Surgical apparatus for use in joint replacement surgery

Claim 2

Surgical apparatus for use in the surgical replacement of joints between bones, said apparatus comprising: (a) first planar bone engaging means mounted on a main body part and including a first bone engaging surface adapted to engage one of the bones at said joint; (b) second planar bone engaging means mounted on the main body part and including a second bone engaging surface facing away from the first bone engaging surface and adapted to engage the other of the bones at said joint; (c) displacement means for displacing the first bone engaging means away from the second bone engaging means thereby to tension soft tissue between said bones; (d) wherein at least one of the first and second bone engaging means is adapted to be oriented by the bone engaged thereby upon tensioning of said soft tissue between the bones; and (e) locking means to lock the second bone engaging means such that the second bone engaging surface is parallel to the first bone engaging surface.

Claim 3

Surgical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the locking means comprises a pin adapted to engage said second bone engaging means.

Claim 4

Surgical apparatus for use in the surgical replacement of joints between bones, said apparatus comprising: (a) first bone engaging means mounted on a main body part and including a first planar bone engaging surface adapted to engage one of the bones at said joint; (b) second bone engaging means mounted on the main body part and including a second planar bone engaging surface facing away from the first bone engaging surface and adapted to engage the other of the bones at said joint; (c) displacement means for displacing the first bone engaging means away from the second bone engaging means thereby to tension soft tissue between said bones; (d) wherein only the second bone engaging means is adapted to be oriented by the bone engaged thereby upon tensioning of said soft tissue between the bones and said second bone engaging means is adapted to be rotatably oriented by said bone engaged thereby; and (e) measuring means to measure the degree of deflection of said second bone engaging surface from of the first bone engaging surface when said soft tissue is tensioned.

Claim 5

Surgical apparatus for use in the surgical replacement of joints between bones, said apparatus comprising: (a) first bone engaging means mounted on a main body part and including a first planar bone engaging surface adapted to engage one of the bones at said joint; (b) second bone engaging means mounted on the main body part and including a second planar bone engaging surface facing away from the first bone engaging surface and adapted to engage the other of the bones at said joint; (c) displacement means for displacing the first bone engaging means away from the second bone engaging means thereby to tension soft tissue between said bones; (d) wherein only the second bone engaging means is adapted to be oriented by the bone engaged thereby upon tensioning of said soft tissue between the bones and said second bone engaging means is adapted to be rotatably oriented by said bone engaged thereby; and (e) measuring means to measure the degree of deflection of said second bone engaging surface from of the first bone engaging surface when said soft tissue is tensioned.

Claim 6

Surgical apparatus according to claim 1 or 3, wherein only said second bone engaging means is adapted to be oriented by the bone engaged thereby.

Claim 7

Surgical apparatus according to claim 4, comprising measuring means to measure the degree of deflection of said second bone engaging surface away from a position of parallelism with the first bone engaging surface when said soft tissue is tensioned.

Claim 8

Surgical apparatus according to claim 1 or 3, wherein said second bone engaging means is adapted to be rotatably oriented by said bone engaged thereby.

Claim 9

Surgical apparatus according to claim 1 or 3, wherein said displacement means comprises a gearing arrangement.

Claim 10

Surgical apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the gearing arrangement comprises a rack and pinion assembly.

Claim 11

Surgical apparatus according to claim 1 or 3, comprising securing means to secure the first bone engaging means at any desired separation from the second bone engaging means.

Claim 12

Surgical apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the securing means comprises a threaded member adapted to engage the displacement means.

Claim 13

Surgical apparatus according to claim 1 or 3, wherein each of the first and second bone engaging means comprises at least one shaft mounted on the main body part and a plate defining said bone engaging surface.

Claim 14

Surgical apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the first bone engaging means comprises two of said shafts mounted respectively on either side of the main body part and connected to each other by a connecting member, the connecting member being mounted on the displacement means.

Claim 15

Surgical apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the main body part includes a handle to enable the apparatus to be manipulated manually.

Claim 16

Surgical apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the second bone engaging means comprises only one of said shafts rotatably mounted in the main body part.

Claim 17

Surgical apparatus according to claim 11, wherein measuring means is connected to the shaft of the first bone engaging means.

Claim 18

Surgical apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the measuring means comprise a vernier scale.

Claim 19

Surgical apparatus according to claim 11, comprising further measuring means to measure a angle of rotation of the second bone engaging means.

Claim 20

Surgical apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the further measuring means comprises a vernier scale.