Method and apparatus for constant force tensor/ligament balancer

A tensor/ligament balancer for use in measuring a gap existing between an anatomy, comprising:

• a body having a handle and defining a slot;
• at least one first paddle coupled to the body;
• a trigger pivotably coupled to the body and operable to pivot towards the handle in a first, actuated position and away from the handle in a second, released position;
• a spring housing coupled to the trigger and constrained to move in one direction relative to the body based on the movement of the trigger between the first, actuated position and the second, released position, the spring housing received within the slot of the body and including at least one measurement indicia such that the movement of the spring housing relative to the slot enables measurement of the gap;
• a clock spring disposed in the spring housing and coupled to the trigger, the clock spring operable to be wound by the trigger when the trigger is pivoted into the first, actuated position, and operable to unwind when the trigger pivots into the second, released position;
• at least one second paddle coupled to the spring housing such that the at least one second paddle moves with the spring housing and such that the clock spring biases the at least one second paddle away from the at least one first paddle;
• and
• wherein the movement of the trigger from the first, actuated position to the second, released position moves the at least one second paddle relative to the body to align the at least one measurement indicia of the spring housing with the slot in the body to enable measurement of the gap.