Patent ID: 7494509

Claim:
A method of implanting at least a stem member of a femoral insert into an intramedullary canal of a femur, the method comprising: making an anterior incision for accessing the intramedullary canal, the anterior incision is located approximately over the neck region of the femur; providing the stem member to extend between a first end and a second end and a portion interconnecting the first end and the second end defining an arcuate profile; cutting an arcuate path through the incision into the intramedullary canal; and inserting the stem member of the femoral insert into the intramedullary canal through the anterior incision along an arcuate path having a substantially constant radius, the arcuate path defined by an arcuate profile of the stem member, the arcuate path extends from the anterior incision into at least a portion of the intramedullary canal, the anterior incision is made along a line that is at least approximately perpendicular to an arcuate axis of the intramedullary canal, the incision having a width that is at least approximately equal to the widest dimension of the stem member.