Active and passive devices for redistributing forces for the medial and lateral knee

#The present disclosure is directed towards systems and methods for treating tissue of a body and more particularly, towards approaches designed to treat a natural joint and conditions involving the knee joint specifically.

#A joint is the location at which two or more bones make contact. They are constructed to allow movement and provide mechanical support, and are classified structurally and functionally. Structural classification is determined by how the bones are connected to each other, while functional classification is determined by the degree of movement between the articulating bones. In practice, there is significant overlap between the two types of classifications.

#There are three structural classifications of joints, namely fibrous or immovable joints, cartilaginous joints and synovial joints. Fibrous/Immovable bones are connected by dense connective tissue, consisting mainly of collagen. The fibrous joints are further divided into three types: sutures which are found between bones of the skull; syndesmosis which are found between long bones of the body; and gomphosis which is a joint between the root of a tooth and the sockets in the maxilla or mandible.

#FIGS. 1A-D are various views, depicting the anatomy of a knee joint;

#FIG. 2 is a perspective view, depicting an implant attached to members defining a joint;

#FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view, depicting the structure of FIG. 2 taken along line 3-3;

#Referring now to the drawings, which are provided by way of example and not limitation, the present disclosure is directed towards apparatus and methods for treating the knee joint. Misalignment or dislocation can be due to natural anatomy specific to an individual or can be a function of a disease or condition, such as arthritis. Significant pain can be associated with these conditions and can be a direct result of excessive forces being generated between joint members. In particular, pain results when there are undesirable force contacts between the tibia and the femur or through inadequate anatomy separating these bones. The present disclosure is directed at both passive and active devices for alleviating pain by redirecting or absorbing excess forces without permanently remodeling tissues critical to the functioning of the knee joint.

#As shown in FIG. 1-4, one approach to treating conditions involving a knee can include the placement of a spacer or an implant 100 at the knee joint 102. The implant 100 can be generally U-shaped and can include terminal ends 104 configured to be affixed to body anatomy. In one approach, the terminal ends 104 include through holes 106 sized and shaped to receive bone screws 108 or other affixation structure. In this way, the implant 100 can be attached directly to a femur 110, tibia 112 or fibula 114 of the knee joint 102. Although the implants have been described herein as attached to a bone surface beneath a tendon, the implants can also reside beneath other anatomical structures including ligaments and muscles or a combination of anatomical structures. The implant can function to apply a tensioning force to all of the surrounding structures in combination (i.e. displacing both tendon and muscle tissue) to adjust alignment of the joint and redirect forces transmitted through the joint.

#As shown in FIG. 1, the implant 100 is affixed to the tibia 112 such that a midsection 120 of the implant 100 is configured under a ligament or tendon 130. Here, the implant is shown positioned under the fibular collateral ligament, but it is to be appreciated that the implant can be arranged under any knee structure so long as the desired redistribution of forces is accomplished. The terminal ends 104 of the implant 100 are shown directed away from the knee joint 102 but can alternatively be pointing toward the knee joint 102.