Patent ID: 7670381

Claim:
A method of modification of an orthopaedic joint joining a first bone member to a second bone member within a mammalian body to provide a resultant modified joint: the first bone member having a contiguous outer surface which engages with a contiguous outer surface of the second bone member in normal movement of the joint, the method comprising coupling a spacer member to the first bone member to overlie the contiguous outer surface of the first bone member conforming to the shape of the first bone member with the spacer member disposed in between the contiguous outer surface of the first bone member and the contiguous outer surface of the second bone member, the spacer member consisting of a thin sheet member having an inner surface and an outer surface and a thickness between the inner surface and the outer surface in the range of 0.0005 inches to 0.01 inches, the sheet member consisting of a sheet of metal, wherein the joint is a diarthrodial joint in which the contiguous outer surfaces comprise contiguous bony surfaces on each of the first bone member and second bone member which are each covered with articular cartilage forming the respective contiguous outer surface of the first bone member and second bone member, and wherein the continuous bony surfaces on each of the first and second bone members are surfaces which are in contact during normal movement of the joint, the method comprising placing the sheet member to overlie an outer surface of the articular cartilage of the first bone member conforming to the shape of the outer surface of the articular cartilage of the first bone member, wherein in the resultant modified joint during normal movement of the joint: (a) the inner surface of the sheet member overlies the outer surface of the articular cartilage of the first bone member in engagement therewith and substantially corresponding in shape to the outer surface of the articular cartilage of the first bone member, and (b) the outer surface of the sheet member facing the outer surface of the articular cartilage of the second bone member and in engagement with the outer surface of the articular cartilage of the second bone member; wherein the inner surface of the sheet member has a coefficient of friction sufficiently low to facilitate relative movement of the inner surface of the sheet member and the articular cartilage forming the contiguous outer surface of the first bone member in engagement with the inner surface of the sheet member, and wherein the outer surface of the sheet member has a coefficient of friction sufficiently low to facilitate relative movement of the outer surface of the sheet member and the articular cartilage forming the contiguous outer surface of the second bone member in engagement with the outer surface of the sheet member.