Patent ID: 7896924

Claim:
A unicondylar femoral prosthetic implant component for implantation at a prepared implant site within a natural knee joint having a lateral compartment, a medial compartment and a patella compartment intermediate the lateral compartment and the medial compartment, the patella compartment including a patella track, the implant site being located within one of the lateral compartment and the medial compartment, adjacent the patella compartment and the patella track, the unicondylar femoral prosthetic implant component comprising: a femoral condylar surface extending along the implant component between an anterior end and a posterior end of the femoral condylar surface, the femoral condylar surface including a femoral articular surface having an anterior portion for being contiguous with the natural bone along the patella track; and a seating surface for seating the implant component upon natural bone at the prepared implant site to establish a restored knee joint with the femoral articular surface in place for engaging a corresponding tibial articular surface during flexion of the restored knee joint; the femoral condylar surface including a relief section located adjacent the anterior end of the femoral condylar surface for placement contiguous with the patella track, the femoral condylar surface continuing along the relief section, following a smooth and continuous surface contour configuration extending from the seating surface, adjacent the anterior end of the femoral condylar surface, posteriorly to the femoral articular surface for providing an essentially continuous smooth and uninterrupted transition between the patella track along natural bone adjacent the implant site and the femoral condylar surface and gradually merging with the femoral articular surface, thereby enabling engagement of the patella along the patella track and along the femoral condylar surface of the restored knee joint during flexion of the restored knee joint to better mimic engagement of the patella along the patella track of the natural knee joint and militate against dislocation of the patella during flexion of the natural knee joint through deep flexion.