Patent ID: 7998203

Claim:
A method of total knee joint replacement in the leg of a mammal, comprising the steps of: a. replacing at least a portion of the lower femur with a prosthetic joint component, said femoral component including a medial and lateral condyle and further including a recess between said condyles defining an access way into the lower femur; b. replacing at least a portion of the upper tibia with a prosthetic joint component, said tibial component including a surface portion for receiving the surfaces of said femoral condyles and arranged for slidably supporting said same, said tibial component further including an aperture formed at its center; c. engaging a drill alignment guide to said femoral component between said medial and lateral condyles and drilling a longitudinal tunnel through the femur and intersecting the medial aspect of the posterior lateral femoral condyle; d. engaging a drill alignment guide to said tibial component and extending the femoral tunnel through said tibial aperture by drilling a longitudinal tunnel from the tibial anterior medial plateau of the tibia into said tibia and through said tibial aperture; e. threading an anterior cruciate ligament substitute into said femoral tunnel and into said tibial tunnel and anchoring a first end of said ligament substitute to bone leaving a free end; f. applying tension to said free end; and, g. anchoring said free end to bone under tension such that said femur and said tibia are biased together.