Tibial tray inserter
AssigneeZimmer Technology, Inc.
InventorsJohn Pendleton, Jeff Blaylock
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A tibial tray inserter for use during knee joint replacement surgery is provided.
Claims20
A tibial tray inserter for gripping a tibial tray component of a knee joint implant, the tibial tray component having a generally planar tray surface, a peripheral rail surrounding the tray surface, and a dovetail formed on the tray surface, the inserter comprising:
- a handle, the handle including a shoulder engageable with the peripheral rail of the tray surface in force transmitting relationship;
- a plunger mounted on the handle for translation relative to the handle, the plunger including a first dovetail groove engageable with the tray dovetail, the plunger being translatable between a first position in which the plunger and shoulder grip the tibial tray and a second position in which the plunger and shoulder release the tibial tray;
- and
- an actuator mounted to the handle and actuable to move the plunger between the first and second positions.
In combination, a tibial tray component of a knee joint implant and an inserter for inserting the tray component into a surgical site between a tibia and a femur, the tibia and femur being prepared to receive the knee joint implant by cutting away portions of the bones to form a gap between the bones of a predetermined width, the tibia having a longitudinal axis, the combination comprising:
- a tibial tray component having a tray thickness parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tibia, and
- an inserter having a handle and a head attached to the handle, the head being engageable with the tibial tray component to grip the tibial tray component, the inserter head having a thickness parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tibia sized to permit the tibial tray and inserter to be inserted together into the gap between the tibia and femur while the inserter is gripping the tray.
A method of manipulating a tibial tray component of a knee joint implant, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing an instrument having a handle, the handle including a shoulder engageable with the peripheral rail of the tray surface in force transmitting relationship;
- a plunger mounted on the handle for translation relative to the handle, the plunger including a first dovetail groove engageable with the tray dovetail, the plunger being translatable between a first position in which the plunger and shoulder grip the tibial tray and a second position in which the plunger and shoulder release the tibial tray;
- and an actuator mounted to the handle and actuable to move the plunger between the first and second positions;
- gripping the tibial tray component with the inserter;
- and
- positioning the tibial tray component at a desired location with the inserter.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.