Apparatus and method for facilitating the implantation of artificial components in joints

An apparatus for facilitating the implantation of artificial components in joints, comprising:

• a tracking device for providing positional tracking data representative of the position of a patient's joint and an artificial component;
• and
• a computer system comprising,
• means for creating a joint model of the patient's joint into which the artificial component is to be implanted;
• means for creating a component model of the artificial component;
• means for simulating movement of the patient's joint with the artificial component in a test position using the component model and the joint model;
• means for calculating a range of motion of the joint for said test position based on the simulated movement;
• means for determining an implant position of the artificial component in the patient's joint based on a predetermined range of motion and the calculated range of motion;
• means for identifying the determined implant position in the joint model, and
• means for aligning the joint model with the patient's joint and the artificial component model with the corresponding artificial component based on said positional tracking data.

A computer system for determining an implant position of an artificial acetabular cup in a patient's acetabulum and an artificial femoral head and shaft component in the patient's femur to provide for cooperation between the artificial femoral head and the acetabular cup, said computer system comprising:

• means for creating a pelvic model of a patient's pelvis into which an artificial acetabular cup component is to be implanted;
• means for creating an acetabular cup model of the artificial acetabular cup;
• means for creating a femoral model of a patient's femur into which an artificial femoral head and shaft component is to be implanted;
• means for creating a femoral head and shaft model of the artificial femoral head and shaft component;
• means for simulating movement of the patient's hip joint with the artificial femoral head cooperating with the acetabular cup in a test position using the femoral head and shaft and acetabular cup models and the pelvic and femoral models;
• means for calculating a range of motion of the femoral head and shaft component in the acetabular cup for the test position based on the simulated movement;
• and
• means for determining an implant position for the artificial acetabular cup and femoral component based on a predetermined range of motion and the calculated range of motion.

A method of determining an implant position for artificial components in a joint, comprising:

• creating a joint model of a patient's joint into which an artificial component is to be implanted;
• creating a component model of the artificial component;
• simulating movement of the patient's joint with the artificial component in a test position using the component model and the joint model;
• calculating a range of motion of the joint for said test position based on the simulated movement;
• and
• determining an implant position for the artificial component based on a predetermined range of motion and the calculated range of motion.

A method of facilitating the implantation of artificial components in joints, comprising:

• creating a joint model of a patient's joint into which an artificial component is to be implanted;
• creating a component model of the artificial component;
• simulating movement of the patient's joint with the artificial component in a test position using the component model and the joint model;
• calculating a range of motion of the joint for said test position based on the simulated movement;
• determining an implant position for the artificial component based on a predetermined range of motion and the calculated range of motion;
• identifying the implant position in the joint model;
• aligning the joint model with the patient's joint and the artificial component model with the corresponding artificial component based on positional tracking data representative of the position of the joint and the artificial component;
• and,
• tracking the artificial component and the joint to maintain alignment of the joint model with the joint and to determine the artificial component position relative to the implant position in the joint.

A computerized method of facilitating the implantation of an artificial acetabular cup in an acetabulum of a pelvis, comprising:

• creating a three dimensional pelvic model based on skeletal geometric data of a pelvis and acetabulum into which an artificial acetabular cup is to be implanted;
• creating a three dimensional component model of the artificial acetabular cup and a femoral component;
• simulating movement of the patient's hip joint with the artificial femoral head cooperating with the acetabular cup in a test position using the femoral head and shaft and acetabular cup models and the pelvic and femoral models;
• calculating a range of motion of the femoral head and shaft component in the acetabular cup for the test position based on the simulated movement;
• determining an implant position for the artificial acetabular cup and femoral component based on a predetermined range of motion and the calculated range of motion;
• identifying the implant position in the pelvic model;
• aligning the pelvic model with the patient's pelvis and the acetabular cup model with the acetabular cup based on positional tracking data providing the position of the pelvis and the acetabular cup;
• and,
• tracking the acetabular cup and the pelvis to maintain alignment of the pelvic model with the pelvis and to determine the acetabular cup position relative to the implant position in the hip.

A computer readable medium containing instructions for determining an implant position for artificial components in a joint, wherein said instructions comprise instructions for:

• creating a joint model of a patient's joint into which an artificial component is to be implanted;
• creating a component model of the artificial component;
• simulating movement of the patient's joint with the artificial component in a test position using the component model and the joint model;
• calculating a range of motion of the joint for at least one test position based on the simulated movement;
• and
• determining an implant position for the artificial component based on a predetermined range of motion and the calculated range of motion.

A computer readable medium containing instructions for facilitating the implantation of an artificial acetabular cup in an acetabulum of a pelvis, wherein said instructions comprise instructions for:

• creating a joint model of a patient's joint into which an artificial component is to be implanted;
• creating a component model of the artificial component;
• simulating movement of the patient's joint with the artificial component in a test position using the component model and the joint model;
• calculating a range of motion of the joint for at least one test position based on the simulated movement;
• determining an implant position for the artificial component based on a predetermined range of motion and the calculated range of motion;
• identifying the implant position in the joint model;
• aligning the joint model with the patient's joint and the artificial component model with the corresponding artificial component based on positional tracking data representative of the position of the joint and the artificial component;
• and
• tracking the artificial component and the joint to maintain alignment of the joint model with the joint and to determine the artificial component position relative to the implant position in the joint.