Method and apparatus for the alignment of a femoral knee posthesis

The method for locating the mechanical axis of a femur, in the coronal plane, of a supine patient in relation to the corresponding knee of the patient, the method comprising:

• at least partially suspending the corresponding leg of the patient at the knee such that the knee is located at a suspended position wherein external forces on the knee are balanced so that the knee remains essentially stationary at the suspended position and is freely deflectable from the suspended position in response to a further external force applied to the femur;
• applying a force to the femur at a predetermined location relative to the mechanical axis of the femur;
• directing the applied force in a direction in the coronal plane such that the knee is undeflected from the suspended position while the force is applied to the femur in said direction;
• and
• employing said direction of the applied force to indicate the location of the mechanical axis of the femur, in the coronal plane.