UNIVERSAL HANDLE

Abstract

There invention relates to a handle (100) for coupling to orthopaedic surgical instruments used in joint arthroplasty. The handle is universal. The handle comprises a body (102) having a proximal end (106), a distal end (104), and an open-ended channel (108) extending between the distal end and the proximal end. The channel is configured for receiving a shaft of a first orthopaedic instrument (10) such that the shaft extends completely through the handle, and the handle is in a sliding relationship with the shaft. The channel is also configured for separately and independently receiving a handle-attachment portion located at a proximal end of a second orthopaedic surgical instrument (500, 502, 504) such that the handle and the second orthopaedic surgical instrument are held in a fixed relationship.

Claims

1.-7. (canceled)

8. A kit for use in orthopaedic surgery, the kit comprising: a handle comprising: a proximal end, a distal end, and an open-ended channel extending between the distal end and the proximal end, the channel being configured for either; receiving a shall of a first orthopaedic instrument such that the shaft extends completely through the handle, and the handle is in a sliding relationship with the shaft; or receiving a handle-attachment portion located at a proximal end of a second orthopaedic surgical instrument such that the handle and the second orthopaedic surgical instrument are held in a fixed relationship; and a first orthopaedic instrument having a shaft dimensioned for receipt within the open-ended channel of the handle, such that when the first orthopaedic instrument is assembled with the handle, the handle is in a sliding relationship with the shaft, and/or a second orthopaedic instrument having a proximally-located handle-attachment portion, such that when the second orthopaedic surgical instrument is assembled with the handle, the handle-attachment portion and the handle are held in a fixed relationship.

9. The kit of claim 8, in which the first orthopaedic instrument is a femoral stem extractor.

10. The kit of claim 9, in which the femoral stem extractor includes a stop member disposed along the shaft.

11. The kit of claim 10, in which the stop member is disposed at a proximal end of the shall.

12. The kit of claim 10, in which the stop member is removably attachable to the shaft.

13. The kit of claim 8, in which the second orthopaedic instrument is selected from a plurality of surgical instruments, the plurality of surgical instruments comprising a femoral stem inserter, a femoral canal probe and a femoral head impactor.

14. The kit of claim 13, in which the handle-attachment portion of each of the femoral stem inserter, the femoral canal probe and the femoral head impactor is identical.

15. The kit of claim 13, in which the femoral stem inserter is one or more of a standard straight shaft stem inserter, a bullet tip shaft stem inserter, a curved anterior stem inserter and a posterior shaft stem inserter.

16. The kit of claim 8, in which the kit further comprises an impaction strike plate for removable attachment to the proximal end of the second orthopaedic instrument.

17. A method for preparing a surgical instrument for use in extracting a femoral stem component from a femur, the method comprising: providing a handle, the handle comprising: a body comprising: a proximal end, a distal end, and an open-ended channel extending between the distal end and the proximal end, the channel being configured for either receiving a shaft of a first orthopaedic instrument such that the shaft extends completely through the handle, and the handle is in a sliding relationship with the shaft, or receiving a handle-attachment portion located at a proximal end of a second orthopaedic instrument such that the handle and the second orthopaedic instrument are held in a fixed relationship; selecting a first orthopaedic instrument having a shaft and a dista11y-located femoral stem-attachment portion; and sliding the shaft of the first orthopaedic instrument through the open-ended channel of the handle such that the shaft extends beyond both the distal end and the proximal end of the handle.

18. The method of claim 17, in which the method further comprises removably attaching a stop member to the shaft of the first orthopaedic instrument at a location that is proximal with respect to the proximal end of the handle when the handle is assembled on the shaft.

19. A method for preparing a surgical instrument for use in inserting a femoral stem component into a femur, the method comprising: providing a handle, the handle comprising: a body comprising: a proximal end, a distal end, and an open-ended channel extending between the distal end and the proximal end, the channel being configured for either receiving a shaft of a first orthopaedic instrument such that the shaft extends completely through the handle, and the handle is in a sliding relationship with the shaft, or receiving a handle-attachment portion located at a proximal end of a second orthopaedic instrument such that the handle and the second orthopaedic instrument are held in a fixed relationship; selecting a second orthopaedic instrument having a proximally-located handle-attachment portion; sliding the handle-attachment portion into a distally-located portion of the open-ended channel of the handle, and locking the handle-attachment portion of the second orthopaedic instrument within the distally-located portion of the open-ended channel.

20. The method of claim 19, in which the locking step includes activating a spring-loaded button on the handle.

21. The method of claim 19, in which the selecting step includes selecting a femoral stem inserter from a group comprising a standard straight shaft stem inserter, a bullet tip shaft stem inserter, a curved anterior stem inserter and a posterior shaft stem inserter.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the second orthopaedic instrument is a femoral head impactor wherein, with the handle-attachment portion of the femoral head impactor locked within the distally-located portion of the open-ended channel, the surgical instrument is configured for use in assembling a femoral head component onto a femoral stem component.

23. (canceled)

24. The method of claim 19, wherein the second orthopaedic instrument is a femoral canal probe; and wherein, with the handle-attachment portion of the femoral canal probe locked within the distally-located portion of the open-ended channel, the surgical instrument is configured for use in selecting a size of femoral stem component.

25. (canceled)

26. The kit of claim 8, in which the handle comprises a locking mechanism for reversibly locking the handle to the handle-attachment portion of the second orthopaedic surgical instrument.

27. The kit of claim 26, in which the locking mechanism includes a spring-loaded button.

28. The kit of claim 26, in which the locking mechanism is provided in a distally-located portion of the open-ended channel.

29. The kit of claim 8, in which the body includes a cut-out section dimensioned for receipt of a surgeon's fingers.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0099] For a more complete understanding of the present invention and the advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following description taken in connection with the following drawings, in which:

[0100] FIG. 1 is a schematic of a conventional stem extractor;

[0101] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the handle of the present invention;

[0102] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the handle of the present invention assembled onto a a first construction of a femoral stem extractor;

[0103] FIG. 4 is an internal assembled view of the assembly shown in FIG. 3;

[0104] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the handle of the present invention assembled onto a second construction of a femoral stem extractor;

[0105] FIG. 6 is an internal assembled view of the assembly shown in FIG. 5.

[0106] FIG. 7 is a schematic illustrating examples of instruments used in the implantation of a femoral stem implant to which the handle of the present invention may be assembled.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0107] Embodiments of the present invention and the advantages thereof are best understood by referring to the following descriptions and drawings, wherein like numerals are used for like and corresponding parts of the drawings.

[0108] Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a conventional femoral stem extractor 10 which includes a shaft 12 with a threaded distal end 14 for connection into a threaded bore (not shown) in the proximal surface 16 of a femoral stem 18. A slap hammer 20 is slidingly received on the shaft. In use, a surgeon repeatedly pulls the slap hammer upwards with a towards a strike plate (not shown). The impaction force generated as the slap hammer strikes the lower surface of the strike plate is transmitted downwardly along the shaft to repeatedly disrupt the implant/bone interface (bone bridge) of an osseointegrated implant.

[0109] FIG. 2 shows the universal or modular handle 100 of the present invention. The handle includes a body 102 having a distal end 104 and a proximal end 106. An open-ended channel 108 (not shown) extends between the distal end and the proximal end. The channel is configured for receiving a shaft of a first orthopaedic instrument such that the shaft extends completely through the handle, and the handle is in a sliding relationship with the shaft. The channel 108 is also configured for receiving a handle-attachment portion located at a proximal end of a second orthopaedic surgical instrument such that the handle and the second orthopaedic surgical instrument are held in a fixed relationship. The handle also includes a locking mechanism, shown here in the form of a spring-loaded button 110. The spring-loaded button includes a stop pin (not shown).

[0110] Advantageously, the handle is ergonomically designed to improve a surgeon's grip on the handle. In the construction shown, the body of the handle may include a cut-out section 114. Advantageously, this cut-out section is dimensioned to receive a surgeon's fingers. In use, a surgeon may insert his/her fingers through the cut-out section and wrap them about the adjacent portion of the body in order to facilitate gripping of the handle.

[0111] In some further constructions, as shown in FIG. 2, the handle may include an impaction strike plate 116 at the proximal end. The strike plate may be in the form of a flange.

[0112] The handle is preferably monolithic. In some constructions, the handle 100 is manufactured from a metal material suitable for medical applications. For example, the metal could be stainless steel.

[0113] In some other constructions, the handle might also be made of a plastic. The plastic may or may not contain reinforcement and could be ABS, polypropylene, polyurethane, polyesters, acetals, or polyimide. This is a representative list and does not exclude other plastics or polymer systems that are used for medical applications.

[0114] It is envisaged that the handle may be 3-D printed.

[0115] Turning to FIGS. 3 and 4, the handle 100 of the present invention is shown assembled onto the shaft component 12 of a femoral stem extractor 10.

[0116] The shaft component 12 of the femoral stem extractor is a cylindrical component with a generally circular cross-section. The shaft component may also be referred to as a stem extractor rod.

[0117] The shaft component 12 includes a threaded distal end 14, a waist portion 16 and a stop member 22.

[0118] The threads on the threaded distal end 14 are complementary to the threads of a threaded bore in the proximal surface of the femoral stem. Hence, the threaded distal end 14 functions as the means to connect the shaft component of the stem extractor to the femoral stem component.

[0119] The waist portion 16 allows the handle to travel along the shaft. This is because the waist portion is dimensioned such that when the handle is assembled with the shaft component, there is a clearance between the stop pin 112 component of the spring-loaded button and the external surface of the shaft.

[0120] The stop member 22 functions to limit the direction of travel of the handle 100 in a proximal direction, and additionally as an extraction strike plate. The stop member is shown in this embodiment as a knob that is configured to be threaded into the proximal end of the shaft component 12. The knob includes circumferentially distributed grooves to improve the surgeons grip.

[0121] To assemble the slap hammer stem extractor, the user depresses the spring-loaded button 110 on the handle. The user then slides the shaft component 12 into, through, and then out of the open-ended channel 108 of the body 102 of the handle 100.

[0122] In constructions in which the stop member 22 is permanently fixed to the proximal end of the shaft, the distal threaded end 14 of the shaft must be is inserted into the channel 108 in a direction from the proximal end 106 of the body 102 to the distal end 104 of the body.

[0123] In constructions in which the stop member 22 is removably attachable to the proximal end of the shaft, the shaft may be inserted into the channel 108 either in a proximal or distal direction of travel. The stop member is then attached to the proximal end of the shaft.

[0124] The user releases the spring-loaded button 110 once the button is located at a position along the waist portion 16 of the shaft. The handle 100 is then free to run axially along the smaller diameter of the shaft component defined by the waist portion.

[0125] Next, the user aligns the threaded distal end 14 of the shaft component with the threaded bore located within the proximal surface of the femoral stem component.

[0126] The user then grips and turns the stop member 22 in order to form a screw-threaded connection between the shaft component of the femoral stem extractor and the femoral stem component.

[0127] To disrupt the osseointegration of the femoral stem component and the bone, the user grips the handle and then repeatedly and forcibly slides the handle in a proximal direction such that a proximal (top) surface of the strike plate 116 strikes the distal (bottom) surface of the stop member 22. This results in a step-wise extraction of the femoral stem component out of the femoral bone.

[0128] Now turning to FIGS. 5 and 6, the handle 300 of the present invention is shown assembled onto the shaft component 212 of a second construction of a femoral stem extractor 200.

[0129] The shaft component 212 of the femoral stem inserter is a cylindrical component with a generally circular cross-section.

[0130] The shaft component 212 includes a threaded distal end 214, a waist portion 216 and a proximal end 218. The threads on the threaded distal end 214 are complementary to the threads of a threaded bore in the proximal surface of the femoral stem. Hence, the threaded distal end 214 functions as the mechanism to connect the shaft component of the stem extractor to the femoral stem component.

[0131] To assemble the femoral stem extractor 200 with the handle 300, the user depresses the spring-loaded button 310 on the handle. The user then slides the shaft component 212 into, through, and then out of the open-ended channel 308 of the body 302 of the handle 200.

[0132] The user releases the spring-loaded button 310 once the button is located at a position along the waist portion 216 of the shaft. The handle 300 is then locked onto the shaft, whilst allowing free rotation of the shaft.

[0133] In the construction shown, an impaction/extraction strike plate 400 is welded to the proximal end 218 of shaft 212.

[0134] In other constructions, the strike plate 400 and shaft 212 may be manufactured as a monobloc component.

[0135] In still further constructions, the impaction/extraction strike plate 400 may be removably secured to the proximal end 218 of the shaft 212 by the user. The strike plate may be assembled with the proximal end of the shaft of the femoral stem inserter either before or after the shaft has been slid through the handle 300.

[0136] Various means of removably securing the impaction/extraction strike plate 400 to the shaft will be known to the skilled artisan, and may include a threaded connection, or an interference fit, also known as a press fit or friction fit.

[0137] To extract the femoral stem component from the bone, the user again grips the handle 300 and repeatedly and forcibly slides the handle in a proximal direction such that a proximal (top) surface of the strike plate 316 strikes the distal (bottom) surface of the impaction/extraction strike plate 400. This results in a step-wise extraction of the femoral stem component out of the femoral bone.

[0138] FIG. 7 illustrates examples of the second orthopaedic instrument on which the handle may be assembled, these include, but are not limited to: (a) a femoral canal probe (500), (b) a femoral head impactor (502), (c) a standard straight shaft inserter (504), and (d) a bullet tip shaft (506). Each shaft of the instruments shown has an identical proximally-located handle-attachment portion (500a, 502a, 504a, 506a). In the constructions shown here, the handle-attachment portion is a connection flat that engages with a connection flat on the modular handle button. Because each handle-attachment portion is of the same design, each shaft can be locked into the same handle depending on the type of surgery or the surgeon preference.

[0139] Although particular constructions of the invention have been described, it will be appreciated that many modifications/additions and/or substitutions may be made within the scope of the claimed invention.