Method of trialing a knee prosthesis

A method of trialing prosthetic components of a knee prosthesis, the method comprising

• positioning a femoral trial component on a surgically-prepared distal end of a patient's femur,
• selecting (i) a first femoral prosthetic component if a sidewall of the femoral trial component is positioned beyond an outer edge of the surgically-prepared distal end of the patient's femur and the surgically-prepared distal end of the patient's femur is visible through a notch defined in the sidewall of the femoral trial component, and (ii) a second femoral prosthetic component if the sidewall of the femoral trial component is positioned within the outer edge of the surgically-prepared distal end of the patient's femur, the first femoral prosthetic component being more narrow than the second femoral prosthetic component,
• positioning a tibial bearing trial component on a tibial base trial component seated on a surgically-prepared proximal end of a patient's tibia,
• adjusting the patient's leg with the tibial bearing trial component engaging the femoral trial component, removing the tibial bearing trial component from the tibial base trial component,
• inserting a keel punch into the surgically-prepared proximal end of the patient's tibia through an opening of the tibial base trial component,
• positioning the tibial bearing trial component on the tibial base trial component and the keel punch, and
• readjusting the patient's leg with the tibial bearing trial component engaging the femoral trial component after positioning the tibial bearing trial component on the tibial base trial component and the keel punch.

A method of trialing prosthetic components of a knee prosthesis, the method comprising

• positioning a femoral trial component on a surgically-prepared distal end of a patient's femur,
• selecting (i) a first femoral prosthetic component if a sidewall of the femoral trial component is positioned beyond an outer edge of the surgically-prepared distal end of the patient's femur and the surgically-prepared distal end of the patient's femur is visible through a notch defined in the sidewall of the femoral trial component, and (ii) a second femoral prosthetic component if the sidewall of the femoral trial component is positioned within the outer edge of the surgically-prepared distal end of the patient's femur, the first femoral prosthetic component being more narrow than the second femoral prosthetic component,
• selecting a tibial bearing surface trial component from a plurality of tibial bearing surface trial components,
• selecting a shim that includes a first surface configured to face the tibial bearing surface trial component when the shim is placed in a first orientation and a second surface configured to face the tibial bearing surface trial component when the shim is placed in a second orientation,
• orienting the shim relative to the tibial bearing surface trial component in one of the first orientation and the second orientation based on the selected tibial bearing surface trial component,
• securing the shim to the tibial bearing surface trial component to assemble the tibial bearing trial component,
• positioning the tibial bearing trial component on a tibial base trial component seated on a surgically-prepared proximal end of a patient's tibia, and
• adjusting the patient's leg with the tibial bearing trial component engaging the femoral trial component,
• wherein (i) the shim is secured in the first orientation relative to the tibial bearing surface trial component when the selected tibial bearing surface trial component is a first tibial bearing surface trial component, and (ii) the shim is secured in the second orientation that is opposite the first orientation when the selected tibial bearing surface trial component is a second tibial bearing surface trial component that is different from the first tibial bearing surface trial component,
• wherein (i) the tibial bearing trial component is permitted to rotate relative to the tibial base trial component when the shim is secured to the tibial bearing surface trial component in the first orientation and (ii) the tibial bearing trial component is substantially prevented from rotating relative to the tibial base trial component when the shim is secured to the tibial bearing surface trial component in the second orientation.