A surgical method that preserves soft tissue is provided. A medial oblique incision is performed in a patient's knee so that the knee's vastus medialis obliques (VMO) muscle and quadriceps tendon remain intact and uncut. The VMO muscle is then retracted to expose the knee's distal femur. The knee's distal femur may then be repaired as the in-tact VMO muscle is retracted.

A computer-implemented method of improving a patello-femoral response is described. A computing system characterizes an anterior geometry of a patella and determines a position of a posterior apex of the patella in relation to one or more features of the anterior geometry of the patella. The computing system further receives location information related to the patella as a knee joint is moved through a range of motion. The computing system provides one or more recommendations to improve a patello-femoral response.

Disclosed herein are patellar implants and methods to prepare bone for receiving the same. The patellar implant may include an articulating surface and an anterior surface with a non-planar surface to engage with a resected patella. The non-planar surface may include a conically shaped portion to receive the resected patellar bone. A method for resurfacing a patella to implant a patellar implant having a recessed anterior surface may include the steps of determining the minimum implant and resection depth, medial and lateral patellar slope angles to select and resect with a symmetrical reamer.

A patella preparation system and method of using a patella preparation system. The patella preparation system includes a fixing device adapted to fixedly hold a patella, a guiding device linked to the fixing device to be moveable relative to the fixing device, preferably by translatory and/or tilting movements/motions, and an operation device for manually moving the guiding device relative to the fixing device individually and separately in a translatory and a tilting manner.

Disclosed herein is a disposable patella clamp. In some examples, the patella clamp is configured as a patient specific patella clamp that is custom designed to fit the anatomy of a particular patient. A patient undergoes diagnostic imaging which provides patient specific data including patella diameter and thickness, patella shape, and limb alignment. The imaging can be used to generate a 3D digital model of the patient's anatomy associated with the patellar region. The patella clamp can be designed and manufactured based on the model as an integrated clamp using an additive manufacturing process with biocompatible materials. The patella clamp may include one or more tracking elements operative to enable the patella clamp to be used with a computer-assisted and/or robotic surgical system.

Disclosed herein are patellar implants and methods to prepare bone for receiving the same. The patellar implant may include an articulating surface and an anterior surface with a non-planar surface to engage with a resected patella. The non-planar surface may include a conically shaped portion to receive the resected patellar bone. A method for resurfacing a patella to implant a patellar implant having a recessed anterior surface may include the steps of determining the minimum implant and resection depth, medial and lateral patellar slope angles to select and resect with a symmetrical reamer.

A surgical method that preserves soft tissue is provided. A medial oblique incision is performed a patient's knee that lies along a line extending from a first end to a second end. The first end is medial to the patient's tibial tubercle. The second end is at a point between the patient's anterior and posterior aspect of the patient's medial thigh and proximal to the superior pole of the patient's patella. The line traverses a path that extends proximally in an antero-medial region of the patient's knee.