Drill guides for confirming alignment of patient-specific alignment guides

Abstract

An orthopedic device includes a drill guide configured to be mounted on a patient-specific alignment guide for intraoperatively confirming alignment of the patient-specific alignment guide relative to a bone. The patient-specific alignment guide includes first and second referencing holes. The drill guide includes a main body with a first coupling member and a second coupling member. The first and second coupling members are configured to be received within the first and second referencing holes, respectively. The first and second coupling members each include corresponding first and second drill openings configured to align with the first and second referencing holes, respectively. The drill openings each guide a drilling tool toward the bone to drill corresponding holes in the bone. The main body also includes an alignment confirmation feature configured for confirming alignment of the patient-specific alignment guide relative to the bone before drilling holes in the bone.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An orthopedic device comprising:
 a drill guide configured to be mounted on a patient-specific alignment guide for intraoperatively confirming alignment of the patient-specific alignment guide relative to a bone, the patient-specific alignment guide including a first referencing hole and a second referencing hole, the drill guide including:
 a main body with a first coupling member and a second coupling member, the first and second coupling members configured to be received within the first and second referencing holes, respectively, the first and second coupling members including corresponding first and second drill openings configured to align with the first and second referencing holes, respectively, for guiding a drilling tool toward the bone to drill corresponding holes in the bone, the main body further including an alignment confirmation feature configured for confirming alignment of the patient-specific alignment guide relative to the bone before drilling holes in the bone. 
   
     
     
         2 . The orthopedic device of  claim 1 , wherein the alignment confirmation feature is configured for confirming that the patient-specific alignment guide is aligned relative to a mechanical axis of the bone. 
     
     
         3 . The orthopedic device of  claim 2 , wherein the alignment confirmation feature includes an alignment opening configured to receive a rod and orient a longitudinal rod axis of the rod parallel to the mechanical axis to thereby confirm alignment of the patient-specific alignment guide. 
     
     
         4 . The orthopedic device of  claim 3 , wherein the alignment opening is elongate in cross-section, the alignment opening having a minor axis that substantially corresponds to a cross-sectional width of the rod, the alignment opening having a major axis that is greater than the cross-sectional width of the rod. 
     
     
         5 . The orthopedic device of  claim 3 , further comprising a block that extends away from a surface of the main body, the alignment opening extending through the block. 
     
     
         6 . The orthopedic device of  claim 3 , wherein the alignment opening passes directly through the main body. 
     
     
         7 . The orthopedic device of  claim 3 , wherein the alignment opening defines a line of symmetry of the main body. 
     
     
         8 . The orthopedic device of  claim 3 , wherein the alignment opening is disposed adjacent a first end of the main body and is spaced away from a second end of the main body. 
     
     
         9 . The orthopedic device of  claim 1 , further comprising a patient-specific alignment guide, the patient-specific alignment guide having a three-dimensional patient-specific surface preoperatively configured to nest and closely conform to a corresponding surface of the bone in only one position relative to the bone. 
     
     
         10 . The orthopedic device of  claim 1 , wherein the main body includes a plurality of drill openings, each having a respective longitudinal axis, the longitudinal axes of the drill openings cooperating to define a guide plane, and wherein the alignment confirmation feature defines a confirmation axis that is substantially perpendicular to the guide plane. 
     
     
         11 . The orthopedic device of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second coupling members has a tapered outer surface that is removably received within the corresponding one of the first and second referencing holes. 
     
     
         12 . The orthopedic device of  claim 1 , wherein the bone is at least one of a tibia and a femur. 
     
     
         13 . An orthopedic method comprising:
 intraoperatively nesting a three-dimensional patient-specific surface of a patient-specific alignment guide to a corresponding surface of the bone, the three-dimensional patient-specific surface being preoperatively configured to align the patient-specific alignment guide relative to the bone when nested to the corresponding surface in only one position, the patient-specific alignment guide including a first referencing hole and a second referencing hole;   intraoperatively mounting a drill guide onto the patient-specific alignment guide by inserting first and second coupling members of the drill guide into the first and second referencing holes, respectively, and aligning corresponding drill openings of the first and second coupling members with the first and second referencing holes, respectively;   intraoperatively confirming that the patient-specific alignment guide is aligned relative to a mechanical axis of the bone using an alignment confirmation feature of the drill guide; and   drilling a hole into the bone through one of the drill openings after confirming that the patient-specific alignment guide is aligned relative to the mechanical axis of the bone.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein confirming that the patient-specific alignment guide is aligned relative to the mechanical axis includes passing a rod through an alignment opening of the alignment confirmation feature confirming that a rod axis of the rod is parallel to the mechanical axis of the bone. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising rotating the rod relative to the mechanical axis to avoid abutment of the rod with an anatomical feature. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 drilling a plurality of holes in the bone with the drilling tool;   inserting a referencing pin into each of the plurality of holes;   removing the patient-specific guide and the drill guide without removing the referencing pins;   mounting a resection guide onto the referencing pins; and   resecting the bone with a resection tool that is guided by the resection guide.   
     
     
         17 . An orthopedic device comprising:
 a patient-specific alignment guide having a three-dimensional patient-specific surface that nests and closely conforms to a corresponding surface of a bone in only one position relative to the bone, the three-dimensional patient-specific surface being pre-operatively configured to align the alignment guide relative to a mechanical axis of the bone in only one position, the alignment guide including a first referencing hole and a second referencing hole;   a drill guide including a main body, a first projection, and a second projection, the first and second projections having first and second through holes, respectively, the first and second projections configured to be received within the first and second referencing holes, respectively, to intra-operatively couple the drill guide to the alignment guide and to guide a drilling tool toward the bone to form corresponding holes therein, the drill guide additionally including an alignment opening configured to orient a rod along an axis parallel to the mechanical axis to confirm the alignment of the patient-specific alignment guide relative to the mechanical axis of the bone.   
     
     
         18 . The orthopedic device of  claim 17 , wherein the first and second projections each include a tapered outer surface. 
     
     
         19 . The orthopedic device of  claim 17 , wherein the alignment opening is elongate in cross section, the alignment opening having a minor axis that substantially corresponds to a width of the rod, the alignment opening having a major axis that is greater than the width of the rod. 
     
     
         20 . The orthopedic device of  claim 17 , wherein the drill guide is a femoral drill guide for drilling holes in a femur, wherein the alignment opening is elongate in cross section, the alignment opening having a minor axis that substantially corresponds to a cross-sectional width of the rod, the alignment opening having a major axis that is greater than the cross-sectional width of the rod, the alignment opening passing through a block that extends away from a surface of the main body.