Spacer for establishng prosthetic gap and ligamentous tension

摘要

A system of templates is provided for use during implantation of a prosthetic joint. The templates are of different surface areas and different thicknesses. The templates are first used to enable selection of a prosthetic component corresponding to the shape of a resected bone into which the prosthetic component will be implanted. The templates are then used to establish an appropriate prosthetic gap for the selected prosthetic component. The prosthetic gap will vary in accordance with the selected prosthetic component.