Prosthetic device and a system and method for implanting a prosthetic device

Abstract

A system for implanting a prosthetic device includes a first component of the prosthetic device configured to be disposed in an actual joint and including a first feature. The system further includes a processing circuit configured to determine, based in part on a second component of the prosthetic device that is disposed on an actual bone of the actual joint, a placement of the first component on the same actual bone to obtain a desired relationship between the first component and the second component. The processing circuit is further configured to determine a relationship between the first component and the second component. The second component includes a second feature, and the determined relationship is based at least in part on the first feature and the second feature, and at least one of the first feature and the second feature includes a characteristic that is represented as a virtual feature.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for implanting a prosthetic device comprising:
 a first component of the prosthetic device configured to be disposed in an actual joint and including a first feature; and   a processing circuit configured to:
 determine, based in part on a second component of the prosthetic device that is disposed on an actual bone of the actual joint, a placement of the first component on the same actual bone to obtain a desired relationship between the first component and the second component, and 
 determine a relationship between the first component and the second component, 
 wherein the second component includes a second feature, and wherein the determined relationship is based at least in part on the first feature and the second feature, and wherein at least one of the first feature and the second feature includes a characteristic that is represented as a virtual feature. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first feature and the second feature includes at least one of a sensor, a signal emitter, a piezoelectric transducer, an optical etching, an optical marking, a marker, a pattern, a landmark, and an interface for an instrument, a point, a line, an axis, a length, an arc center, a curve, a radius, a plane, a construction geometry, a surface, an articular surface, a correspondence point, a divot, a cavity, a size, and an ID. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the determined relationship between the first component and the second component relates to at least one of a position and an orientation of the first and second components. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the processing circuit is further configured to compare the determined relationship between the first component and the second component to the desired relationship. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the desired relationship relates to at least one of a position and an orientation of the first and second components. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the processing circuit is further configured to determine the desired relationship based on at least one of an image dataset, an imageless dataset, an equation, a tolerance, and a geometric model. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first component and the second component includes at least one of an implant, a trial implant and a pre-existing implant. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first component includes one of a femoral condyle component and a patello-femoral component, and the second component includes the other of the femoral condyle component and the patello-femoral component. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the virtual feature is visible via a computer-generated model. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the virtual feature is not physically located on the first component and the second component. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the virtual feature is configured for use in constructing at least one of the first component and the second component. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the virtual feature is at least one of a point, line, arc, radii, divot, axis, curve, plane and surface that is not physically located on the first component and the second component and is configured for use in constructing at least one of the first component and the second component. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the virtual feature is a construction geometry used to model at least one of the first component and the second component. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the construction geometry is at least one of a profile, guide curve, arc center and axis. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the virtual feature is a point at which a guide curve exits at least one of the first component and the second component. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the processing circuit is further configured to determine performance characteristics of at least one of the first component and the second component using the virtual feature. 
     
     
         17 . A system for implanting a prosthetic device comprising:
 a first component of the prosthetic device configured to be disposed in an actual joint and including a first feature providing first information; and   a processing circuit configured to:
 determine at least one relationship between the first component and a second component of the prosthetic device that is disposed on an actual bone of the actual joint, wherein the second component includes a second feature providing second information, and wherein the at least one relationship is based at least in part on the first feature and the second feature, and 
 evaluate the at least one relationship based on at least one condition to obtain a desired relationship between the second component disposed on the actual bone of the actual joint and the first component when disposed on the same actual bone, and 
 wherein the at least one condition includes at least one performance characteristic. 
   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein at least one of the first component and the second component includes at least one of an implant, a trial implant and a pre-existing implant. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the first component includes one of a femoral condyle component and a patello-femoral component and the second component includes the other of the femoral condyle component and the patello-femoral component. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the processing circuit is further configured to propose a modification of the at least one relationship between the first component and the second component based on the at least one condition. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the processing circuit is further configured to determine an optimal relationship between the first component and the second component, wherein the second component is a pre-existing implant. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein at least one of the first feature and the second feature includes at least one of a sensor, a signal emitter, a piezoelectric transducer, an optical etching, an optical marking, a marker, a pattern, a landmark, an interface for an instrument, a point, a line, an axis, a length, an arc center, a curve, a radius, a plane, a construction geometry, a surface, an articular surface, a characteristic that is represented as a virtual feature, a correspondence point, a divot, a cavity, a size and an ID. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein at least one of the first information and the second information indicates at least one of a position, an orientation, a size, an identity, and a performance characteristic of the corresponding one of the first component and the second component. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the at least one relationship is at least one of a distance, a distance limit, an angle, an angle limit, a tangent, an orientation, a moment arm length, a collinear orientation, a concentric orientation, a coplanar orientation and a potential implant position. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the performance characteristic is at least one of wear, stress, kinematics, kinetics, fixation strength, ligament balance, anatomic fit and longevity.