Adjustable surgical cutting systems

Abstract

Adjustable and modular systems, devices and methods for accurately cutting or resecting bones during surgery, particularly in preparation for installing joint implants during arthroplasties, including, but not limited to, preparation of femur or tibia during knee arthroplasties, such as total knee arthroplasty. The embodiments of the present invention provide solutions for adjusting a position of the cutting guides, or structures for guiding or directing the implements for resecting a patient's bone tissue, such as saws. The systems and devices comprise an adjustor for adjusting the cutting guide's position at the patient's bone in at least one degree of rotational freedom and in at least one degree of translational freedom.

1 .- 26 . (canceled) 
     
     
         27 . A guide for guiding the preparation of a bone of a patient during a knee arthroplasty, comprising:
 (a) a guide component including at least one guide surface that can be positioned and oriented to facilitate the alignment of a cutter with respect to the bone;   (b) an adjustor component connected to the guide component;   (c) a first component associated with at least one of the guide and adjustor components in a rotating fashion; and   (d) a second component associated with at least one of the guide and adjustor components in a rotating fashion;   
       wherein rotation of the first component rotates the guide component in a controlled fashion with respect to the adjustor component in a first degree of rotational freedom; 
       wherein rotation of the second component rotates the guide component in a controlled fashion with respect to the adjustor component in a second degree of rotational freedom; and 
       wherein an axis defining the first degree of rotational freedom is substantially perpendicular to an axis defining the second degree of rotational freedom. 
     
     
         28 . The guide of  claim 27 , wherein the guide component is removably attached to the adjustor component. 
     
     
         29 . The guide of  claim 28 , wherein the guide component is configured to be secured to the bone in a fixed position and orientation, and wherein the adjustor component is configured to be secured to the bone in a fixed position and orientation. 
     
     
         30 . The guide of  claim 29 , wherein the guide component comprises a plurality of apertures for receiving a plurality of fasteners, and wherein the adjustor component comprises a plurality of apertures for receiving a plurality of fasteners. 
     
     
         31 . The guide of  claim 27 , wherein rotation of the first component with respect to the at least one of the guide and adjustor components with which it is associated also translates the first component with respect to the at least one of the guide and adjustor components with which it is associated. 
     
     
         32 . The guide of  claim 31 , wherein the guide and adjustor components are connected by at least one joint including a partially spherical head received by a partially spherical receptacle configured to articulate with the partially spherical head in at least the first degree of rotational freedom. 
     
     
         33 . The guide of  claim 32 , wherein the partially spherical receptacle is configured to articulate with the partially spherical head in the second degree of rotational freedom. 
     
     
         34 . A guide for guiding the preparation of a bone of a patient during a knee arthroplasty, comprising:
 (a) a guide component including at least one guide surface that can be positioned and oriented to facilitate the alignment of a cutter with respect to the bone;   (b) an adjustor component connected to the guide component; and   (c) a first component associated with at least one of the guide component and the adjustor component in a rotating fashion;   
       wherein the guide and adjustor components are connected by at least one joint including a partially spherical head received by a partially spherical receptacle configured to articulate with the partially spherical head in at least a first degree of rotational freedom; and 
       wherein rotation of the first component rotates the guide component with respect to the adjustor component in the first degree of rotational freedom in a controlled fashion. 
     
     
         35 . The guide of  claim 34 , further comprising a second component associated with at least one of the guide component and the adjustor component in a rotating fashion; wherein the guide and adjustor component are connected by a second joint including a second partially spherical head received by a second partially spherical receptacle configured to articulate with the partially spherical head in at least a second degree of rotational freedom; and wherein rotation of the second component rotates the guide component with respect to the adjustor component in the second degree of rotational freedom in a controlled fashion. 
     
     
         36 . The guide of  claim 35 , wherein the partially spherical receptacle of the at least one joint is configured to articulate with the partially spherical head of the at least one joint in the second degree of rotational freedom; and wherein the second partially spherical receptacle of the second joint is configured to articulate with the second partially spherical head of the second joint in the first degree of rotational freedom. 
     
     
         37 . The guide of  claim 34 , wherein the guide component is removably attached to the adjustor component. 
     
     
         38 . The guide of  claim 37 , wherein the guide component is configured to be secured to the bone in a fixed position and orientation, and wherein the adjustor component is configured to be secured to the bone in a fixed position and orientation. 
     
     
         39 . The guide of  claim 34 , wherein rotation of the first component with respect to the at least one of the guide and adjustor components with which it is associated also translates the first component with respect to the at least one of the guide and adjustor components with which it is associated. 
     
     
         40 . A guide for guiding the preparation of a bone of a patient during a knee arthroplasty, comprising:
 (a) a guide component including at least one guide surface that can be positioned and oriented to facilitate the alignment of a cutter with respect to the bone;   (b) an adjustor component connected to the guide component; and   (c) a first component associated with at least one of the guide and adjustor components in a rotating fashion, wherein the first component is rotatable about a first component axis of rotation;   
       wherein rotation of the first component rotates the guide component in a controlled fashion with respect to the adjustor component in a first degree of rotational freedom; 
       wherein an axis defining the first degree of rotational freedom is not aligned with the first component axis of rotation. 
     
     
         41 . The guide of  claim 40 , wherein the axis defining the first degree of rotational freedom is substantially perpendicular to the first component axis of rotation. 
     
     
         42 . The guide of  claim 40 , further comprising a second component associated with at least one of the guide and adjustor components in a rotating fashion, wherein the second component is rotatable about a second component axis of rotation; wherein rotation of the second component rotates the guide component in a controlled fashion with respect to the adjustor component in a second degree of rotational freedom; and wherein an axis defining the second degree of rotational freedom is not aligned with the second component axis of rotation. 
     
     
         43 . The guide of  claim 42 , wherein rotation of the first component translates the first component along the first component axis of rotation. 
     
     
         44 . The guide of  claim 43 , wherein rotation of the second component translates the second component along the second component axis of rotation. 
     
     
         45 . The guide of  claim 44 , wherein rotation of the first component adjusts a varus/valgus angle of the guide component. 
     
     
         46 . The guide of  claim 45 , wherein rotation of the second component adjusts a flexion/extension angle of the guide component.