Patent ID: 8551099

Claim:
A method of using a patient-specific surgical tool, the method comprising: developing at least in part a surgical plan for the implantation of an orthopedic implant in a diseased or damaged knee joint of a patient, wherein the surgical plan is based in part on image data associated with at least a portion of the diseased or damaged knee joint of the patient and wherein the surgical plan defines a varus-valgus alignment of the orthopedic implant relative to the knee joint of the patient when the orthopedic implant is implanted in the knee joint; placing the surgical tool on the diseased or damaged knee joint of the patient, wherein the tool has at least one patient-specific surface portion derived from image data of the patient's diseased or damaged knee joint, wherein the at least one patient-specific surface portion substantially matches a corresponding articular surface portion of the diseased or damaged knee joint of the patient; and making a planar cut on a portion of the knee joint using the surgical tool; and implanting the orthopedic implant on the knee joint of the patient, wherein the implant has a position on the knee joint based at least in part on the planar cut and the surgical plan.