Method for performing an orthopaedic surgical procedure

Abstract

A method for performing an orthopaedic surgical procedure on a knee joint of a patient includes resecting a proximal end of a patient's tibia to create a resected surface of the patient's tibia and positioning a tibial paddle of a sensor module on the proximal end of the patient's tibia. The tibial paddle includes a sensor array generating sensor signals indicative of the joint force of the patient's knee joint. The method also includes performing a number of orthopaedic surgical steps while monitoring a display of the sensor module that provides a visual indication of the medial-lateral balance of the joint force of the patient's knee joint.

1 . A method for performing an orthopaedic surgical procedure on a knee joint of a patient, the method comprising:
 resecting a proximal end of the patient's tibia to create a resected surface of the patient's tibia,   performing a balancing procedure on the patient's knee joint to achieve a target joint force balance between the patient's tibia and the patient's femur;   positioning a tibial paddle of a sensor module on the resected surface of the patient's tibia, the tibial paddle having an upper housing with a substantially planar upper surface and a lower housing opposite from and coupled to the upper housing, wherein the tibial paddle includes a sensor array located between a portion of the lower housing and a corresponding portion of the upper housing and configured to detect joint forces in the patent's knee joint and transmit joint force data indicative of the joint forces to a display instrument,   placing a tibial trial bearing on the substantially planar upper surface of the upper housing of the tibial paddle of the sensor module while the tibial paddle is positioned on the resected surface of the patient's tibia, the tibial trail bearing having curved surfaces shaped to engage corresponding curved surfaces of a femoral component attached to the distal end of the patient's femur and a substantially planar bottom surface that confronts the substantially planar upper surface of the tibial paddle when the tibial trail bearing is placed on the tibial paddle of the sensor module;   moving the patient's knee joint through a range of flexion with the tibial paddle of the sensor module positioned between the resected proximal end of the patient's tibia and the distal end of the patient's femur while the sensor module transmits the joint force data to the display instrument,   monitoring a display of the display instrument to determine whether a present joint force balance indicated by the joint force data matches the target joint force data, the display providing a visual indication of an anatomical performance of the patient's knee joint based on the joint force data received from the sensor array, and   performing a another balancing procedure on the patient's knee joint to improve the matching of the present joint force balance to the targeted joint force balance as indicated by the display of the display instrument.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the joint force data includes medial-lateral force data. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the joint force data includes data indicative of relative locations of the patient's tibia and femur. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the joint force data includes flexion angle data. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the joint force data includes relative positions of the patient's tibia and femur. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the joint force data includes flexion angle data. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the sensor array includes a first plurality of pressure sensors that are positioned below a first curved surface of the curved surfaces of the tibial trial bearing of the surgical instrument assembly, and   the sensor array includes a second plurality of pressure sensors that are positioned below a second curved surface of the curved surfaces of the tibial trial bearing of the surgical instrument assembly.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the visual indication comprises a graph of one of the joint forces in the patient's knee joint versus flexion angle of the patient's knee joint. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the joint force data includes a medial joint force value and a lateral joint force value of the patient's knee joint. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the joint force data includes an average joint force value based on the medial joint force value and the lateral joint force value. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the anatomical performance of the patient's knee joint includes a pressure of the patient's knee joint. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the positioning the tibial paddle of the sensor module comprises positioning the tibial paddle between the resected proximal end of the patient's tibia and the distal end of the patient's femur using a handle of the tibial paddle. 
     
     
         13 . A method for performing an orthopaedic surgical procedure on a knee joint of a patient, the method comprising:
 resecting a proximal end of the patient's tibia to create a resected surface of the patient's tibia,   positioning a tibial paddle of a sensor module on the resected surface of the patient's tibia, the tibial paddle including an upper housing having a substantially planar upper surface and a lower housing opposite from and coupled to the upper housing, wherein the tibial paddle includes a sensor array located between the lower housing the upper housing and configured to detect joint forces in the patent's knee joint and transmit joint force data indicative of the joint forces to a display instrument,   positioning a joint distractor in the patient's knee joint such that a medial tibial paddle and a lateral tibial paddle of the joint distractor contact the upper housing of the tibial paddle,   distracting the patient's knee joint while the patient's knee joint is in extension using the joint distractor,   performing a balancing procedure on the patient's knee joint while the patient's knee joint is in extension and distracted,   removing the joint distractor from the patent's knee joint,   placing a tibial trial bearing on the substantially planar upper surface of the upper housing of the tibial paddle while the tibial paddle is positioned on the resected surface of the patient's tibia,   moving the patient's knee joint through a range of flexion with the sensor module positioned between the resected proximal end of the patient's tibia and the distal end of the patient's femur while the sensor module assembly transmits the joint force data to the display instrument, and   monitoring a display of the display instrument, the display providing a visual indication of the joint force balance of the patient's knee joint based on the joint force data received from the sensor array.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the joint force data includes medial-lateral force data. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the joint force data includes data indicative of relative locations of the patient's tibia and femur. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the joint force data includes flexion angle data. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the joint force data includes relative positions of the patient's tibia and femur. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the joint force data includes flexion angle data. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the visual indication comprises a graph of one of the joint forces in the patient's knee joint versus flexion angle of the patient's knee joint.