Patent ID: 6510334
Filing Date: 2003-01-21
Classification: A61F,Y10S

Abstract:
A method of producing an endoprosthesis as a joint substitute for knee joints comprisingpreparing a preoperative tomographic image of the damaged knee joint; virtually altering the preoperative tomographic image for approximating the contours of at least the femoral bone and of the tibia of the damaged knee joint to those of a healthy knee joint; virtually severing the altered femoral and tibial components defining respective components of a healthy knee joint as respectively visual patterns for the endoprosthesis whereby this severing is carried out on marked severing areas which later serve as thusly predetermined severing areas for severing the associated sociated components of the damaged knee joint from the joint bones during operation of the damaged knee joint; virtually transferring the marked severing areas for virtually preparing tomographic images of a femoral and of a tibial template for the femoral and the tibial components of the damaged knee joint as respectively separate visual patterns of an implantation aid which fits snugly to the damaged knee joint whereby the severing areas when virtually transferred to the implantation aid are exemplified as virtual guiding slots of a guide aid for guiding an oscillating sawing blade during operation of the damaged knee joint when the damaged knee joint components are factually severed from the joint bones; preparing three-dimensional femoral and tibial components of the endoprosthesis and three-dimensional femoral and tibial components of the associated implantation aid on the basis of their respective visual patterns.