Patent ID: 7153327

Claim:
A method of replacing the articulating knee portion of a femur and a tibia comprising: resecting an end portion of the tibia; resecting an end portion of the femur; attaching a tibial prosthetic component corresponding to the resected end portion of the tibia, the tibial prosthetic component having a bearing surface; attaching a femoral prosthetic component corresponding to the resected end portion of the femur, the femoral prosthetic component having a bearing surface; installing a bearing member between the tibial prosthetic component and the femoral prosthetic component, the bearing member having a first surface operable to articulate with the femoral bearing surface and a second bearing surface operable to articulate with the tibial bearing surface; and connecting the tibial prosthetic component to the femoral prosthetic component with a linkage, the linkage operable to allow the femoral prosthetic component to translate in the posterior direction and rotate during flexion of the joint; wherein connecting the tibial prosthetic component to the femoral prosthetic component with the linkage further includes the step of inserting a first end of the linkage into a guide located in the tibial prosthetic component, inserting the second end of the linkage into a guide located in the femoral prosthetic component, installing a first stop on the first end of the linkage to prevent the first end of the linkage from passing through the guide on the tibial prosthetic component and installing a second stop on the second end of the linkage to prevent the second end of the linkage from passing through the guide on the femoral prosthetic component.