US 2006/0235420 A1Published application

Extramedullary fluoroscopic alignment guide

AssigneeDePuy Products, Inc.

InventorJOHN IRVING

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Abstract

An extramedullary fluoroscopic alignment guide is disclosed, along with a surgical method employing such an alignment guide. The extramedullary alignment guide includes both radiolucent and radiopaque material. The invention is useful in performing surgery on bones, for example, in performing surgery on the knee joint. The radiolucent material provides a support structure for the radiopaque material. The radiopaque material provides a radiopaque instrument reference that is sized, shaped and positioned so that the surgeon can simultaneously fluoroscopically view the patient's bone and the radiopaque instrument reference. The radiopaque instrument reference may be aligned with landmarks on the bone or other fluoroscopically viewable references, such as the mechanical or anatomic axis. The alignment guide can also include cutting guide surfaces.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An extramedullary fluoroscopic alignment guide to be fixed to a bone with an anchoring member during orthopaedic surgery wherein part of the bone is to be resected, the bone having an anatomic reference and a mechanical axis, the alignment guide comprising:

a first portion shaped to be positioned on a patient's limb at one end of a long bone, the first portion comprising a radiolucent body having radiopaque material shaped and positioned to define a linear longitudinal radiopaque reference;
a second portion shaped to be positioned on a patient's limb at the opposite end of the long bone, the second portion including a radiolucent body having radiopaque material shaped and positioned to define a linear longitudinal radiopaque reference;
an elongate connecting portion extending between the first portion and the second portion, the elongate connecting portion having a longitudinal axis, the longitudinal axis of the elongate portion and the linear longitudinal radiopaque references of the first portion and second portion being parallel to each other;
a transverse radiopaque reference perpendicular to the longitudinal radiopaque reference, the transverse radiopaque reference being shaped and positioned to provide an anterior-posterior radiopaque reference when the bone is viewed fluoroscopically from a medial or lateral perspective;
wherein the elongate connecting portion comprises radiolucent material to allow fluoroscopic viewing of at least part of the bone so that the position of the alignment guide can be adjusted to align the radiopaque instrument reference with at least part of the bone;
and
wherein the first portion, second portion and elongate connecting portion have an overall length sufficient to extend over at least a substantial part of the length of the long bone.

4 more elements

a first portion shaped to be positioned on a patient's limb at one end of a long bone, the first portion comprising an assembly of a body and a top piece, the body comprising a radiolucent material and a radiopaque material shaped and positioned to define a linear longitudinal radiopaque reference, the top piece including a transverse slot;
a second portion shaped to be positioned on a patient's limb at the opposite end of the long bone, the second portion including a radiolucent body having radiopaque material shaped and positioned to define a linear longitudinal radiopaque reference;
an elongate connecting portion extending between the first portion and the second portion, the elongate connecting portion having a longitudinal axis, the longitudinal axis of the elongate portion and the linear longitudinal radiopaque references of the first portion and second portion being parallel to each other;
a slope guide tool comprising a mounting arm received in the transverse slot in the top piece of the first portion and a guide arm extending out from the mounting arm in an anterior-posterior direction, the guide arm including radiopaque material defining a linear transverse radiopaque reference;
wherein the elongate connecting portion comprises radiolucent material to allow fluoroscopic viewing of at least part of the bone so that the position of the alignment guide can be adjusted to align the radiopaque instrument reference with at least part of the bone;
and
wherein the first portion, second portion and elongate connecting portion have an overall length sufficient to extend over at least a substantial part of the length of the long bone.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 11/423,864Filed 13 Jun 2006
Priority: 25 Jan 2002
Published: 19 Oct 2006
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification5 codes

A61B 17/157
For preparing bone for knee prosthesis: cutting tibia
A61B 17/1764
Specially adapted for particular parts of the body: for the knee
A61B 17/1703
Guides or aligning means for drills , mills, pins or wires: using imaging means, e.g. by X-rays
A61B 17/1725
Guides or aligning means for drills , mills, pins or wires: for applying transverse screws or pins through intramedullary nails or pins

Family

Application60/351,782Us provisional application · filed 25 Jan 2002
Application10/350,378Division · filed 23 Jan 2003
Application11/423,864Division · filed 13 Jun 2006
US 2004/0015173 A1Published application
US 7,083,624 B2Related patent
US 7,763,027 B2Related patent
US 2006/0235420 A1This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.