# US 12,685,611 B2 · Self-biasing ankle clamp tibial alignment guide

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- Number: US 12,685,611 B2
- Document ID: US12685611B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/973,372
- Filed: 2022-10-25
- Published: 2023-04-27
- Granted: 2026-07-21
- Earliest claimed: 2021-10-27
- Assignees: Joint Development, LLC
- Applicants: Joint Development, Inc.
- Inventors: Eric M. Dacus; Luca Terziotti
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12685611B2

## CPC

- A61B 90/57: Accessory clamps
- A61B 17/157: {Cutting tibia}
- A61B 90/11: with guides for needles or instruments, e.g. arcuate slides or ball joints
- A61B 90/14: Fixators for body parts, e.g. skull clamps; Constructional details of fixators, e.g. pins
- A61B 2090/571: {for clamping a support arm to a bed or other supports}
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)

## Abstract

The self-biasing ankle clamp tibial alignment guide includes a clamp body, at least one lever arm outwardly extending from the clamp body, and an alignment rod generally upwardly extending toward a proximal end of a patient tibia and movable relative to the clamp body. A strap couples to the lever arm to exert a force thereon offset from a contact point where the clamp body pulls into engagement with a patient, thereby generating a moment about the contact point that causes the alignment rod carrying a cutting guide to bias forward into engagement with the patient.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An ankle clamp tibial alignment guide, comprising:
a clamp body having a patient-contacting interface selectively engageable with an ankle of a patient;
a rod upwardly extending from the clamp body terminating in a cutting guide end distal from the patient-contacting interface; and
a restraint selectively coupled to at least one lever arm, the at least one lever arm extending up from the clamp body and positioned entirely above the patient-contacting interface, wherein tightening the restraint generates a moment near where the patient-contacting interface selectively engages the ankle, to self-bias the cutting guide end of the rod generally toward the patient.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The alignment guide of claim 1, wherein the at least one lever arm upwardly extends from the clamp body and the restraint couples to a distal end thereof relative to the clamp body.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The alignment guide of claim 2, wherein the distal end of the at least one lever arm comprises a position relatively higher than the patient-contacting interface selectively engaged with the ankle.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The alignment guide of claim 1, wherein the patient-contacting interface includes a pair of outwardly extending clamp arms generally forming a U-shaped enclosure for selectively receiving the ankle therein.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The alignment guide of claim 4, wherein the pair of outwardly extending clamp arms comprise an arcuate shape.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The alignment guide of claim 4, wherein the at least one lever arm comprises a pair of lever arms each upwardly extending from the pair of outwardly extending clamp arms.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The alignment guide of claim 6, wherein the restraint includes a first end selectively adjustably couplable with one of the pair of lever arms by way of a series of apertures formed within the restraint and a second end selectively adjustably coupled with the other of the pair of lever arms by a selectively lockable adjustment housing.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The alignment guide of claim 1, wherein the clamp body includes a casing housing a slide integrated therewith for selectively horizontally positioning the patient-contacting interface and the rod relative to the patient.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The alignment guide of claim 8, wherein the casing includes an externally accessible lock movable between a first unlocked position permitting movement of the slide relative to the casing and a second locked position in friction fit engagement with the slide thereby inhibiting movement of the slide relative to the casing.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The alignment guide of claim 1, wherein the at least one lever arm comprises an extendable lever arm.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The alignment guide of claim 1, wherein the restraint comprises a strap selected from the group consisting of an elastic strap, a rubber strap, a silicone strap, a plastic strap, a belt, and a metal spring.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The alignment guide of claim 1, further including a hinge coupling the rod to the clamp body, the hinge permitting pivoting movement of the rod relative to the clamp body.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The alignment guide of claim 1, wherein the rod comprises a telescoping rod.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The alignment guide of claim 1, wherein the restraint comprises a pair of spring-loaded clamping paddles positioned along the at least one lever arm.

### Claim 15

An ankle clamp alignment guide, comprising:
a clamp body having a patient-contacting interface selectively engageable with an ankle of a patient;
a rod upwardly extending from the clamp body terminating in a cutting guide end distal from the patient-contacting interface, the rod comprising an upper portion defining an upper alignment post and a lower portion defining a lever arm; and
a restraint selectively coupled to the lever arm below the upper alignment post, the lever arm extending up from the clamp body and positioned entirely above the patient-contacting interface, wherein tightening the restraint generates a moment near where the patient-contacting interface selectively engages the ankle, to self-bias the cutting guide end of the rod generally toward the patient.