Method and Apparatus for Altering Biomechanics of the Articular Joints
AssigneeCotera, Inc.
InventorsVivek Shenoy, Hanson S. Gifford, II
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Abstract
Pathology of the human knee can arise from excessive and/or uneven loading of regions within the joint. Methods and apparatus are disclosed that enable displacement of soft tissue around the knee, without displacing or severing bone thereby altering the mechanical load distribution within the joint in a less invasive manner than previous techniques.
Claims29
A method of treating a knee joint, the knee joint including a tibia, tibial tubercle and patellar tendon, the method comprising:
- attaching a device to the tibia at a fixation site caudally of an attachment point of the patellar tendon to the tibial tubercle without penetrating the joint capsule of the knee with said device, and with the device engaging the patellar tendon between the patella and the attachment point of the patellar tendon to the tibial tubercle;
- and
- displacing the patellar tendon from a pretreatment location with said device by a distance sufficient to alter a load on the patella or femur to achieve a therapeutic effect, said displacement occurring without relocating the attachment point of the patellar tendon to tibial tubercle.
A method of treating patellofemoral pain in a knee joint, comprising:
- displacing a patellar tendon relative to a tibia to alter a load between a patella and a femur without cutting a tibial tubercle, said displacing comprising:
- attaching a fixation portion of a device to the tibia such that at least a portion of the fixation portion is disposed caudally of an attachment point of the patellar tendon to tibia;
- and
- engaging the patellar tendon with a displacement portion of the device superior to the attachment point such that the patellar tendon is displaced sufficiently to alter the load;
- wherein the device is disposed entirely outside a joint capsule of the knee joint.
A method of treating patellofemoral pain in a knee joint without cutting a tibial tubercle of the knee joint, comprising:
- displacing a patellar tendon with a device disposed entirely outside the knee joint capsule, the device having a fixation portion fixed to the tibia so as to extend generally in a caudal-cranial direction laterally or medially of an attachment point of the patellar tendon to the tibia, and a displacement portion extending generally in a medial-lateral direction to engage the patellar tendon cranially of the attachment point.
A method of treating patellofemoral pain in a knee joint, the knee joint being surrounded by a capsule and comprising a femur, tibia and patella with a patellar tendon extending between the patella and an attachment point on the tibia, said method comprising:
- creating an incision adjacent the knee without penetrating the knee joint capsule;
- inserting a prosthesis through the incision with a portion of the prosthesis inserted under the patellar tendon between the attachment point and the patella without the prosthesis penetrating the knee joint capsule;
- and
- attaching a second portion of the prosthesis to the tibia at a position at least in part caudally with respect to the attachment point, wherein the first and second portion of the prosthesis is configured and dimensioned such that said inserting and attaching displaces the patellar tendon by a least about 5 mm from a pretreatment location.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.