Patent ID: 7763027

Claim:
An extramedullary fluoroscopic alignment guide to be fixed to a bone with an anchoring member during orthopaedic surgery wherein part of the bone is to be resected, the bone having an anatomic reference and a mechanical axis, the alignment guide comprising: a first portion shaped to be positioned on a patient's limb at one end of a long bone, the first portion comprising a metal top and a radiolucent body having radiopaque material shaped and positioned to define a linear longitudinal radiopaque reference, the metal top overlying the radiolucent body; a second portion shaped to be positioned on a patient's limb at the opposite end of the long bone, the second portion including a radiolucent body having radiopaque material shaped and positioned to define a linear longitudinal radiopaque reference; an elongate connecting portion extending between the first portion and the second portion, the elongate connecting portion having a longitudinal axis, the longitudinal axis of the elongate portion and the linear longitudinal radiopaque references of the first portion and second portion being parallel to each other; a transverse radiopaque reference perpendicular to the longitudinal radiopaque reference, the transverse radiopaque reference being shaped and positioned to provide an anterior-posterior radiopaque reference when the bone is viewed fluoroscopically from a medial or lateral perspective; wherein the transverse radiopaque reference comprises radiopaque material carried by radiolucent material; wherein the elongate connecting portion comprises radiolucent material to allow fluoroscopic viewing of at least part of the bone so that the position of the alignment guide can be adjusted to align the radiopaque instrument reference with at least part of the bone; and wherein the first portion, second portion and elongate connecting portion have an overall length sufficient to extend over at least a substantial part of the length of the long bone.