Patent ID: 11918236
Assignee: WRIGHT MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A | IPC A

Claim 10:
11. A surgical method for using a guide assembly comprising:
(a) providing a guide assembly including a first arm having a first end, a second end, and an axis extending from the first end to the second end, the first end of the first arm defining a first hole and at least one second hole provided between the first hole and the second end, were the first hole extends through the first end of the first arm at an angle to and intersecting the axis of the first arm and the at least one second hole extending through the first arm at an angle to the axis of the first arm; a second arm having a first end, a second end, and an axis extending between the first end and the second end, the first end of the second arm being attached to the first end of the first arm, with the second arm being oriented so that its axis is in parallel relation to the axis of the first arm; and a guide attached to the first arm or the second arm, the guide includes an arm having a hollow shaft for receiving a drill bit or a k-wire, the hollow shaft extending in parallel relation to the axis of the first arm and the axis of the second arm, such that the hollow shaft is in-plane with the first arm's axis in a first plane, and in-plane with the second arm's axis in a second plane so that the first plane and the second plane are at an angle to each other;
(b) inserting the first wire into a distal portion of a first bone of a patient wherein the first wire is oriented substantially orthogonal to the first bone's long axis, whereby the first wire and the long axis of the first bone define a first alignment plane;
(c) sliding the first arm over the first wire through the first hole;
(d) making an incision near the proximal end of the first bone and positioning the guide so that the tip of the guide is contacting the proximal end of the first bone;
(e) aligning the second arm to the long axis of the first bone under fluoroscopy so that the second arm's axis and the first bone's long axis are in-plane in a second alignment plane that is orthogonal to the first alignment plane;
(f) inserting a second wire through the at least one second hole of the first arm and into a second bone of the patient thus securing the parallel alignment relationship between the axis of the first arm and the long axis of the first bone;
(g) visually aligning the axis of the first arm with the long axis of the first bone in the first alignment plane by adjusting the orientation of the first arm by pivoting the first arm about a first wire;
(h) confirming the alignment between the axis of the first arm and the long axis of the first bone by fluoroscopy; and
(i) repeating the step (g) if the axis of the first arm is not aligned with the long axis of the first bone.