System and method for assisting with arrangement of a stock instrument with respect to a patient issue

A guide for assisting with arrangement of a stock instrument with respect to a patient tissue, the guide comprising:

• a lower guide surface configured to contact an upper instrument surface of the stock instrument when a lower instrument surface of the stock instrument is in contact with the patient tissue, the lower guide surface being contoured to substantially mate with at least a portion of the upper instrument surface;
• an upper guide surface spaced longitudinally apart from the lower guide surface by a guide body, the upper guide surface being accessible to a user when the lower guide surface is in contact with the upper instrument surface;
• and
• an orienting feature;
• wherein
• the orienting feature is configured to enter a predetermined orienting relationship with a previously placed landmark while the lower guide surface is in mating contact with at least a portion of the upper instrument surface in a predetermined relative guide/instrument orientation, the predetermined orienting relationship indicating that the instrument has achieved a predetermined instrument relationship with the patient tissue.

A method of arranging a stock instrument with respect to a patient tissue, the stock instrument including at least one guide interacting feature, the method comprising the steps of:

• placing a lower instrument surface of the stock instrument into contact with the patient tissue;
• providing a guide having a lower guide surface contoured to substantially mate with at least a portion of an upper instrument surface of the stock instrument, an upper guide surface spaced longitudinally apart from the lower guide surface by a guide body, and at least one instrument guiding feature at a predetermined feature location with respect to the guide body;
• defining a predetermined orientation of the stock instrument upon the patient tissue, the predetermined orientation being preselected responsive to preoperative imaging of the patient tissue;
• placing the lower guide surface into mating contact with at least a portion of the upper instrument surface and engaging the guide and the stock instrument together to form a guide assembly wherein relative rotation between the guide and the stock instrument is prevented;
• and
• moving the guide assembly until the stock instrument is disposed in the predetermined orientation.