Patent ID: 7632314

Claim:
An orthopaedic instrument comprising: an adjustable tibial trial insert, including: (a) an upper plate including (i) an upper articular surface having first and second concave portions configured to receive corresponding femoral condylar surfaces, (ii) a lower surface opposite the upper articular surface; and (iii) a lower angled surface extending from the upper articular surface to the lower surface of the upper plate, (b) a lower plate including (i) a lower surface configured to engage a top surface of a tibial tray, (ii) an upper surface opposite the lower surface of the lower plate, and (iii) an upper angled surface extending from the lower surface of the lower plate to the upper surface, and (c) a height-adjustment mechanism coupled to and positioned generally between the upper plate and the lower plate and configured to move between a closed position where the upper and lower plates are adjacent each other and an opened position where the upper and lower plates are spaced-apart from each other, wherein the height-adjustment mechanism includes a drive coupled to the upper plate and the lower plate and an actuator coupled to the drive and to one of the upper and lower plates, wherein the drive includes a wedge having a first angled surface slidingly engaged with the upper angled surface and a second angled surface slidingly engaged with the lower angled surface, the wedge being positioned such that the first angled surface is oblique to the lower surface of the upper plate and the second angled surface is oblique to the upper surface of the lower plate.