The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 13, 1997
Filed:
Jun. 30, 1995
Steven I Whitlock, Austin, TX (US);
Mark L Rehmann, Pflugerville, TX (US);
U.S. Medical Products, Inc., Austin, TX (US);
Abstract
A tibial resection guide alignment apparatus (10) includes an elongated base member (12) and structure connected to the base member for connecting the base member about a patient's tibia in an operating position adjacent to the anterior side of the surgically exposed tibial plateau. When connected in the operating position, a depth adjustment axis (D) associated with the base member (12) extends substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the patient's tibia. A carriage member (16) is slideably mounted on the elongated base member (12) so that its position may be adjusted along the depth adjustment axis. A depth adjustment mechanism (22) associated with the base member (12) and carriage member (16) provides fine adjustment to position the carriage member along the depth adjustment axis and then fix the carriage member in a desired position along the depth adjustment axis. A guide block mount (20) is pivotally connected to the carriage member (16) so as to pivot about a slope adjustment axis (S) that extends substantially perpendicular to the depth adjustment axis (D) and a slope adjustment mechanism (24) is associated with the carriage member. The slope adjustment mechanism (24) operates to pivot the guide block mount (20) about the slope adjustment axis (S) and to fix the guide block mount (20) in a desired orientation about the slope adjustment axis (S). Also, a guide block connecting arrangement is associated with the guide block mount (20) for releaseably securing a tibial resection guide (28) to the guide block mount (20). The connection for securing the base member (12) to the patient's tibia may be intermedullary or extramedullary since all of the adjustment for posterior/anterior slope and depth are provided on the alignment apparatus (10) adjacent to the proximal end of the tibia.