Apparatus for knee surgery and method of use

A patella resection guide comprising:

• a first side;
• a second side;
• and
• a depth gauge removably mountable on the first side of the resection guide to indicate the amount of bone to be removed from said patella and alternately mountable on the second side of the resection guide to indicate the amount of bone to remain on said patella.

A patella resection guide for guiding a cutter to cut a patella having an anterior side, an opposite posterior side, and a periphery around the patella, the patella resection guide comprising:

• a first jaw member shaped to engage said periphery of said patella;
• a second jaw member shaped to engage said periphery of said patella, the second jaw member connected to the first jaw member in translating relation;
• a first handle connected to the first jaw member;
• a second handle connected to the second jaw member, the second handle being actuable to move the second jaw member in a motion plane toward and away from the first handle;
• and
• a cutter guide adjacent the jaws, the cutter guide able to guide a cutter to cut in a plane parallel to the jaw motion plane.

A patella resection guide for guiding a cutter to cut a patella having an anterior side, an opposite posterior side, and a periphery around the patella, the patella resection guide comprising:

• a first jaw member shaped to grip said periphery of said patella;
• a second jaw member shaped to grip said periphery of said patella;
• a support member connecting the first jaw member in translating relationship to the second jaw member, the support constraining the jaw members to remain parallel when they move relative to one another;
• a handle actuable to move the first and second jaw members in a motion plane from a first position in which the jaw members are further from one another to a second position in which the jaw members are nearer one another;
• a cutter guide adjacent the jaws, the cutter guide able to guide a cutter to cut in a plane parallel to the jaw motion plane.

A method comprising the steps of:

• providing a patella resection guide having patella gripping jaws and a cutter guide;
• making an incision on at least one of the medial and lateral sides of a knee to expose said patella from the side;
• gripping the medial and lateral sides of the patella with the jaws of the patella resection guide while the patella remains in its normal orientation relative to the femur;
• and
• guiding a cutter with the cutter guide through the incision from the side of the knee to resect the patella.