Patent ID: 7806896
Filing Date: 2010-10-05
Classification: A61B,A61F,A61G

Abstract:
1. A method of replacing at least a portion of a patient's knee, the method comprising the steps of: making an incision in a knee portion of a leg of the patient; determining a position of a cutting guide using references derived independently from an intramedullary device; positioning a cutting guide using the determined position, passing the cutting guide through the incision and on a surface of a distal end portion of an unresected femur, the cutting guide secured to the bone free of an extramedullary or intramedullary alignment rod; moving a cutting tool through the incision into engagement with a guide surface on the cutting guide; and forming at least an initial cut on the femur by moving the cutting tool along the guide surface; attaching a replacement portion of the knee to the cut surface, the replacement portion having a transverse dimension that is larger than a transverse dimension of the guide surface.