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US 12,733,957 B2Granted
Partial knee denervation system and method
OwnerRobert G. Kirtley, Kimberly Mackeyinventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system and method for using targeted denervation to treat knee pain. The relevant nerve branches for a particular patient are located using high resolution of ultrasound. Ultrasound is preferred because of its superior resolution and the dynamic nature of its imaging. A nerve blocking agent is preferably applied to each of the targeted branches and the knee joint is tested in order to see if the temporary block relieves the pain. If the pain is relieved by the nerve block(s) then the patient is a suitable candidate for denervation surgery. Each targeted nerve is exposed and transected.
Claims20
A method for relieving knee pain in a patient, comprising:
- (a) using ultrasound imaging to locate an emergence position of a medial saphenous nerve of said patient through a sartorius muscle of said patient;
- (b) using said ultrasound imaging to follow said medial saphenous nerve distally into a medial knee joint of said patient in order to identify additional branches that emerge from said sartorius muscle in a more inferior position;
- (c) using said ultrasound imaging to locate a position of an infrapatellar saphenous nerve in said patient;
- (d) based on said nerve identifications, determining proposed nerve transection sites selected to provide said knee pain relief;
- (e) marking a location of each proposed nerve transection site using skin indentations;
- (f) injecting an anesthetic into each of said proposed nerve transection sites;
- (g) determining whether said anesthetic injections provide pain relief for said patient;
- (h) where said pain relief is obtained, marking and transecting nerves within said proposed nerve transection sites by,
- (i) injecting a marking dye around each of said nerves in said proposed nerve transection sites,
- (ii) hooking a curved needle beneath each of said nerves within each of said proposed nerve transection sites in order to isolate said nerves from surrounding tissues,
- (iii) creating an incision proximate each of said proposed nerve transection sites and dissecting tissue to expose said nerves within each of said proposed nerve transection sites,
- (iv) identifying each of said nerves within said proposed nerve transection sites by inspecting for the presence of said dye and said curved needle, and
- (v) following said identification, transecting each of said nerves within said proposed nerve transection sites.
10 more elements
A method for relieving knee pain in a patient, comprising:
- (a) using ultrasound imaging to locate an emergence position of a medial saphenous nerve of said patient through a sartorius muscle of said patient;
- (b) using said ultrasound imaging to follow said medial saphenous nerve distally into a medial knee joint of said patient in order to identify additional branches that emerge from said sartorius muscle in a more inferior position;
- (c) using said ultrasound imaging to locate a position of an infrapatellar saphenous nerve in said patient;
- (d) based on said nerve identifications, determining a proposed nerve transection site selected to provide said knee pain relief;
- (e) injecting an anesthetic into said proposed nerve transection site;
- (f) determining whether said anesthetic injection provided pain relief for said patient;
- (g) where said pain relief is obtained, marking and transecting a nerve within said proposed nerve transection site by,
- (i) injecting a marking dye around said nerve in said proposed nerve transection site,
- (ii) hooking a curved needle beneath said nerve within said proposed nerve transection site in order to isolate said nerve from surrounding tissues,
- (iii) creating an incision proximate said proposed nerve transection site and dissecting tissue to expose said nerve within said proposed nerve transection site,
- (iv) identifying said nerves within said proposed nerve transection site by inspecting for the presence of said dye and said curved needle, and
- (v) following said identification, transecting said nerve within said proposed nerve transection site.
9 more elements
A method for relieving knee pain in a patient, comprising:
- (a) using ultrasound imaging to locate an emergence position of a medial saphenous nerve of said patient through a sartorius muscle of said patient;
- (b) using said ultrasound imaging to follow said medial saphenous nerve distally into a medial knee joint of said patient in order to identify additional branches that emerge from said sartorius muscle in a more inferior position;
- (c) using said ultrasound imaging to locate a position of an infrapatellar saphenous nerve in said patient;
- (d) based on said nerve identifications, determining a proposed nerve transection site selected to provide said knee pain relief;
- (e) injecting an anesthetic into said proposed nerve transection site;
- (f) determining whether said anesthetic injection provided pain relief for said patient;
- (g) creating a record of a nerve distribution found in said patient and a location of said proposed nerve transection site;
- (h) where said pain relief is obtained, marking and transecting a nerve within said proposed nerve transection site by,
- (i) using said previously created record to locate said proposed nerve transection site,
- (ii) injecting a marking dye around said nerve in said proposed nerve transection site,
- (iii) hooking a curved needle beneath said nerve within said proposed nerve transection site in order to isolate said nerve from surrounding tissues,
- (iv) creating an incision proximate said proposed nerve transection site and dissecting tissue to expose said nerve within said proposed nerve transection site,
- (v) identifying said nerves within said proposed nerve transection site by inspecting for the presence of said dye and said curved needle, and
- (vi) following said identification, transecting said nerve within said proposed nerve transection site.
11 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.