Method and system for cutting knee joint using robot

摘要

A method and a system for cutting the knee joint using a robot. A cantilevered cutter is introduced into the knee joint from inside and outside of upper and lower bones of the knee joint to realize a tunnel cutting technique in which cutting is conducted such that tunnels are defined in bone and remnant bone is cleared. The cutter includes a shaft in which a substantial axial portion is fitted into a sleeve and a remaining axial portion serves as a cantilever extending out of the sleeve, and a head which is formed at a distal end of the shaft. A length of the cantilever and a diameter of the head are determined to have minimum sizes as long as the head can be introduced into bone in such a way as to define a tunnel and can be moved in the bone while cutting the bone.

主权项

1. A method for safely cutting a bone, comprising:
identifying a starting point on an upper bone of a knee joint exposed by minimal retraction of surrounding tissue, the starting point located below a piece of remnant bone to be formed as a safety shield to the surrounding tissue; introducing via a robot, a rotary cutter comprising a shaft, a portion of the shaft supported within a sleeve and a remaining portion of the shaft serving as a cantilever extending out of the sleeve and having a cutting head at a distal end of the remaining portion of the shaft, into the upper bone at the starting point until a prescribed distance between the upper bone and the sleeve is obtained; pivoting the head of the cutter medially within the upper bone from the starting point to each edge of the upper bone and forming the remnant bone piece, wherein the remnant bone piece is separated from the upper bone along a remaining connected portion along the remnant bone piece and the upper bone; cutting a circle into a distal surface of the upper bone forming an island within the circle; and removing the island from the circle.