Patent ID: 9498199
Filing Date: 2016-11-22
CPC Classification: A61B

Claim Text:
1. A distractor instrument for use in a surgical procedure involving a knee joint having a tibia and a femur defining a medial-lateral axis and an anterior-posterior axis, the femur having a medial condyle and a lateral condyle, and the tibia having a superior face, comprising: a tibial plate; a femoral plate; a tibial arm having a tibial plate end having an anterior edge, a tibial control end and opposite sides extending between the tibial plate end and tibial control end, wherein the tibial plate is fastened to the tibial plate end of the tibial arm at the anterior edge, and wherein, when the tibial plate is capable of engaging with the tibia such that, the tibial plate extends posteriorly from the anterior edge in a direction generally parallel to the anterior-posterior axis and the tibial arm extends from the tibial plate in a direction generally parallel to the medial-lateral axis; a femoral arm having a femoral plate end, a femoral control end and opposite sides extending between the femoral plate end and the femoral control end, wherein the femoral plate is fastened to the femoral plate end, and wherein, when the femoral plate is capable of engaging with the femur such that, the femoral plate extends posteriorly from the femoral plate end in a direction generally parallel to the anterior-posterior axis and the femoral arm extends from the femoral plate in a direction generally aligned with the tibial arm; wherein the tibial arm and the femoral arm are pivotably connected to one another at a point between their respective plate and control ends so that pivotal movement of the femoral arm relative to the tibial arm reduces the distance between their respective control ends and increases the distance between the tibial plate and the femoral plate; wherein an axis through the pivot point extends through both opposite sides of both the tibial arm and the femoral arm; and wherein at least one of the plates is offset from the corresponding arm so that the entire plate is offset from both opposite sides of the arm.