Patent ID: 8057482

Claim:
A system for preparing a knee structure of a patient to receive a medical implant and for aligning the implant with respect to an anatomical location in the patient, the system comprising: a first instrument configured to engage at least a portion of the knee structure of the patient and to be oriented with respect to the anatomical location, the first instrument configured to prepare the knee structure to receive the implant, the anatomical location relating to a knee joint location near the proximal portion of the tibia and the distal portion of the femur, the first instrument comprising: an elongate alignment guide for aligning the tibia with respect to the anatomical location; a cutting block coupled to the alignment guide, the cutting block configured to engage at least the proximal portion of the tibia; a proximal portion for engaging the knee joint location; and a distal portion; a second instrument configured to engage at least a distal portion of the femur and to be oriented with respect to the anatomical location; and a surgical orientation device attached to the first instrument and configured to be selectively attachable and detachable with the first instrument and the second instrument, the surgical orientation device when detached being a hand-held, stand alone device having an internal reference frame for placing the proximal portion of the tibia or the distal portion of the femur in a desired position with respect to the anatomical location, the orientation device comprising: a housing containing a plurality of electronic components, the components comprising: at least one sensor for providing a signal corresponding to angular position of the orientation device; a microprocessor in communication with the at least one sensor and programmed to calculate, using at least the signal and the reference frame, a first angle of the surgical orientation device relative to a first axis and a second angle of the surgical orientation device relative to a second axis; a display electronically coupled to the microprocessor for displaying the first and second angles when the surgical orientation device is attached to the first or second instrument, and a zeroing device for re-setting the surgical orientation device relative to the reference frame.