Patent Document

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/595,373, which was filed Feb. 6, 2012. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     This disclosure relates to orthopedic surgical instrumentation, and more particularly to a surgical cutting block for preparing a bone to receive a prosthetic implant, such as a total knee implant. 
     Total or partial knee replacement surgery has been performed for many years to treat patients with diseased knee joints. Some knee instrumentation sets include cutting blocks that can be used to make a variety of cuts (i.e., resections) in a patient&#39;s bone to prepare the bone for receiving a prosthetic implant. For example, a 4-in-1 cutting block can be used to make anterior, posterior and chamfer cuts to prepare a femur for accepting a total knee implant. 
     A variety of different types of cutting blocks are known, and surgeon preference for the different types of cutting blocks can vary. For example, some surgeons may prefer “open” cutting blocks that allow the surgeon to control the cutting angle of the cuts, while other surgeons may prefer “slotted” cutting blocks that limit the ability to increase and/or decrease the angle of the cuts. As a result, a surgical institution may have to maintain a relatively large inventory of surgical instrumentation to satisfy the different preferences of its surgeons. 
     SUMMARY 
     A surgical cutting block according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a block body including a top surface having a first thickness that extends between a first surface and an opposing second surface of the block body and a capture disposed at the top surface. The capture includes a second thickness that is less than the first thickness of the top surface. 
     In a further non-limiting embodiment of the foregoing surgical cutting block, the first surface extends obliquely relative to the opposing second surface. 
     In a further non-limiting embodiment of either of the foregoing surgical cutting blocks, the first surface is non-parallel to the opposing second surface. 
     In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing surgical cutting blocks, the capture extends from the top surface in a direction opposite from a bottom surface of the block body. 
     In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing surgical cutting blocks, the capture is integrally formed with the block body. 
     In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing surgical cutting blocks, the capture is a separate component from the block body. 
     In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing surgical cutting blocks, the capture is magnetically connected to the top surface. 
     In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing surgical cutting blocks, the capture includes a slot. 
     In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing surgical cutting blocks, at least one posterior cutting guide slot is adjacent to a bottom surface of the block body. 
     In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing surgical cutting blocks, at least one chamfer cutting guide slot extends through the block body. 
     In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing surgical cutting blocks, the second thickness is approximately half of the first thickness. 
     In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing surgical cutting blocks, the second thickness is between 40% and 60% of the first thickness. 
     A method for resectioning a bone according to another exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, positioning a surgical cutting block relative to a bone, inserting a cutting tool through a capture of the surgical cutting block, positioning the cutting tool at a desired angle relative to the bone and resectioning a portion of the bone using the cutting tool. 
     In a further non-limiting embodiment of the foregoing method for resectioning a bone, the step of positioning the cutting tool includes angling the cutting tool in the anterior direction relative to a horizontal plane of a top surface of the surgical cutting block. 
     In a further non-limiting embodiment of either of the foregoing methods for resectioning a bone, the method comprises the step of visualizing the cutting tool at an interface between the bone and the surgical cutting block subsequent to the step of inserting the cutting tool through the capture. 
     In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing methods for resectioning a bone, the method comprises the step of attaching the capture to a top surface of the surgical cutting block subsequent to the step of positioning the surgical cutting block. 
     In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing methods for resectioning a bone, the capture is magnetically attached to the top surface. 
     In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing methods for resectioning a bone, the capture includes a second thickness that is less than a first thickness of a top surface of the surgical cutting block. 
     In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing methods for resectioning a bone, the method comprises the step of making a posterior cut in the bone by inserting the cutting tool through a posterior cutting guide slot of the surgical cutting block. 
     In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing methods for resectioning a bone, the method comprises the step of making a chamfer cut in the bone by inserting the cutting tool through a chamfer cutting guide slot of the surgical cutting block. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The various features and advantages of this disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description. The drawings that accompany the detailed description can be briefly described as follows. 
         FIG. 1  schematically illustrates a joint having a prosthetic implant. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a surgical cutting block that can be used to make a variety of cuts in a bone to prepare the bone for receiving a prosthetic implant. 
         FIG. 3  is a front view of the surgical cutting block of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 4  is a side view of the surgical cutting block of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 5  is another view of the surgical cutting block of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 6  illustrates a portion of the surgical cutting block of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIGS. 7A and 7B  illustrate the use of a cutting tool with a surgical cutting block according to one embodiment of this disclosure. 
         FIG. 8  illustrates another embodiment of a surgical cutting block. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a joint  50 , such as a knee joint of the human body that extends between a femur  52  and a tibia  54 . Diseased portions of the femur  52  and the tibia  54  have been removed and replaced with a prosthetic implant  56  that is positioned within the joint  50 . In the exemplary embodiment, the prosthetic implant  56  is a total joint implant, such as a total knee implant, although other prosthetic implants could also benefit from the various teachings of this disclosure. Various orthopedic surgical instruments can be used to prepare the femur  52  and/or tibia  54  for the implantation of the prosthetic implant  56 . Examples of orthopedic surgical instruments that can be used for this purpose are detailed below. 
       FIGS. 2 through 5  illustrate an exemplary surgical cutting block  10  that can be used to prepare a bone B (See  FIG. 4 ) to receive a prosthetic implant. In this exemplary embodiment, the surgical cutting block  10  is part of a total joint instrument set that can be used to prepare a patient&#39;s femur for accepting a total knee implant. For example, the surgical cutting block  10  can be used to resection a patient&#39;s femur by making anterior, posterior and chamfer cuts in the femur. Various other guides and instruments may be required to prepare the bone for receiving, positioning and using the surgical cutting block  10  to make the anterior, posterior and chamfer cuts. It should be understood that the surgical cutting block  10  could also be used for additional purposes related to any bone, total joint implant and/or any other surgery. 
     The surgical cutting block  10  includes a block body  12  having a length L that extends between a top surface  14  and a bottom surface  16 . A width W of the block body  12  extends between opposing sides  18 ,  20  (see  FIG. 3 ). A thickness T of the block body  12  extends between a first surface  22  (that faces a bone B of the patient) and an opposing second surface  24  that is positioned on an opposite side of the block body  12  from the first surface  22 , i.e., towards a surgeon or other user of the surgical cutting block  10  (see  FIG. 4 ). 
     The first surface  22  may provide a flat surface for interfacing with the bone B. In one example, the first surface  22  obliquely extends between the top surface  14  and the bottom surface  16  and is non-parallel to the opposing second surface  24 . The size of the surgical cutting block  10  can vary depending on the size of the patient and could be provided in multiple sizes that correspond to different sizes of the prosthetic implant to be implanted. A sizing guide (not shown) can also be used to determine the appropriate size of the prosthetic implant prior to preparing the bone B for receiving the prosthetic implant. 
     The surgical cutting block  10  can include a capture  26  disposed at or adjacent to the top surface  14 . In this exemplary embodiment, the capture  26  extends from the top surface  14  in a direction opposite from the bottom surface  16  and is integrally formed with the block body  12 . However, the capture  26  could also be a separate component from the block body  12  (see  FIG. 8 ). In one embodiment, a forward face  29  of the capture  26  extends axially forward of the opposing second surface  24  in a direction that extends away from the first surface  22 . 
     The capture  26  includes a slot  28  that can receive a cutting tool (See  FIGS. 7A and 7B ), such as an oscillating saw or other suitable cutting tool, that can be inserted through the slot  28  to make an anterior cut in the bone B. In other words, the capture  26  and slot  28  provide a surgeon with a guide surface for performing a resection at a desired location of the bone B. In one embodiment, the slot  28  is a closed slot that extends across a width that is nearly the same as the width W of the block body  12 . However, the size, shape and configuration of the slot  28  can vary. 
     The block body  12  of the surgical cutting block  10  can also include one or more posterior cutting guide slots  30 . In the exemplary embodiment of  FIGS. 2-5 , the surgical cutting block  10  includes two posterior cutting guide slots  30  positioned adjacent to the bottom surface  16  of the block body  12 . The posterior cutting guide slots  30  generally extend between the first surface  22  and the opposing second surface  24 . In this embodiment, the posterior cutting guide slots  30  open into the opposing sides  18 ,  20  of the block body  12 . The posterior cutting guide slots  30  receive a cutting tool and provide a guide surface for making posterior cuts with the cutting tool at a desired location of the bone B. 
     One or more chamfer cutting guide slots  32 A,  32 B that provide guide surfaces for making chamfer cuts in the bone B can be disposed through the block body  12  of the surgical cutting block  10 . In one embodiment, the chamfer cutting guide slots  32 A,  32 B are disposed longitudinally between the slot  28  of the capture  26  and the posterior cutting guide slots  30 . The chamfer cutting guide slots  32 A,  32 B can be disposed at an angle through the block body  12 . That is, the chamfer cutting guide slots  32 A,  32 B extend obliquely between the first surface  22  and the opposing second surface such that a transverse cut can be made in the bone B. In one exemplary embodiment, the chamfer cutting guide slot  32 A can receive a cutting tool to make anterior chamfer cuts into the bone B, while the chamfer cutting guide slot  32 B can be utilized to make posterior chamfer cuts in the bone B. 
     The surgical cutting block  10  can further include a handle  34  for maneuvering and positioning the surgical cutting block  10  relative to a patient&#39;s bone B. One or more engagement features  36  can extend from the opposing sides  18 ,  20  of the block body  12  and can be used to position and mount the surgical cutting block  10  relative to the bone B. The engagement features  36  may include openings  38  for receiving pins or other fasteners to removably mount the surgical cutting block  10  to the bone B so that the surgical cutting block  10  is securely affixed for resectioning the bone B. Alternatively, the engagement features  36  could include bone spikes that are driven into the bone B to removably secure the surgical cutting block  10  to the bone B. 
     Referring to  FIG. 6 , the capture  26  of the surgical cutting block can include a second thickness T 2  that is less than a first thickness T 1  of the top surface  14  of the surgical cutting block  10 . It should be understood that this view is not necessarily to the scale it would be in practice. In one exemplary embodiment, the second thickness T 2  of the capture  26  is approximately half of the first thickness T 1  of the top surface  14 . In another example, the thickness T 2  is between 40% and 60% of the first thickness T 1 . However, the second thickness T 2  of the capture  26  could be any thickness that is less than the first thickness T 1  of the top surface  14 . 
       FIGS. 7A and 7B , with continued reference to  FIGS. 1-6 , schematically illustrate a method of resectioning a bone using a surgical cutting block, such as the surgical cutting block  10 . The surgical cutting block  10  may first be positioned relative to a bone B. A cutting tool  40  can next be received through the slot  28  of the capture  26  of the surgical cutting block  10 . The cutting tool  40  could include an oscillating saw blade or any other suitable cutting tool. 
     The cutting tool  40  can be inserted through the slot  28  and across the top surface  14  to create an anterior cut in the bone B, such as in a femur. The top surface  14  of the surgical cutting block  10  extends in a horizontal plane  42 . The cutting tool  40  can be angled in an anterior direction AD (i.e., away from the center of the bone B) to position the cutting tool  40  at a desired angle relative to the bone B. The reduced second thickness T 2  of the capture  26  enables the cutting tool  40  to be angled at an angle A relative to the horizontal plane  42  to improve the positioning of the cutting tool  40  relative to the bone B. In one exemplary embodiment, the cutting tool  40  can be angled any angle in the anterior direction AD that is less than or equal to 4° from the horizontal plane  42 . 
     Once a desired angle has been established, the cutting tool  40  can be used to resection the bone B. The cutting tool  40  can additionally be used to make additional cuts in the bone B through the posterior cutting guide slots  30  and the chamfer cutting guide slots  32 A,  32 B of the surgical cutting block  10 . 
     A surgeon has improved visualization of the cutting tool  40  at the interface between the bone B and the surgical cutting block  10  because the second thickness T 2  of the capture  26  is less than the first thickness T 1  of the top surface  14 . For example, the cutting tool  40  is exposed to view from above in a visualization area  99  of the surgical cutting block  10  that extends between a rear face  31  of the capture  26  and the first surface  22  of the block body  12 . The reduced second thickness T 2  of the capture  26  also enables slight angling of the cutting tool  40  for improved surgical use that avoids any partial notching to the bone B. Also, as shown in  FIG. 7B , the cutting tool  40  is substantially prevented from being angled in a posterior direction PD (i.e., toward the center of the bone B) relative to the horizontal plane  42  of the top surface  14 . 
       FIG. 8  illustrates another exemplary surgical cutting block  110 . In this disclosure, like reference numerals indicate similar features, whereas reference numerals with an added prefix numeral of “1” indicates slightly modified features. The surgical cutting block  110  of this exemplary embodiment includes a block body  112  and a capture  126  that is a separate component from the block body  112 . In other words, the surgical cutting block  110  can embody a modular design that allows improved visualization of a cut location of a bone subsequent to positioning the surgical cutting block  110  relative to the bone and prior to attaching the capture  126  to the block body  112 . The capture  126  can be mounted to a top surface  114  of the block body  112 . The capture  126  can be mounted relative to the top surface  114  in any known manner to provide a guide surface for making an anterior cut in a bone. In one non-limiting embodiment, the capture  126  is magnetically connected to the top surface  114  of the surgical cutting block  110 . 
     The capture  126  includes a slot  128  that can receive a cutting tool for performing cuts in a patient&#39;s bone. The capture  126  extends across a second thickness T 2  that is less than a first thickness T 1  of the top surface  114  of the block body  112 . 
     Although the different non-limiting embodiments are illustrated as having specific components, the embodiments of this disclosure are not limited to those particular combinations. It is possible to use some of the components or features from any of the non-limiting embodiments in combination with features or components from any of the other non-limiting embodiments. 
     It should be understood that like reference numerals identify corresponding or similar elements throughout the several drawings. It should also be understood that although a particular component arrangement is disclosed and illustrated in these exemplary embodiments, other arrangements could also benefit from the teachings of this disclosure. 
     The foregoing description shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in any limiting sense. A worker of ordinary skill in the art would understand that certain modifications could come within the scope of this disclosure. For these reasons, the following claims should be studied to determine the true scope and content of this disclosure.

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