Patent ID: 6702821
Filing Date: 2004-03-09
Classification: A61B,A61F

Abstract:
A method of performing surgery on a patient's knee, said method comprising the steps of supporting the patient on a support surface, making an incision in a knee portion of one leg of the patient, moving a guide member having opposite ends which are spaced apart by a distance which is less than two thirds (&frac23;) of a distance between tips of lateral and medial epicondyles on a femur in an upper portion of the one leg of the patient into the incision, positioning the guide member on the femur in the one leg of the patient with opposite ends of the guide member substantially aligned with an axis through the lateral and medial epicondyles on the femur in the one leg of the patient, moving a cutting tool through the incision into engagement with a guide surface on the guide member, cutting the femur in the one leg of the patient with the cutting tool, said step of cutting the femur includes moving the cutting tool along the guide surface on the guide member, and positioning an implant in engagement with the femur in the one leg of the patient, wherein the implant has a transverse length that is larger than the guide surface length.