Patent ID: 9498235
Filing Date: 2016-11-22
CPC Classification: A61B,A61F

Claim Text:
1. A removable elongate device for assisting prosthetic knee surgery by maintaining a correct flexion gap between a femur and a tibia of a human knee in flexion where the tibia is fitted with a tibial plate, said device comprising: one elongate member that is a pin provided with a threaded region at one end of said pin continuously extending longitudinally along at least part of the elongate member, and at the other end with a non-threaded region extending longitudinally along part of the elongate member and terminating in a coupling element configured to fittingly engage with a tool and for transmission of torque to the elongate member and with a minimum outer radial dimension equal to or smaller than that of the pin, which pin is of dimensions for introduction at its threaded end through a hole that passes from the anterior end of a human femoral condyle through to the posterior end of said condyle and wherein the pin spans at least the length of the said hole, and only one keeper corresponding to the one elongate member, the keeper provided with a threaded hole for direct engagement with the threaded region of said pin, the hole extending from an essentially flat and planar upper surface of the keeper and terminating at an essentially flat and planar lower surface of the keeper, said keeper configured for insertion into the flexion gap and to abut with the posterior end of said condyle allowing the threaded region to advance through the keeper from the upper surface to the lower surface and protrude from the posterior end of said condyle into the flexion gap by an amount at least equal to the flexion gap and to contact the tibial plate, wherein the elongate member and the keeper comprise a biocompatible material, wherein the keeper is configured to retain an essentially fixed orientation relative to the femur, and wherein the keeper is provided with two or more separated regions containing a plurality of protrusions each extending beyond the upper surface and each narrowing from a base end in connection with the upper surface to a top end, and configured to retain the keeper in the essentially fixed orientation relative to the femur and wherein the keeper is dimensioned for enclosure within the flexion gap of the human knee in flexion with the patella in place, wherein the removable elongate device is an intra-articular distractor.