# US 9,517,145 B2 · Guide alignment system and method

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- Number: US 9,517,145 B2
- Document ID: US9517145B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/204,910
- Filed: 2014-03-11
- Published: 2014-09-18
- Granted: 2016-12-13
- Earliest claimed: 2013-03-15
- Assignees: Biomet Manufacturing, LLC
- Applicants: Biomet Manufacturing, LLC
- Inventors: Jason D. Meridew; Tyler D. Witt
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9517145B2

## CPC

- A61F 2/4609: {of acetabular cups}
- A61B 17/1746: {for the acetabulum}
- A61B 2017/568: {produced with shape and dimensions specific for an individual patient}
- A61F 2002/4687: {Mechanical guides for implantation instruments}
- A61F: FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS (dental prosthetics A61C)
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)

## Abstract

An orthopedic device includes a patient-specific acetabular guide that can be used for preparing an acetabulum of a patient to receive an acetabular implant and/or placement of an acetabular prosthesis. The acetabular guide has a body with an outer three-dimensional surface configured to match an acetabulum of a specific patient's hip joint designed from data of the patient's hip joint. The acetabular guide can further include a peripheral annular rim.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of placing a guide pin near an acetabulum with an acetabular guide system, comprising:
coupling an inserter to a patient specific acetabular guide via a keyed post, wherein the keyed post is fixed relative to the patient specific acetabular guide;
moving the patient specific acetabular guide into the acetabulum;
rotating the patient specific acetabular guide relative to the acetabulum with the coupled inserter; and
determining an alignment of the coupled patient specific acetabular guide with the inserter, including viewing an alignment jig,
wherein the alignment jig is associated with the inserter and extends from a shaft of the inserter.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein coupling the inserter to the patient specific acetabular guide via the keyed post includes coupling the inserter in a single predetermined location and orientation relative to the patient specific acetabular guide via the keyed post.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the keyed post defines a post alignment axis aligned with the patient specific acetabular guide in a single location and orientation.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein rotating the patient specific acetabular guide relative to the acetabulum with the coupled inserter includes rotating the post alignment axis relative to the acetabulum with the coupled inserter.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein determining the alignment of the coupled patient specific acetabular guide with the inserter includes aligning at least one of the alignment jig or a jig alignment axis with a predetermined anatomical landmark.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, further comprising:
registering the patient specific acetabular guide within the acetabulum when at least one of the alignment jig or the jig alignment axis is aligned with the predetermined anatomical landmark.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein the predetermined anatomical landmark is the anterior superior iliac spine.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein determining the alignment of the coupled patient specific acetabular guide with the inserter includes viewing the jig exterior to a soft tissue of a patient.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein determining the alignment of the coupled patient specific acetabular guide with the inserter includes viewing an alignment portion of the inserter.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, further comprising:
registering the patient specific acetabular guide within the acetabulum when the alignment portion is aligned with the predetermined anatomical landmark.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the predetermined anatomical landmark is the anterior superior iliac spine.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein rotating the patient specific acetabular guide relative to the acetabulum with the coupled inserter includes rotating the patient specific acetabular guide such that the post alignment axis sweeps an arc relative to a predetermined anatomical landmark.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein coupling the inserter to the patient specific acetabular guide via the keyed post includes engaging a non-circular internal bore of the inserter with a non-circular exterior surface of the keyed post.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein the non-circular exterior surface of the keyed post is trapezoid in cross-section.

### Claim 15

An acetabular guide system for placing a guide pin near an acetabulum, comprising:
a patient specific acetabular guide, including:
an exterior surface of the patient specific acetabular guide configured to have a geometry to register within the acetabulum of a specific patient, and
a keyed central post extending from an interior surface of the patient specific acetabular guide,
wherein the keyed central post includes an exterior surface that defines a post alignment axis relative to the patient specific acetabular guide; and
a registration guide defining a guide bore extending exterior to the interior surface,
wherein the keyed central post defines a trapezoid in cross-section,
wherein the post alignment axis is at a fixed location and orientation relative to the registration guide.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The acetabular guide system of claim 15, further comprising:
a guide inserter having an elongated shaft defining an internal bore;
wherein the internal bore of the elongated shaft engages the exterior surface of the keyed central post to move the acetabular guide into the acetabulum.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The acetabular guide system of claim 16, wherein the internal bore includes has an internal surface that is keyed complementarily to the exterior surface of the keyed central post;
wherein the internal surface that is keyed complementarily to the exterior surface of the keyed central post is configured to allow coupling of the guide inserter to the keyed central post in only one location and orientation.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The acetabular guide system of claim 17, wherein the guide inserter is configured to couple to the keyed central post so that the guide inserter is configured to at least rotationally move the patient specific acetabular guide.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The acetabular guide system of claim 18, further comprising:
an alignment jig coupled to the elongated shaft of the guide inserter;
wherein the alignment jig defines an alignment axis that is configured to be aligned with the post alignment axis when the guide inserter is coupled to the keyed central post.

### Claim 20 (depends on 15)

The acetabular guide system of claim 15, wherein the exterior surface of the keyed central post tapers from the interior surface of the patient specific acetabular guide to an end of the keyed central post.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The acetabular guide system of claim 20, wherein the internal bore includes has an internal surface that is a female taper that is keyed complementarily to the tapered exterior surface of the keyed central post;
wherein the internal surface that is keyed complementarily to the exterior surface of the keyed central post is configured to allow coupling of the guide inserter to the keyed central post in only one location and orientation.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The acetabular guide system of claim 21, wherein the guide inserter is configured to couple to the keyed central post so that the guide inserter is configured to at least rotationally move the patient specific acetabular guide.

### Claim 23 (depends on 21)

The acetabular guide system of claim 21, wherein the female taper and the exterior taper form a taper lock.

### Claim 24 (depends on 21)

The acetabular guide system of claim 21, further comprising:
an alignment jig coupled to the elongated shaft of the guide inserter;
wherein the alignment jig defines a jig alignment axis that is configured to be aligned with the post alignment axis when the guide inserter is coupled to the keyed central post.

### Claim 25 (depends on 15)

The acetabular guide system of claim 15, further comprising:
a pin guide insert defining an insert bore, wherein pin guide insert is placed in the guide bore to guide a guide pin.

### Claim 26 (depends on 25)

The acetabular guide system of claim 25, further comprising:
the guide pin configured to be passed through the insert bore to engage a region of a pelvis near the acetabulum.

### Claim 27 (depends on 15)

The acetabular guide system of claim 15, wherein the post alignment axis of the keyed central post is configured to be aligned with a predetermined anatomical landmark to allow registration of the patient specific acetabular guide with the acetabulum and achieve a predetermined placement of the registration guide.

### Claim 28

A method of placing a guide pin near an acetabulum with an acetabular guide system, comprising:
providing a patient specific acetabular guide comprising:
forming an exterior surface of the patient specific acetabular guide configured to have a geometry to register within the acetabulum of a specific patient;
forming a keyed central post extending from an interior surface of the patient specific acetabular guide, including
forming an exterior surface that defines a post alignment axis relative to the patient specific acetabular guide;
forming an internal bore of a guide inserter having an elongated shaft to engage the exterior surface of the keyed central post to move the acetabular guide into the acetabulum, an internal surface of the internal bore keyed complementarily to the exterior surface of the keyed central post so that the internal bore is allowed to couple to the exterior surface of the keyed central post in only one location and orientation;
forming an alignment jig to align with the post alignment axis when the internal bore couples with the exterior surface of the keyed central post; and
forming a registration guide defining a guide bore extending exterior to the interior surface;
wherein the post alignment axis is formed at a fixed location and orientation relative to the registration guide.

### Claim 29 (depends on 28)

The method of claim 28, wherein forming the exterior surface of the patient specific acetabular guide configured to have a geometry to register within the acetabulum of a specific patient includes acquiring images of the specific patient and designing the exterior surface of the patient specific acetabular guide to have a mating surface with the acetabulum of the specific patient.

### Claim 30 (depends on 28)

The method of claim 28, wherein forming the exterior surface of the patient specific acetabular guide configured to have a geometry to register within the acetabulum of a specific patient includes acquiring images of the specific patient and designing the exterior surface of the patient specific acetabular guide to have a mirror surface of the acetabulum of the specific patient.

### Claim 31 (depends on 28)

The method of claim 28, wherein forming the keyed central post includes forming the exterior surface of the keyed central post to taper from the interior surface of the patient specific acetabular guide to an end of the keyed central post.

### Claim 32 (depends on 31)

The method of claim 31, wherein forming the internal bore includes forming a female taper surface in the internal bore to be keyed complementarily to the tapered exterior surface of the keyed central post so that the internal bore is allowed to couple to the exterior surface of the keyed central post in only one location and orientation.

### Claim 33 (depends on 32)

The method of claim 32, wherein the female taper and the tapered exterior surface form a taper lock.

### Claim 34 (depends on 28)

The method of claim 28, further comprising:
forming a pin guide insert defining an insert bore, wherein the pin guide insert is placed in the guide bore to guide a guide pin.

### Claim 35 (depends on 34)

The method of claim 34, further comprising:
providing the guide pin to pass through the insert bore to engage a region of a pelvis near the acetabulum.

### Claim 36 (depends on 28)

The method of claim 28, wherein forming the keyed central post includes forming the exterior surface to define the post alignment axis relative to the patient specific acetabular guide by defining the post alignment axis to be aligned with a predetermined anatomical landmark of the patient to allow registration of the patient specific acetabular guide with the acetabulum and placement of the guide bore at a predetermined position and orientation relative to the acetabulum when the central post axis is aligned with the predetermined anatomical landmark of the patient.

### Claim 37

A method of placing a guide pin near an acetabulum with an acetabular guide system, comprising:
coupling an inserter to a patient specific acetabular guide via a keyed post, wherein the keyed post is fixed relative to the patient specific acetabular guide;
moving the patient specific acetabular guide into the acetabulum;
rotating the patient specific acetabular guide relative to the acetabulum with the coupled inserter; and
determining an alignment of the coupled patient specific acetabular guide with the inserter,
wherein coupling the inserter to the patient specific acetabular guide via the keyed post includes engaging a non-circular internal bore of the inserter with a non-circular exterior surface of the keyed post.

### Claim 38 (depends on 37)

The method of claim 37, wherein the non-circular exterior surface of the keyed post has a trapezoid cross-section.