Multi-Point Fit For Patient Specific Guide

A system for preparing a specific patient's bone with a bone preparation guide, the system comprising:

• a guide body including a plurality of bone locators movable into and out of the guide body;
• and
• a patient-specific insert configured to be received by the guide body, the patient-specific insert including a patient-specific insert surface customized based on image data of a specific patient to correspond to the patient's specific bone geometry;
• wherein cooperation between the patient-specific insert and the guide body positions the bone locators to define a patient-specific bone engaging surface at distal tips of the plurality of bone locators, the patient-specific bone engaging surface corresponding to the patient's specific bone geometry.

A method of customizing a bone preparation guide to correspond to a specific bone geometry of each one of a plurality of different patients, the method comprising:

• analyzing a first patient's specific bone geometry;
• developing a first pre-operative plan based on the first patient's specific bone geometry, a first patient-specific surface of a first patient-specific guide insert is designed based on the first pre-operative plan;
• coupling the first patient-specific guide insert to a guide body, the guide body including a plurality of bone locators connected thereto that are configured to be positioned by the first patient-specific surface of the guide insert to define a first patient-specific bone engaging surface of the guide corresponding to the first patient's specific bone geometry;
• positioning the guide body against the first patient's bone at a predetermined location corresponding to the first patient-specific bone engaging surface defined by the plurality of bone locators as positioned by the first guide insert;
• and
• guiding at least one of a first cutting instrument or a first guide to the first patient's bone using the guide.