Tibial Guides, Tools, and Techniques for Resecting the Tibial Plateau

Abstract

Various patient-specific tibial guide housings, patient-specific tibial guide boxes, and methods of resecting the tibial plateau are disclosed herein.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A tibial guide housing for use in treatment of a tibia of a patient, the tibia having a tibial plateau, the tibial guide housing comprising:
 a top side generally opposite a bottom side and a front side generally opposite a back side;   a first reference arm having a patient-specific contact surface configured to conform to a first portion of a superior surface of the tibia;   a second reference arm having a patient-specific contact surface configured to conform to a second portion of the superior surface of the tibia; and   at least one pin hole configured to accommodate insertion of a pin through the tibial guide housing and into the tibia,   wherein the back side includes a patient-specific contact surface configured to conform to a portion of an anterior surface of the tibia.   
     
     
         2 . The tibial guide housing of  claim 1 , further comprising a third reference arm having a patient-specific contact surface configured to conform to a third portion of the superior surface of the tibia. 
     
     
         3 . The tibial guide housing of  claim 1 , wherein the patient-specific contact surface of each reference arm is configured to engage an articular surface of the tibial. 
     
     
         4 . The tibial guide housing of  claim 1 , wherein the patient-specific contact surface of each reference arm is configured to engage subchondral bone surface. 
     
     
         5 . The tibial guide housing of  claim 1 , wherein the top side includes a patient-specific alignment indicator configured to provide visual assistance for alignment of the tibial guide housing with respect to the tibia. 
     
     
         6 . The tibial guide housing of  claim 5 , wherein the alignment indicator comprises one or more channels formed in the top surface of the tibial guide housing. 
     
     
         7 . The tibial guide housing of  claim 5 , wherein the alignment indicator is positioned and shaped based, at least in part, on patient-specific information to substantially match a portion of a perimeter of the tibia when the tibial guide housing is positioned on the tibia in a predetermined alignment. 
     
     
         8 . The tibial guide housing of  claim 1 , further comprising an alignment leg, the alignment leg configured for attachment to a tibial alignment rod. 
     
     
         9 . The tibial guide housing of  claim 1 , further comprising a viewing window configured to permit viewing of a peripheral edge of a portion of the anterior surface of the tibia from the top side of the tibial guide housing during positioning of the tibial guide housing on the tibia.