole is three guide holes. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The graft preparation tool of claim 5, wherein a spacing between the three guides holes is configured for drilling three differently-spaced pairs of holes in the graft. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The graft preparation tool of claim 1, wherein the first and second gripping surfaces are planar. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The graft preparation tool of claim 1, wherein the first and second gripping surfaces are textured surfaces. ### Claim 9 A method for preparing a graft, the method comprising: positioning a graft between first and second gripping surfaces of a pivotably actuatable jaw of a graft preparation tool, the graft preparation tool further comprising: a tool body having a proximal end and a distal end; the pivotably actuatable jaw at the distal end of the tool body, the jaw including a first handle portion connected to a first jaw portion and a second handle portion connected to a second jaw portion, the first jaw portion comprising the first gripping surface and a first planar surface perpendicular thereto, and the second jaw portion comprising the second gripping surface and a second planar surface perpendicular thereto; and a pivot mounting the first jaw portion to the second jaw portion such that the first and second gripping surfaces face one another and define a gripping area therebetween, the gripping area dimensioned for and configured to receive a graft, the first planar surface and the second planar surface lying in the same plane, and a tool axis extends through the pivot and the gripping area; an alignment guide comprising: an elongated guide body extending between a first end and a second end along a guide axis; and at least one guide hole extending through a thickness of the elongated guide body, the at least one guide hole positioned along the guide axis; and a locking bolt disposed closer to the pivot than to the proximal end of the tool body for locking the graft preparation tool in a closed position, the locking bolt extending through an entire width of each of the first handle portion and the second handle portion; wherein the alignment guide is mounted to the pivot adjacent the first end of the elongated guide body such that the at least one guide hole extends perpendicular to the plane of the first and second planar surfaces of the jaw, the alignment guide being rotatable about the pivot between the tool axis and a selected angle; pivotably actuating the jaw to secure the graft by compression within the gripping area; rotating the alignment guide about the pivot such that the alignment guide axis is orientated parallel to a centerline of the graft; and drilling holes through the graft. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the securing the graft by compression includes locking the jaw into place with the locking bolt. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the positioning the graft between the first and second gripping surfaces includes aligning the centerline of the graft with the tool axis. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one guide hole extends perpendicular to the plane of the first and second planar side surfaces of the jaw. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one guide hole is at least two guide holes. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one guide hole is three guide holes. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The graft preparation tool of claim 14, wherein a spacing between the three guides holes is configured for drilling three differently-spaced pairs of holes in the graft.