Alignment guides with patient-specific anchoring elements

Abstract

A method for preparing a bone of a joint during joint arthroplasty. The method includes mounting an alignment guide on the bone of a patient along an alignment direction. The method further includes anchoring the alignment guide into a cartilage of the bone using a plurality of patient-specific anchoring elements extending from an inner surface of alignment guide, each anchoring element having a patient-specific length extending between the inner surface and an end point of the corresponding anchoring element.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . An orthopedic alignment guide comprising:
 an outer surface;   an inner surface opposing the outer surface;   one or more engagement features extending inward from the inner surface, each of the one or more engagement features positioned to engage articular cartilage of a patient and having a patent-specific length configured to penetrate the articular cartilage that covers portions of an outer bone surface of the patient to engage the outer bone surface beneath the articular cartilage; and   one or more guiding bores extending though the guide between the outer surface and the inner surface.   
     
     
         22 . The alignment guide of  claim 21 , wherein the length is determined based upon X-rays images of the outer bone surface taken in two-dimensions. 
     
     
         23 . The alignment guide of  claim 22 , wherein the X-ray images do not capture the articular cartilage or other soft tissue covering the outer bone surface. 
     
     
         24 . The alignment guide of  claim 21 , wherein each of the one or more engagement features have an anatomy engaging end, and wherein collectively the anatomy engaging ends form a geometric envelope that traces a surface complementary and mating with the outer bone surface. 
     
     
         25 . The alignment guide of  claim 21 , wherein the inner surface is patient-specific to nestingly mate to and be complementary with a corresponding surface of the patient in only one position. 
     
     
         26 . The alignment guide of  claim 21 , wherein the corresponding surface of the patient is the outer bone surface including the articular cartilage. 
     
     
         27 . The alignment guide of  claim 21 , wherein the length of the one or more engagement features is greater than a corresponding thickness of the articular cartilage, such that the inner surface is spaced from contacting the articular cartilage when the alignment guide mounted to the outer bone surface via the one or more engagement features. 
     
     
         28 . The alignment guide of  claim 21 , wherein each of the one or more engagement features has a predetermined position relative to others of the one or more engagement features. 
     
     
         29 . The alignment guide of  claim 21 , wherein each of the one or more engagement features includes a patient-specific cartilage-anchoring portion and a bone-anchoring portion, the cartilage-anchoring portion having first and second ends, the first end extending from the inner surface of the alignment guide, the bone-anchoring portion extending from a portion of the second end of the cartilage-anchoring portion. 
     
     
         30 . The alignment guide of  claim 21 , wherein the one or more engagement features extend only from a first portion of the inner surface for anchoring through the articular cartilage and are not positioned in a second portion of the inner surface that interfaces with regions of the outer bone surface that are not covered by articular cartilage. 
     
     
         31 . An orthopedic alignment guide comprising:
 an outer surface;   an inner surface opposing the outer surface; and   a plurality of engagement features extending inward from the inner surface, each of the plurality of engagement features positioned to engage articular cartilage of a patient and having a patent-specific length configured to penetrate the articular cartilage that covers portions of an outer bone surface of the patient to engage the outer bone surface beneath the articular cartilage to facilitate mounting of the alignment guide on the outer bone surface, wherein the length is determined based upon X-rays images of the outer bone surface taken in two-dimensions.   
     
     
         32 . The alignment guide of  claim 31 , wherein the X-ray images do not capture the articular cartilage or other soft tissue covering the outer bone surface. 
     
     
         33 . The alignment guide of  claim 31 , further comprising one or more guiding bores extending though the guide between the outer surface and the inner surface. 
     
     
         34 . The alignment guide of  claim 31 , wherein each of the plurality of engagement features have an anatomy engaging end, and wherein collectively the anatomy engaging ends form a geometric envelope that traces a surface complementary and mating with the outer bone surface. 
     
     
         35 . The alignment guide of  claim 31 , wherein the inner surface is patient-specific to nestingly mate to and be complementary with a corresponding surface of the patient in only one position. 
     
     
         36 . The alignment guide of  claim 31 , wherein the corresponding surface of the patient is the outer bone surface including the articular cartilage. 
     
     
         37 . The alignment guide of  claim 31 , wherein the length of the plurality of engagement features is greater than a corresponding thickness of the articular cartilage, such that the inner surface is spaced from contacting the articular cartilage when mounted to the outer bone surface via the plurality of engagement features. 
     
     
         38 . An orthopedic alignment guide comprising:
 an outer surface;   an inner surface opposing the outer surface;   one or more engagement features extending inward from the inner surface, each of the one or more engagement features positioned to engage articular cartilage of a patient and having a patent-specific length configured to penetrate the articular cartilage that covers portions of an outer bone surface of the patient to engage the outer bone surface beneath the articular cartilage, wherein the length of the one or more engagement features is greater than a corresponding thickness of the articular cartilage, such that the inner surface is spaced from contacting the articular cartilage when the alignment guide mounted to the outer bone surface via the one or more engagement features.   
     
     
         39 . The alignment guide of  claim 38 , wherein the length is determined based upon X-rays images of the outer bone surface taken in two-dimensions. 
     
     
         40 . The alignment guide of  claim 38 , wherein each of the one or more engagement features have an anatomy engaging end, and wherein collectively the anatomy engaging ends form a geometric envelope that traces a surface complementary and mating with the outer bone surface.