Rotation alignment instrument
AssigneeBoard of Regents of the University of Colorado
InventorDonald G. Eckhoff
Life of this patent
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Abstract
This invention provides a rotation alignment device for aligning the tibia with the femur of a patient prior to placement of prosthetic knee components. The device allows the patient's normal, habitual rotation of the tibia with respect to the femur to be preserved when the prosthesis is placed. It also allows the bones to be moved to any desired position prior to placement of the prosthetic components, including a position dictated by alignment of the long axes of the tibia and femur.
Claims19
A rotation alignment device for positioning the tibia relative to the femur of a patient prior to placement of prosthetic knee components, comprising:
- a femoral component having femoral leaves separated by a space large enough to accommodate the patient's anterior cruciate ligament, the femoral leaves being in the form of plates having proximal and distal surfaces, the proximal surfaces adapted to abut a patient's distal femur in use;
- tibial leaves corresponding to the femoral leaves also being in the form of plates cooperatively engaged with the femoral component and having flat proximal surfaces parallel to the distal surfaces of the femoral leaves;
- means for adjusting and maintaining a desired distance between the distal surface of each femoral leaf and the proximal surface of the corresponding tibial leaf;
- means for preventing disengagement of the tibial leaves from the femoral leaves in use;
- sheath means attached to the femoral leaves and leg barrel means attached to the tibial leaves, wherein the leg barrel means are slidably engaged with the sheath means and wherein the means for preventing disengagement of the tibial and femoral leaves comprises a keyway on the outer surface of the leg barrel means and a key on the inner surface of the sheath means.
A rotation alignment device for positioning the tibia relative to the femur of a patient prior to placement of prosthetic knee components, comprising:
- a femoral component having femoral leaves separated by a space large enough to accommodate the patient's anterior cruciate ligament, the femoral leaves being in the form of plates having proximal and distal surfaces, the proximal surfaces adapted to abut a patient's distal femur in use;
- tibial leaves corresponding to the femoral leaves also being in the form of plates cooperatively engaged with the femoral component and having flat proximal surfaces parallel to the distal surfaces of the femoral leaves;
- means for adjusting and maintaining a desired distance between the distal surface of each femoral leaf and the proximal surface of the corresponding tibial leaf;
- a femoral ledge at approximately right angles to the femoral leaves adapted to be placed against the flattened anterior surface of the distal femur in use.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.