US 9,808,356 B2 · Knee balancing devices, systems and methods

Abstract

Devices, systems and methods are provided for facilitating knee balancing during a knee replacement surgery. A system can include a force sensor, a main body, a moveable sensor platform, and an adjustment mechanism. The force sensor can sense one or more forces applied within a knee joint, including forces applied on a medial side and a lateral side. The movable sensor platform can be coupled between the force sensor and the main body. The adjustment mechanism can adjust the moveable sensor platform, relative to the main body, thereby adjusting a collective height of the system. A method can include inserting portions of a knee balancing system into a gap formed between a cut distal end of a femur and a cut proximal end of a tibia, adjusting an adjustable mechanism of the system to increase or decrease a collective system height, and sensing and displaying the medial and lateral forces.

Claims24

Dependent claims

A knee balancing system for facilitating a knee arthroplasty procedure, the system comprising:

a force sensor configured to sense one or more forces applied within a knee joint, including a force applied on a medial side of the knee joint and a force applied on a lateral side of the knee joint;
a main body;
a moveable sensor platform positioned between the force sensor and the main body;
and
an adjustment mechanism configured to adjust the moveable sensor platform relative to the main body, the adjustment mechanism positioned within the main body and including a linear medial track and a linear lateral track each of the linear medial track and the linear lateral track recessed within a base member portion of the adjustment mechanism and including one or more actuating ramped surfaces in fixed locations along each respective track.

2 more elements

A method for facilitating balancing tension applied to a knee joint by one or more ligaments or other soft tissue during a knee arthroplasty procedure, the method comprising:

inserting portions of a knee balancing system, including a force sensor, a main body, a movable sensor platform positioned between the force sensor and the main body, and an adjustment mechanism located within the main body, into a gap formed between a distal end of a femur and a proximal end of a tibia;
adjusting the adjustable mechanism of the knee balancing system to cause sliding engagement between one or more column elements and one or more actuating ramped surfaces in fixed locations within a linear medial track and a linear lateral track each track recessed within a base member portion within the adjustable mechanism to produce an increase or decrease a collective height of the system, including moving the moveable sensor platform and the force sensor relative to the main body;
sensing, using the force sensor, an amount of medial force applied against a medial portion of the knee balancing system by the femur and the tibia and an amount of lateral force applied against a lateral portion of the knee balancing system by the femur and the tibia;
and
displaying the amounts of medial and lateral force on the knee balancing system.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Knee balancing devices, systems and methods

Life of this patent

Knee balancing devices, systems and methods

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims24