Patient-Specific Joint Arthroplasty Devices for Ligament Repair

Abstract

Disclosed herein are methods, compositions and tools for repairing, replacing or otherwise treating bone ligaments using devices designed from patient-specific information, including without limitation, surgical alignment instruments that have a surface that conforms to at least a portion of a patient's bone, cartilage or other component of the joint or ligament being treated.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for customizing ligament repair, the method comprising:
 obtaining electronic image data of at least one surface associated with a ligament;   obtaining kinematic modeling and simulation, and optionally finite element modeling, involving the ligament; and   creating a first template based, at least in part, on the image data, the kinematic modeling and simulation, and optionally the finite element modeling, the first template having at least one contact surface that conforms with at least a portion of the surface, the first template including at least one guide for directing movement of a surgical instrument involved with the ligament repair.