Zimmer Gmbh

Adam D Henderson

Dwight T Todd

Jeffrey E Bischoff

Cosimo Donno

Yifei Dai

Christine Schaerer

Methods are disclosed for designing a tibial implant to minimize cortical impingement of a keel or other fixation structure when the tibial implant is implanted in the tibia bone. The design of the keel or other fixation structure on the tibial baseplate can be based on determining a common area between defined cancellous regions of at least two tibia bones. Methods are disclosed for designing a femoral component having a stem extension such that the stem can be sufficiently placed in the diaphysis of the femur when the femoral component is implanted. The method includes determining a canal axis in a femur that creates adequate engagement between a reamer and the diaphysis of the femur.

Method for optimizing implant designs

A prosthetic femoral component () for an orthopaedic prosthesis has a canted patellar groove adapted for optimal patella/component interaction, with the component configured to have a medial or lateral cant depending upon the method of implantation. The femoral component defines a distal 'component transverse plane,' which is a plane tangent to the distal-most points of the component condyles (). In a 'mechanical' implantation, the component transverse plane is substantially normal to the mechanical femoral axis of the femur after the component has been implanted. Where the femoral component is configured to be &#x201c;mechanically oriented&#x201d; in this manner, the component has a medially canted patellar groove. On the other hand, an &#x201c;anatomic&#x201d; implantation is one in which, after the component has been implanted, the component transverse plane is substantially parallel to an &#x201c;anatomic&#x201d; transverse plane. The anatomic transverse plane is perpendicular to the anatomic axis of the femur from a sagittal view, and is inclusive of a line connecting the distal-most points of the natural femoral condyles before resection. Where the femoral component is configured to be &#x201c;anatomically oriented&#x201d; in this way, the component has a non-canted or slightly laterally canted patellar groove.

Femoral prosthesis with lateralized patellar groove

A prosthetic femoral component () for an orthopedic prosthesis has a canted patellar groove adapted for optimal patella/component interaction, with the component configured to have a medial or lateral cant depending upon the method of implantation. The femoral component defines a distal 'component transverse plane,' which is a plane tangent to the distal-most points of the component condyles (). In a 'mechanical' implantation, the component transverse plane is substantially normal to the mechanical femoral axis of the femur after the component has been implanted. Where the femoral component is configured to be &#x201c;mechanically oriented&#x201d; in this manner, the component has a medially canted patellar groove. On the other hand, an &#x201c;anatomic&#x201d; implantation is one in which, after the component has been implanted, the component transverse plane is substantially parallel to an &#x201c;anatomic&#x201d; transverse plane. The anatomic transverse plane is perpendicular to the anatomic axis of the femur from a sagittal view, and is inclusive of a line connecting the distal-most points of the natural femoral condyles before resection. Where the femoral component is configured to be &#x201c;anatomically oriented&#x201d; in this way, the component has a non-canted or slightly laterally canted patellar groove.

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Winterthur, Switzerland

Adam D Henderson