Instrumentation for preparing a distal femur

Claim 1

A method of preparing a planar distal femoral surface containing at least one of the medial and lateral condyles of a femur having an intramedullary canal, said method comprising the steps of: aligning a femoral plate having an opening therein on the distal femur by inserting an intramedullary rod into the intramedullary canal, and by placing means for guiding said femoral plate on said rod, said means for guiding said plate having an opening therein to slidably engage said intramedullary rod and having an exterior surface for engaging said opening in said femoral plate to locate said femoral plate with respect to said intramedullary canal; securing said femoral plate on the distal femur, said opening in said plate exposing at least one of the condyles; securing a milling guide block to said femoral plate, said milling guide block having at least one opening positioned adjacent a condyle of said distal femur for receiving an end mill; inserting an end mill in said at least one opening in said milling guide block; and milling the adjacent condyle to a predetermined depth by rotatably driving said end mill to form said planar surface.

Claim 2

A method of preparing a planar distal femoral surface containing at least one of the medial and lateral condyles of a femur having an intramedullary canal, said method comprising the steps of: aligning a femoral plate having an opening therein on the distal femur by inserting an intramedullary rod into the intramedullary canal, and by placing means for guiding said femoral plate on said rod, said means for guiding said plate having an opening therein to slidably engage said intramedullary rod and having an exterior surface for engaging said opening in said femoral plate to locate said femoral plate with respect to said intramedullary canal; securing said femoral plate on the distal femur, said opening in said plate exposing at least one of the condyles; securing a milling guide block to said femoral plate, said milling guide block having at least one opening positioned adjacent a condyle of said distal femur for receiving an end mill; inserting an end mill in said at least one opening in said milling guide block; and milling the adjacent condyle to a predetermined depth by rotatably driving said end mill to form said planar surface.

Claim 5

A method for preparing a distal femoral surface containing the medial and lateral condyles of a femur having an intramedullary canal comprising the steps of: placing a femoral plate on the distal femoral surface, said plate having a medial, lateral, anterior and posterior wall defining an opening therein sized to expose at least one of the condyles; placing a guide with a central aperture in said opening in said femoral plate and releasably securing said guide to said femoral plate; placing an intramedullary guide rod through the aperture in said guide; inserting said guide rod with said femoral plate and said guide mounted thereon into the intramedullary canal of the femur; sliding said femoral plate into contact with the distal femur; rotating the femoral plate so that said posterior wall of said femoral plate is parallel to a plane containing a posterior surface defined by said condyles; mounting said femoral plate with said guide therein on a medial and lateral surface of the condyles by placing pins through bores extending through said medial and lateral walls of said femoral plate; removing said intramedullary rod and said guide from said femoral plate after said mounting step; inserting a milling guide in said opening in said femoral plate and releasably coupling it thereto, said milling guide having at least one guide bore therein exposing at least one condyle; and inserting an end mill into said at least one guide bore and milling said at least one condyle to a predetermined depth.

Claim 6

A method for preparing a distal femoral surface containing the medial and lateral condyles of a femur having an intramedullary canal comprising the steps of: placing a femoral plate on the distal femoral surface, said plate having a medial, lateral, anterior and posterior wall defining an opening therein sized to expose at least one of the condyles; placing a guide with a central aperture in said opening in said femoral plate and releasably securing said guide to said femoral plate; placing an intramedullary guide rod through the aperture in said guide; inserting said guide rod with said femoral plate and said guide mounted thereon into the intramedullary canal of the femur; sliding said femoral plate into contact with the distal femur; rotating the femoral plate so that said posterior wall of said femoral plate is parallel to a plane containing a posterior surface defined by said condyles; mounting said femoral plate with said guide therein on a medial and lateral surface of the condyles by placing pins through bores extending through said medial and lateral walls of said femoral plate; removing said intramedullary rod and said guide from said femoral plate after said mounting step; inserting a milling guide in said opening in said femoral plate and releasably coupling it thereto, said milling guide having at least one guide bore therein exposing at least one condyle; and inserting an end mill into said at least one guide bore and milling said at least one condyle to a predetermined depth.