Instrumentation for recording and replicating orthopaedic implant orientation

A method for preparing a final implant for implantation within a joint, the final implant having a stem for implantation within a bone and a dialable component mounted to the stem, the method comprising the steps of:

• placing a trial implant stem within a bone of the joint;
• positioning a trial implant dialable component on the trial implant stem within the joint;
• locking the trial implant dialable component to the trial implant stem;
• removing the trial implant stem and the locked trial implant dialable component from the bone;
• positioning the removed trial implant, including the trial implant stem in a jig;
• recording an orientation of the trial implant dialable component relative to a pre-determined datum of the trial implant stem positioned in the jig wherein the jig records the orientation, wherein the recording step includes:
• fixing the stem of the trial implant within the jig;
• using the jig to guide an alignment tool to engage the dialable component of the trial implant;
• and locking the angular orientation of the alignment tool relative to the jig when the alignment tool is in engagement with the dialable component;
• and using the same jig, replicating the orientation for the dialable component of the final implant relative to the same datum of the stem of the final implant.

A method of recording an orientation of a dialable component of an implant relative to a bone engaging component of the implant, the method comprising:

• placing the bone engaging component of the implant in a base assembly of a jig, the base assembly supporting the bone engaging component of the implant with a datum of the bone engaging component of the implant in a predetermined orientation;
• engaging the dialable component of the implant with an alignment tool after the implant is placed in the base assembly, wherein said alignment tool is engaged with a fixture connected to said base assembly;
• and
• locking the angular orientation of said alignment tool relative to said fixture after engaging the dialable component with said alignment tool aligned with the dialable component so that said alignment tool defines an angular orientation of the dialable component relative to the datum.