Patent Description:
Joint arthroplasty is a well-known surgical procedure by which a diseased and/or damaged natural joint is replaced by a prosthetic joint, which may include one or more orthopaedic prosthesis. For example, in a hip arthroplasty surgical procedure, a patient's natural hip ball and socket joint is partially or totally replaced by a prosthetic hip joint. Similarly, in a knee arthroplasty surgical procedure, a patient's natural knee joint is partially or totally replaced by a prosthetic knee joint.

One type of orthopaedic prostheses that may be used to replace a patient's joint are known as cementless orthopaedic prostheses. An orthopaedic surgeon implants cementless prostheses into a patient's boney anatomy by impacting the prosthesis into a corresponding bone of the patient using an orthopaedic prosthesis inserter. For example, a cementless acetabular prosthesis typically includes an acetabular cup outer shell, which is configured to be implanted into a patient's acetabulum. To do so, the orthopaedic surgeon may utilize an orthopaedic prosthesis inserter to impact the outer shell into the patient's acetabulum until the outer shell is sufficiently seated into the patient's surrounding bony anatomy. Additionally, other types of cementless orthopaedic prostheses may be implanted into a patient's bony anatomy in a similar fashion using associated orthopaedic surgical instruments.

Typically, the orthopaedic prosthesis is secured to the orthopaedic prosthesis inserter or other orthopaedic surgical instrument prior to impaction. To do so, one or more surgical instrument bolts may be used to temporarily attach the orthopaedic prosthesis to the orthopaedic prosthesis inserter. However, depending on the amount of bolt stretch exhibited by the surgical instrument bolt(s), the bolts may become loosened during impaction due to vibration, which may require the orthopaedic surgeon to repeatedly re-tighten the bolt(s). <CIT> provides a surgical instrument according to the preamble of claim <NUM>.

The invention concerns an orthopaedic surgical instrument for inserting an orthopaedic prosthesis into a bone of a patient as defined in claim <NUM>.

In some embodiments, the inner surface further defines a first aperture on a top side of the bolt head opposite the bottom side and a second aperture on a bottom side of the threaded end of the bolt shaft. In such embodiments, the axial passageway extends from the first aperture to the second aperture such that the axial passageway extends completely through the surgical instrument bolt.

Alternatively, in other embodiments, the inner surface further defines an aperture on a top end of the bolt head, and the axial passageway is a blind passageway that extends from the aperture, through the bolt head, and into the shank of the bolt shaft. In such embodiments, the blind passageway may extend into the shank of the bolt shaft without extending into the threaded end of the bolt shaft.

In some embodiments, the inner surface further defines an aperture on a bottom side of the threaded end of the bolt shaft, and the axial passageway is a blind passageway that extends from the aperture into the bolt shaft. In such embodiments, the blind passageway extends from the aperture on the bottom side of the threaded end of the bolt shaft, through the threaded end, and into the shank of the bolt shaft without extending into the bolt head.

Additionally, in some embodiments, the axial passageway is embodied as an inner chamber located within the shank of the bolt shaft. In such embodiments, the inner chamber may not extend into the bolt head or into the threaded end of the bolt shaft.

According to background information, securing device for use with a surgical instrument includes a surgical instrument bolt having a bolt head and a bolt shaft extending away from a bottom side of the bolt head. The bolt shaft includes a threaded end having a plurality of bolt threads defined thereon, a shank located between the bolt head and the threaded end, and an inner surface defining an axial passageway that extends through at least a portion of the bolt shaft.

In the background information, the inner surface further defines a first aperture on a top side of the bolt head opposite the bottom side and a second aperture on a bottom side of the threaded end of the bolt shaft. In such embodiments, the axial passageway extends from the first aperture to the second aperture such that the axial passageway extends completely through the surgical instrument bolt.

Alternatively, in the background information, the inner surface further defines an aperture on a top end of the bolt head, and the axial passageway is a blind passageway that extends from the aperture, through the bolt head, and into the shank of the bolt shaft. In the background information, the blind passageway may extend into the shank of the bolt shaft without extending into the threaded end of the bolt shaft.

In some background information, the inner surface further defines an aperture on a bottom side of the threaded end of the bolt shaft, and the axial passageway is a blind passageway that extends from the aperture into the bolt shaft. In such background information, the blind passageway extends from the aperture on the bottom side of the threaded end of the bolt shaft, through the threaded end, and into the shank of the bolt shaft without extending into the bolt head.

Additionally, in some background information, the axial passageway is embodied as an inner chamber located within the shank of the bolt shaft. In such background information, the inner chamber may not extend into the bolt head or into the threaded end of the bolt shaft.

According to some embodiments , the orthopaedic surgical instrument for inserting an orthopaedic prosthesis into a bone of a patient includes a handle having an impaction plate and a shaft extending from the handle. The shaft includes a threaded end, a shank located between the handle and the threaded end, and an inner surface defining an axial passageway that extends through at least a portion of the shaft.

In some embodiments, the inner surface further defines an aperture on a bottom side of the threaded end and the axial passageway extends from the aperture into the shaft. In some embodiments, the axial passageway may be embodied as a blind passageway. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the axial passageway may be embodied as an inner chamber located within the shank of the shaft.

While the concepts of the present disclosure are susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described herein in detail. It should be understood, however, that there is no intent to limit the concepts of the present disclosure to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications and alternatives consistent with the appended claims.

Terms representing anatomical references, such as anterior, posterior, medial, lateral, superior, inferior, etcetera, may be used throughout the specification in reference to the orthopaedic implants or prostheses and surgical instruments described herein as well as in reference to the patient's natural anatomy. Such terms have well-understood meanings in both the study of anatomy and the field of orthopaedics. Use of such anatomical reference terms in the written description and claims is intended to be consistent with their well-understood meanings unless noted otherwise.

Referring now to <FIG>, an orthopaedic surgical instrument <NUM> includes an orthopaedic prosthesis inserter <NUM> and a surgical instrument bolt <NUM>. In use, as discussed in more detail below, the surgical instrument bolt <NUM> is usable to secure an orthopaedic prosthesis <NUM>, such as an acetabular cup, to the orthopaedic prosthesis inserter <NUM> to facilitate implantation of the orthopaedic prosthesis <NUM> into a bone of a patient. To do so, the surgical instrument bolt <NUM> is received through a bolt passageway <NUM> of the orthopaedic prosthesis inserter <NUM> and screwed into a threaded aperture <NUM> of the orthopaedic prosthesis <NUM>. Once so attached, an orthopaedic surgeon may align the orthopaedic prosthesis <NUM> to the patient's boney anatomy and impact the orthopaedic prosthesis <NUM> into a bone of the patient by striking an impaction plate <NUM> of the orthopaedic prosthesis inserter <NUM> with a surgical mallet or similar tool.

As discussed in more detail below, the surgical instrument bolt <NUM> includes an axial passageway <NUM> defined therethrough to increase the amount of bolt stretch exhibited by the surgical instrument bolt <NUM>. Due to the increased bolt stretch, the tendency, frequency, or likelihood of the surgical instrument bolt <NUM> loosening during impaction is reduced. That is, the increased bolt stretch allows the surgical instrument bolt <NUM> to absorb vibrational forces caused during impaction without causing the threads of the surgical instrument bolt <NUM> to loosen. It should be appreciated that the inclusion of the axial passageway <NUM> increases the bolt stretch of the surgical instrument bolt <NUM> without the need to modify the diameter, length, or thread pitch of the surgical instrument bolt <NUM> relative to typical surgical instrument bolts used with the orthopaedic prosthesis inserter <NUM> and orthopaedic prosthesis <NUM>. As such, in the illustrative embodiment, the surgical instrument bolt <NUM> may be used with typical orthopaedic prosthesis inserters and orthopaedic prostheses without modification thereof. Of course, in other embodiments, the surgical instrument bolt <NUM> may also include a modified diameter, length, and/or thread pitch relative to typical orthopaedic surgical bolts used with the orthopaedic prosthesis inserter <NUM>.

The orthopaedic prosthesis inserter <NUM> may be embodied as any type of orthopaedic prosthesis inserter in which a surgical instrument bolt is used to secure an orthopaedic prosthesis to the inserter. In the illustrative embodiment, as shown in <FIG>, the orthopaedic prosthesis inserter <NUM> includes a curved body <NUM> having a distal end <NUM> to which the impaction plate <NUM> attached, integrally or separately. The impaction plate <NUM> is shaped and sized to provide a striking surface to receive impacts from an orthopaedic surgical mallet or similar tool during impaction of the orthopaedic prosthesis <NUM>. Although the body <NUM> of the orthopaedic prosthesis inserter <NUM> is illustratively curved to allow positioning of the inserter <NUM> around the patient's anatomy, the orthopaedic prosthesis inserter <NUM> may have a body that is substantially straight or otherwise non-curved, similar to the orthopaedic surgical inserter <NUM> described below in regard to <FIG>.

The body <NUM> of the orthopaedic prosthesis inserter <NUM> also includes a proximal end <NUM>, opposite the distal end <NUM>, which includes an inner surface <NUM> that defines the bolt passageway <NUM>. The bolt passageway <NUM> is sized to receive the surgical instrument bolt <NUM>. According to the invention, the inner surface <NUM> is threaded, and the surgical instrument bolt <NUM> may be threaded into the inner surface <NUM>. The threads of the inner surface <NUM> are sized such that, when threaded through the inner surface <NUM>, a threaded end of the surgical instrument bolt <NUM> extends out of the bolt passageway <NUM> from the distal end <NUM> and the surgical instrument bolt <NUM> is free to rotate within the bolt passageway <NUM> while being retained therein. In other examples that do not form part of the present invention, however, the bolt passageway <NUM> may not be threaded.

Referring now to <FIG> and <FIG>, the illustrative surgical instrument bolt <NUM> includes a bolt head <NUM> and a bolt shaft <NUM> that extends away from a bottom side <NUM> of the bolt head <NUM>. The bolt head <NUM> also includes a top side <NUM> on which a tool aperture <NUM> is defined. The tool aperture <NUM> is shaped to receive a corresponding bolt tool (e. g, an Allen wrench) to allow the surgical instrument bolt <NUM> to be threaded into the orthopaedic prosthesis <NUM> as discussed in more detail below. Of course in other embodiments, the surgical instrument bolt <NUM> may not include the tool aperture <NUM> and, in such embodiments, the bolt head <NUM> may be shaped (e.g., hexagonal) to facilitate the threading of the surgical instrument bolt <NUM> into the orthopaedic prosthesis <NUM> using a corresponding tool, such as a bolt driver.

The bolt shaft <NUM> includes a threaded end <NUM> and a shank <NUM> located between the bolt head <NUM> and the threaded end <NUM>. In the illustrative embodiment of <FIG>, the shank <NUM> is not threaded, unlike the threaded end <NUM>. However, in other examples, the shank <NUM> may be threaded (e.g., the entire bolt shaft <NUM> may be threaded) and, in such examples, the shank <NUM> corresponds to that section of the bolt shaft <NUM> that does not engage with the mating threads of the threaded aperture <NUM> of the orthopaedic prosthesis <NUM>.

The bolt shaft <NUM> also includes an inner surface <NUM> that defines the axial passageway <NUM>, which extends through at least the shank <NUM> of the bolt shaft <NUM>. It should be appreciated that because the axial passageway <NUM> extends through the shank <NUM> of the bolt shaft <NUM>, the cross-sectional area of the shank <NUM> is reduced, which increases the bolt stretch of the surgical instrument bolt <NUM>.

In the illustrative embodiment of <FIG> and <FIG>, the axial passageway <NUM> extends completely through the bolt shaft <NUM>. That is, the inner surface <NUM> further defines a top aperture <NUM> on the top side <NUM> of the bolt head <NUM>, which is illustratively inside the tool aperture <NUM>, and a bottom aperture <NUM> on a bottom side <NUM> of the threaded end <NUM>. The axial passageway <NUM> extends from the top aperture <NUM>, through the shank <NUM> and the threaded end <NUM>, and to the bottom aperture <NUM>.

In other embodiments, the axial passageway <NUM> may be embodied as a blind passageway that does not extend completely through the bolt shaft <NUM>. For example, as shown in <FIG>, the axial passageway <NUM> extends from the top aperture <NUM> on the top side <NUM> of the bolt head <NUM>, through the shank <NUM>, and terminates near the threaded end <NUM> without extending therethrough. As such, in the embodiment of <FIG>, the axial passageway <NUM> includes the top aperture <NUM> but does not include the bottom aperture <NUM> on the bottom side <NUM> of the threaded end <NUM>.

Alternatively, as shown in <FIG>, the axial passageway <NUM> may be embodied as a blind passageway that extends from the bottom aperture <NUM> on the bottom side <NUM> of the threaded end <NUM>, through the threaded end <NUM> and the shank <NUM>, and terminates just below the bolt head <NUM> without extending therethrough. As such, in the embodiment of <FIG>, the axial passageway <NUM> includes the bottom aperture <NUM> but does not include the top aperture <NUM> on the top side <NUM> of the bolt head <NUM>.

In other embodiments, as show in <FIG>, the axial passageway <NUM> may be embodied as an inner chamber located in the shank <NUM> of the bolt shaft <NUM>. In such embodiments, the axial passageway <NUM> does not include the top aperture <NUM> or the bottom aperture <NUM>. Rather, the axial passageway <NUM> forms a sealed void within the shank <NUM>.

Referring now to <FIG> and <FIG>, in use, an orthopaedic surgeon may secure the orthopaedic prosthesis <NUM> to the orthopaedic prosthesis inserter <NUM> by inserting the surgical instrument bolt <NUM> into the bolt passageway <NUM> of the orthopaedic prosthesis inserter <NUM> as indicated in <FIG>. The surgical instrument bolt <NUM> is positioned in the bolt passageway <NUM> such that the threaded end <NUM> of the surgical instrument bolt <NUM> extends out of the bolt passageway <NUM>. The surgical instrument bolt <NUM> is threaded into the bolt passageway <NUM> until the shank <NUM> extends though the threaded inner surface <NUM> and the threaded end <NUM> of the surgical instrument bolt <NUM> extends from the bolt passageway <NUM>. The orthopaedic surgeon may then thread the surgical instrument bolt <NUM> into the threaded aperture <NUM> of the orthopaedic prosthesis inserter <NUM> as shown in <FIG> to secure the orthopaedic prosthesis inserter <NUM> onto the orthopaedic prosthesis inserter <NUM>. Once so secured, the orthopaedic surgeon may position the orthopaedic prosthesis <NUM> to the patient's boney anatomy and impact the orthopaedic prosthesis <NUM> into a bone of the patient by repeatedly striking the impaction plate <NUM> of the orthopaedic prosthesis inserter <NUM> until the orthopaedic prosthesis <NUM> is properly seated.

Although the orthopaedic prosthesis <NUM> is illustratively shown as an acetabular cup prosthesis, it should be appreciated that the surgical instrument bolt <NUM> may be used with other types of prostheses to secure those prostheses to the orthopaedic prosthesis inserter <NUM> or other prosthesis inserter. Additionally, the surgical instrument bolt <NUM> may be used with surgical tools, such as an orthopaedic broach, to secure such surgical tools to an associated orthopaedic inserter, impactor, or other surgical instrument. Furthermore, it should be appreciated that the surgical instrument bolt <NUM> may be used with other types of orthopaedic surgical instruments, other than the orthopaedic prosthesis inserter <NUM>. That is, the surgical instrument bolt <NUM> may be useful with any orthopaedic surgical instrument to replace a typical bolt that may loosen due to vibrational forces to improve the bolt stretch typically exhibited by such bolts and thereby reduce the likelihood of loosening.

Referring now to <FIG>, it should be appreciated that the inclusion of the axial passageway <NUM> described above in regard to the surgical instrument bolt <NUM> may be applicable to other orthopaedic surgical instruments that are exposed to impacts or vibrational forces during use to improve the securement of such orthopaedic surgical instruments. For example, as shown in <FIG>, an orthopaedic prosthesis inserter <NUM> includes a handle <NUM> and a shaft <NUM> extending from a bottom side <NUM> of the handle <NUM>. The shaft <NUM> includes a threaded end <NUM> and a shank <NUM> located between the threaded end <NUM> and the handle <NUM>. The threaded end <NUM> is configured to be screwed directly into a corresponding orthopaedic prosthesis, such as the orthopaedic prosthesis <NUM>, without the use of a surgical instrument bolt. As such, the orthopaedic prosthesis inserter <NUM> may be attached to an orthopaedic prosthesis by threading the threaded end <NUM> into a corresponding threaded aperture of the orthopaedic prosthesis. Once so attached, an orthopaedic surgeon may align the orthopaedic prosthesis to the patient's boney anatomy and impact the orthopaedic prosthesis into a bone of the patient by striking the handle <NUM>.

To reduce the likelihood of loosening of the orthopaedic prosthesis inserter <NUM> and the orthopaedic prosthesis during impaction, the shaft <NUM> of the orthopaedic prosthesis inserter <NUM> includes an inner surface <NUM> that defines an aperture <NUM> on an end <NUM> of the threaded end <NUM> and an axial passageway <NUM> that extends into the shaft <NUM> from the aperture <NUM>. Similar to the surgical instrument bolt <NUM> described above, the axial passageway <NUM> extends through the shank <NUM> of the shaft <NUM>. As such, the cross-sectional area of the shank <NUM> is reduce, which increases the bolt stretch of the threaded end <NUM> and reduces the likelihood that the threaded end <NUM> loosens during impaction.

Although the orthopaedic surgical instrument of <FIG> is illustrated as an orthopaedic prosthesis inserter, it should be appreciated that the orthopaedic surgical instrument of <FIG> may be embodied as other types of orthopaedic surgical instruments in other embodiments. That is, the illustrative axial passageway <NUM> may be incorporated in any other orthopaedic surgical instrument having a threaded end to improve the bolt stretch of that threaded end and reduce the likelihood of the orthopaedic surgical instrument loosening during use.

While certain illustrative embodiments have been described in detail in the drawings and the foregoing description, such an illustration and description is to be considered as exemplary and not restrictive in character, it being understood that only illustrative embodiments have been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that come within the scope of the present invention are desired to be protected.

Claim 1:
An orthopaedic surgical instrument [<NUM>] for inserting an orthopaedic prosthesis [<NUM>] into a bone of a patient, the orthopaedic surgical instrument [<NUM>] comprising:
an orthopaedic prosthesis inserter [<NUM>] having a body and a bolt passageway [<NUM>] defined through the body; and
a surgical instrument bolt [<NUM>] configured to be received in the bolt passageway [<NUM>] of the body of the orthopaedic prosthesis inserter, wherein the surgical instrument bolt [<NUM>] comprises a bolt head [<NUM>] and a bolt shaft [<NUM>] extending away from a bottom side [<NUM>] of the bolt head [<NUM>], wherein the bolt shaft [<NUM>] comprises a (i) a threaded end [[<NUM>] configured to extend out of a distal end of the orthopaedic prosthesis inserter, (ii) a shank [<NUM>] located between the bolt head [<NUM>] and the threaded end [<NUM>], and (iii) an inner surface [<NUM>] defining an axial passageway [<NUM>] that extends through at least a portion of the bolt shaft [<NUM>];
characterized in that:
an inner surface [<NUM>] of the bolt passageway [<NUM>] is threaded;
wherein the surgical instrument bolt [<NUM>] is configured to be threaded into the inner surface [<NUM>] of the bolt passageway, the threads of the inner surface [<NUM>] being sized such that, when threaded through the inner surface [<NUM>], the surgical instrument bolt [<NUM>] is free to rotate within the bolt passageway [<NUM>] while being retained therein.