Movable knee implant and methods therefor
US6770078B2 · kind B2 · utility
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 11, 2001 |
| Grant date | Aug 3, 2004 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 19, 2022 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
- CPC primaryA61B2017/0496
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An improved method of performing surgery on a joint in a patient's body, such as a knee, includes making an incision in a knee portion of one leg while a lower portion of the one leg is extending downward from an upper portion of the one leg and while a foot connected with the lower portion of the one leg is below a support surface on which the patient is disposed. The incision is relatively short, for example, between seven and thirteen centimeters. A patella may be offset from its normal position with an inner side of the patella facing inward during cutting of a bone with a cutting tool. During cutting of the bone, one or more guide members having opposite ends which are spaced apart by a distance less than the width of an implant may be utilized to guide movement of a cutting tool.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.