Zimmer Gmbh

Michael Wadcock

John N Insall

Peter Stanley Walker

Jonathan Blamey

Mark Alan Heldreth

Steven A Zawadzki

Shawn Elliott McGinley

The prosthesis comprises a femoral component (2) having at least one substantially spheroidal condylar bearing surface (10,11), a tibial component (6) including a tibial platform (20), and a plastics meniscal component (7) located between the condylar bearing surface (10,11) an the tibial component (6) and being slidable on the platform (20). The meniscal component (7) is retained on a guide (23) upstanding from the platform (20). The guide (23) includes a post (24) and a cap (25) which is a snap-fit in a recess (30) in the meniscal component (7). The guide (23) is slidable in a track (32) within the meniscal component (7) so that movement of the meniscal component (7) in the anterior/posterior direction (A-P) is limited by impingement of the meniscal component (7) on the post (24) and/or on a rail member (21) projecting from the surface of the tibial platform (20). To install the prosthesis, a femur (1) is resected to provide a base for receiving the femoral component (2), which is retained in the resected femur by pins (3). The tibia (4) is resected to provide a flat base into which the tibial component (6) is fixed by a stem (5).

Prosthesis for knee replacement

The invention provides means for evaluating the fit of a knee replacement prosthesis on a resected tibial surface. A provisional instrument for this purpose includes a positioning tray having a peripheral profile corresponding to that of the tibial platform of the prosthesis, the tray having an upper surface and an under surface which is substantially flat and free from projections and the tray having a plurality of holes for receiving pins for temporarily attaching the positioning tray in a desired position on the resected tibial surface. Also disclosed is a jig for guiding, drilling and broaching operations, the jig having an aperture which is shaped to guide the broach. In addition, the invention includes a tibial broach which includes a hollow body having an upper end and a lower end and having an anvil at its upper end, an interior face and a posterior face which slopes downwardly towards a lower end, the posterior face having a series of teeth which are formed in the hollow body, such that bone cut by the teeth as the broach is driven into an intramedullary canal of a tibia passes into the hollow body.

Evaluating the fit of an orthopaedic implant

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Wiltshire, United Kingdom

Michael Wadcock