Load Sensor Balancer Instruments
AssigneeHowmedica Osteonics Corp.
InventorCarlos E. Collazo
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed herein are apparatuses and methods for performing joint balancing procedures. The apparatus may have femoral paddle and a tibial paddle attached to a housing. The housing may include a distraction mechanism to vary the space between the femoral paddle and the tibial paddle. The tibial paddle may lie entirely within the femoral paddle in a closed position. A load sensor may be placed in the femoral paddle to measure ligament tension. The apparatus may be inserted into a knee joint and positioned to remain within the knee joint during flexion and extension of the knee without everting a patella.
Claims20
An apparatus for performing an orthopedic procedure on a knee, the apparatus comprising:
- a femoral paddle defining a thickness, the femoral paddle having a proximal side and an opposite distal side, the proximal side including at least one proximal femoral recess, the distal side including a distal femoral recess;
- a tibial paddle including a tibial proximal side and an opposite tibial distal side;
- a load sensor disposed in the femoral recess to indicate a load on the femoral paddle;
- and
- a housing coupled to the tibial paddle and the femoral paddle, the housing including a distractor to vary the distance between the tibial paddle and the femoral paddle,
- wherein in a closed position the tibial paddle is disposed within the distal femoral recess such that a combined thickness of the femoral paddle, the tibial paddle and the load sensor in the closed position is substantially the same as the thickness.
An apparatus for performing an orthopedic procedure on a knee, the apparatus comprising:
- a femoral paddle defining a thickness, the femoral paddle having a proximal side and an opposite distal side, the proximal side including at least one proximal femoral recess, the distal side including a distal femoral recess;
- a tibial paddle including a tibial proximal side and an opposite tibial distal side;
- and
- a housing coupled to the tibial paddle and the femoral paddle, the housing including a distractor to vary the distance between the tibial paddle and the femoral paddle,
- wherein in a closed position the tibial paddle is disposed within the distal femoral recess such that a combined thickness of the femoral paddle and the tibial paddle in the closed position is equal to the thickness.
A method of performing an orthopedic procedure on a knee, the method comprising the steps of:
- resecting a proximal tibia;
- placing a femoral paddle and a tibial paddle of a knee balancer in a closed position without everting a patella, the femoral paddle contacting an unresected distal femur and the tibial paddle contacting the resected proximal tibia in the closed position, the femoral paddle defining a thickness, the femoral paddle having a proximal side and an opposite distal side, the proximal side including at least one proximal femoral recess, the distal side including a distal femoral recess, the tibial paddle including a tibial proximal side and an opposite tibial distal side;
- distracting the knee joint using a housing coupled to the tibial paddle and the femoral paddle, the housing including a distractor to vary the distance between the tibial paddle and the femoral paddle;
- and
- measuring knee loads using a load sensor disposed in the femoral recess to indicate a load on the femoral paddle,
- wherein the tibial paddle is disposed within the distal femoral recess such that a combined thickness of the femoral paddle, the tibial paddle and the load sensor in the closed position is substantially the same as the thickness.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.