Methods for Determining Meniscal Size and Shape and for Devising Treatment

Abstract

The present invention relates to methods for determining meniscal size and shape for use in designing therapies for the treatment of various joint diseases. The invention uses an image of a joint that is processed for analysis. Analysis can include, for example, generating a thickness map, a cartilage curve, or a point cloud. This information is used to determine the extent of the cartilage defect or damage and to design an appropriate therapy, including, for example, an implant. Adjustments to the designed therapy are made to account for the materials used.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of designing an implant having an inner surface for attachment to a bone of a patient's knee joint and an outer surface for providing an articular surface, the method comprising:
 obtaining electronic image data of the knee joint;   generating a three dimensional representation of the knee joint;   deriving, from the three dimensional representation, a shape of articular tissue including cartilage of the knee joint;   determining one or more dimensions of a femoral condyle of the knee joint based on the three dimensional representation; and   designing an implant based on the one or more dimensions of the femoral condyle to achieve an optimal fit with the patient's knee joint.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , including determining one or more dimensions of a medial condyle of the knee joint. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , including determining one or more dimensions of a lateral condyle of the knee joint. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more dimensions of a femoral condyle are selected from the group consisting of an antero-posterior length of the medial femoral condyle, an antero-posterior length of the lateral femoral condyle, a medio-lateral width of the medial femoral condyle, a medio-lateral width of the lateral femoral condyle, an anterior-posterior distance of the femur, a superior-interior distance of the femur, a medio-lateral distance of the femur, a distance from the trochlea to an edge of the femur; and a width of the intercondylar notch. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more dimensions of a tibial plateau are selected from the group consisting of an anterior-posterior length of the medial tibial plateau, an anterior-posterior length of the lateral tibial plateau, a medio-lateral width of the medial tibial plateau, a medio-lateral width of the lateral tibial plateau, and a distance from the tibial spine to an edge of the tibial plateau. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more dimensions of a femoral condyle include at least two or more medio-lateral widths of a medial and/or a lateral femoral condyle. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more dimensions of a femoral condyle include at least two or more composite medio-lateral widths of the joint from a medial to a lateral femoral condyle. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further including determining one or more dimensions of a tibial plateau of the knee joint based on the three-dimensional representation. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the one or more dimensions of a tibial plateau are selected from the group consisting of an anterior-posterior length of the tibial plateau and a medio-lateral width of the tibial plateau. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the one or more dimensions of a tibial plateau are selected from an anterior-posterior length of the medial tibial plateau, an anterior-posterior length of the lateral tibial plateau and a medio-lateral width of the tibial plateau. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 deriving, from the three dimensional representation, a shape of articular tissue surrounding or adjacent articular tissue of the knee joint, wherein determining the one or more dimensions of a femoral condyle is further based, at least in part, on the derived shape of the surrounding or adjacent articular tissue.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 deriving, from the three dimensional representation, a shape of articular tissue surrounding or adjacent diseased articular cartilage of the knee joint, wherein determining the one or more dimensions of a femoral condyle is derived, at least in part, based on subchondral bone underlying the cartilage or surrounding or adjacent articular tissue.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the image data is obtained by one or more imaging techniques selected from the group consisting of MRI, CT, laser, ultrasound, digital tomosynthesis, optical coherence tomography, optical imaging and combinations thereof.