METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FEMORAL RESECTION

摘要

An instrument is provided for use in shaping a femur preparatory to implantation of a knee prosthesis. A gap checking device (40) is fixed to the distal end of the patient's femur and referenced to the epicondyles of the femur. The gap checking device (40) includes slots (70, 72, 74, 76, 78) through which a cutting instrument can be passed to shape the femur so that it can receive the femoral component of the prosthesis. One of the slots (70) enables the distal femoral cut to be made. The thickness of the gap setting device (40) is selected so that the distance between the distal femoral cut and the distal surface of the gap setting device plus the thickness of a shim resting on the cut proximal tibial surface is equal to the combined thickness of the tibial and femoral components of the prosthesis. This enables the flexion and extension gaps to be checked before the femoral cuts are made. The epicondyles can be located using intramedullary or extramedullary referencing. A special extramedullary locating device (10) is also described which is referenced to the trochlear groove of the femur and enables the placement of pins (38) in the epicondyles so that the gap checking device (40) can be properly situated with respect to the femur.