# US 2019/0167282 A1 · Patient-specific knee alignment guide and associated method

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- Number: US 2019/0167282 A1
- Document ID: US20190167282A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/243,883
- Filed: 2019-01-09
- Published: 2019-06-06
- Earliest claimed: 2006-06-09
- Assignees: Biomet Manufacturing, LLC
- Applicants: Biomet Manufacturing, LLC
- Inventors: Robert Metzger; Keith R. Berend; Michael Berend; Adolph V. Lombardi, JR.; Lance Dean Perry; Ryan John Schoenefeld
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190167282A1

## CPC

- A61B 17/1764: {for the knee}
- A61B 17/154: {for preparing bone for knee prosthesis}
- A61B 17/155: {Cutting femur}
- A61B 17/56: Surgical instruments or methods for treatment of bones or joints; Devices specially adapted therefor
- A61B 34/10: Computer-aided planning, simulation or modelling of surgical operations
- A61B 17/157: {Cutting tibia}
- A61B 2017/568: {produced with shape and dimensions specific for an individual patient}
- A61B 2034/108: {Computer aided selection or customisation of medical implants or cutting guides}
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)

## Abstract

A method of preparing a knee joint for a prosthesis in a patient includes mating a patient-specific three-dimensional curved inner surface of a femoral alignment guide onto a corresponding three-dimensional femoral joint surface of the patient. The patient-specific three-dimensional curved inner surface is preoperatively configured from medical scans of the knee joint of the patient. First and second holes are drilled into an anterior portion of the femoral joint surface through corresponding first and second guiding apertures of the femoral alignment guide.

## Claims

### Claim 1

(canceled)

### Claim 2

A method of preparing a knee joint for a prosthesis in a patient, the method comprising:
mating a patient-specific three-dimensional curved inner surface of a femoral alignment guide onto a corresponding three-dimensional femoral joint surface of the patient, the patient-specific three-dimensional curved inner surface preoperatively configured from medical scans of the knee joint of the patient;
drilling a first hole into an anterior portion of the femoral joint surface through a corresponding first guiding aperture of the femoral alignment guide; and
drilling a second hole into an anterior portion of the femoral joint surface through a corresponding second guiding aperture of the femoral alignment guide.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein the second guiding aperture is asymmetrically located relative to the first guiding aperture on the femoral alignment guide.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, further comprising mating a portion of the inner surface of the femoral alignment guide to articular cartilage covering the femoral joint surface.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, further comprising mating a portion of the inner surface of the femoral alignment guide to a bone portion underlying articular cartilage of the femoral joint surface.

### Claim 6 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, further comprising inserting first and second guiding pins through the corresponding first and second guiding apertures and first and second holes.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, further comprising removing the femoral alignment guide without removing the first and second guiding pins.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, further comprising sliding the femoral alignment guide through open portions of corresponding perimeters of the first and second guiding apertures.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, further comprising supporting a cutting block on the first and second guiding pins.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, further comprising guiding a patient-specific femoral resection through the cutting block, the patient-specific resection determined by preoperative configuring the first and second guiding apertures on the femoral alignment guide to correspond to the patient-specific resection.

### Claim 11

A method of preparing a knee joint for a prosthesis in a patient, the method comprising:
mating a patient-specific three-dimensional curved inner surface of a femoral alignment guide onto a corresponding three-dimensional femoral joint surface of a patient, the patient-specific three-dimensional curved inner surface preoperatively configured from medical scans of the knee joint of the patient;
drilling first and second holes into an anterior portion of the femoral joint surface through corresponding first and second guiding apertures of the femoral alignment guide, wherein the first and second guiding apertures are preoperative configured for locating a femoral resection of the patient according to the medical scans of the patient and a preoperative surgical plan for the patient; and
inserting first and second guiding pins through the corresponding first and second guiding apertures and the first and second holes.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, further comprising removing the femoral alignment guide without removing the first and second guiding pins.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, further comprising sliding the femoral alignment guide through open portions of corresponding perimeters of the first and second guiding apertures.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, further comprising supporting a cutting block on the first and second guiding pins.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, further comprising guiding a patient-specific femoral resection through the cutting block.

### Claim 16 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, further comprising mating a portion of the inner surface of the femoral alignment guide to at least one of articular cartilage and underlying bone of the femoral joint surface.

### Claim 17

A method of preparing a knee joint for a prosthesis in a patient, the method comprising:
mating a patient-specific three-dimensional curved inner surface of a tibial alignment guide onto a corresponding three-dimensional tibial joint surface of the patient, the patient-specific three-dimensional curved inner surface preoperatively configured from medical scans of the knee joint of the patient; and
wrapping a portion of the tibial alignment guide around an anterior-medial edge of the tibial joint surface.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, further comprising:
drilling a first tibial guiding hole into an anterior portion of the tibial joint surface through a first corresponding anterior aperture of the tibial alignment guide.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, further comprising drilling a second tibial guiding hole into an anterior portion of the tibial joint surface through a second corresponding anterior aperture of the tibial alignment guide.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, further comprising inserting first and second guiding pins through the corresponding first and second anterior apertures and into the corresponding first and second tibial guiding holes.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The method of claim 20, further comprising removing the tibial alignment guide without removing the first and second guiding pins by sliding the tibial alignment guide through open portions of corresponding perimeters of the first and second anterior apertures of the tibial alignment guide.