Method of fabricating customized patient-specific bone cutting blocks

Abstract

A number of orthopaedic surgical instruments are also disclosed. A method, apparatus, and system for fabricating such instruments are also disclosed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for creating a customized patient-specific orthopaedic instrument for a patient of a healthcare facility, comprising:
 receiving an instrument request that includes data relevant to a bone of the patient,   creating, in response to receiving the instrument request, a surgical design plan that has been customized for the patient per data of the instrument request, the surgical design plan comprising a preoperatively planned size of at least one bone chip produced as a result of a surgical resection of the bone of the patient consistent with the surgical design plan, and   operating a manufacturing machine to fabricate the customized patient-specific orthopaedic instrument per data of the surgical design plan.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising sending the fabricated customized patient-specific orthopaedic instrument to the healthcare facility. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein sending the surgical design plan comprises transmitting the surgical design plan to the healthcare facility via a network. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein sending the design plan comprises mailing the surgical design plan to the healthcare facility. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the data relevant to the bone of the patient comprises one or more medical images of the bone of the patient, and   creating the surgical design plan comprises creating the surgical design plan based upon the one or more medical images of the bone of the patient.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the data relevant to the bone of the patient comprises one or more medical images of the femur of the patient, and   creating the surgical design plan comprises creating a surgical design plan that comprises a preoperatively planned size of (i) a distal medial bone chip produced as a result of a surgical resection of the distal medial portion of the patient's distal femur consistent with the surgical design plan, and (ii) a distal lateral bone chip produced as a result of a surgical resection of the distal lateral portion of the patient's distal femur consistent with the surgical design plan.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein creating the surgical design plan further comprises creating a surgical design plan that comprises a preoperatively planned size of (i) a posterior medial bone chip produced as a result of a surgical resection of the posterior medial portion of the patient's distal femur consistent with the surgical design plan, and (ii) a posterior lateral bone chip produced as a result of a surgical resection of the posterior lateral portion of the patient's distal femur consistent with the surgical design plan. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the data relevant to the bone of the patient comprises one or more medical images of the tibia of the patient, and   creating the surgical design plan comprises creating a surgical design plan that comprises a preoperatively planned size of a bone chip produced as a result of a surgical resection of the proximal medial portion and the proximal lateral portion of the patient's proximal tibia consistent with the surgical design plan.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein creating the surgical design plan comprises creating a surgical design plan that comprises a visual indication of the bone chip produced as a result of the surgical resection of the bone of the patient consistent with the surgical design plan.