Methods and systems for forming unicompartmental and unicondylar knee resurfacing in conjunction with cruciate ligament replacement concomitantly

A method of ligament repair and concomitant unicompartmental knee arthoplasty, comprising the steps of:

• drilling a tibial socket or tunnel in a retrograde manner using a flip cutter instrument comprising a shaft and a blade secured to a distal end of the shaft, the blade being configured to flip from a straight position to a flip position and vice versa, the blade advancing, in the flip position, from a joint articular surface of tibia, into the tibia and towards an outer surface of the tibia, by pulling the flip cutter instrument proximally from the articular space and towards the outer surface of the tibia, so that the blade in the flip position cuts in a retrograde manner in the tibia;
• installing a tibial trial bearing into a tibial tray secured on the tibia, the tibial trial bearing being spaced from an articular opening of the tibial socket or tunnel;
• securing a replacement graft within the tibial socket or tunnel;
• and
• subsequently, replacing the tibial trial bearing with a final tibial implant.

A system for simultaneous ligament replacement and unicompartmental knee arthoplasty, comprising:

• unicompartmental knee arthoplasty tibial and femoral implants;
• a retrograde cutter;
• and
• a ligament fixation system comprising a ligament for fixation within a femoral socket and a tibial socket;
• first and second buttons having different configurations;
• and two continuous, flexible, adjustable length, loops of flexible material, each of the loops having an adjustable length to allow positioning of the ligament within the tibia and femoral tunnels, and wherein each loop is provided with two discrete splices that allow adjustment in one direction while locking the construct in the opposite direction;
• and wherein the ligament securely attached to a respective loop for positioning.

A ligament fixation and UKA implant kit comprising:

• first and second buttons, wherein the first button has a plurality of apertures, and the second button has a body with at least one attachment feature disposed on a perimeter of the body, to allow assembly of the second button to a flexible strand;
• a flexible coupling mounted, in use, between the first and second buttons, wherein the flexible coupling includes an adjustable, closed, flexible, knotless loop having an adjustable length and two adjustable eyesplices that are interconnected;
• a ligament graft attached to the flexible coupling;
• a retrograde cutter for removing bone in a retrograde manner;
• and
• femoral and tibial components of a UKA partial knee implant.