US-12622791-B2 - Devices and systems for assessing laxity in a joint

Abstract

A device for assessing laxity of a joint is disclosed. The device comprises a trial component comprising a base plate configured to couple to a tibia of the joint and a superior spacer coupled to the base plate. The base plate and the superior spacer define a cavity therebetween that may receive a portion of a tensioner tool. When force is applied via the tensioner tool, the superior spacer is configured to be selectively moved from a first position in contact with a superior surface of the base plate to a second position separated from the superior surface. A system for assessing laxity of a joint including a first bone and a second bone is also disclosed. The system comprises the trial component, the tensioner tool, and a processor configured to determine a gap distance associated with the first bone and the second bone during tensioning.

Inventors

• Suraj Rama
• James KROMKA
• Samuel C. DUMPE

Assignees

• SMITH & NEPHEW, INC.
• Smith & Nephew Asia Pacific Pte. Limited
• SMITH & NEPHEW ORTHOPAEDICS AG

Dates

Publication Date

20260512

Application Date

20240322

Claims (20)

1. 1 . A device for assessing laxity in a joint, the device comprising: a trial component configured to be coupled to a first bone of the joint, the trial component comprising a base plate configured to couple to the first bone and a superior spacer coupled to the base plate, wherein the base plate and the superior spacer define a cavity therebetween, the cavity configured to receive a portion of a tensioner tool, wherein the superior spacer is configured to be selectively moved between a first position in contact with a superior surface of the base plate and a second position separated from the superior surface.
2. 2 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the superior surface comprises a keying feature configured to mate with a surface feature on the portion of the tensioner tool, thereby securing an anterior-posterior pose of the tensioner tool.
3. 3 . The device of claim 1 , wherein a cross-sectional geometry of the superior surface substantially matches a cross-sectional geometry of the superior spacer.
4. 4 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the superior spacer pivots with respect to the superior surface of the base plate as the superior spacer moves between the first position and the second position.
5. 5 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the superior spacer translates along a longitudinal axis of the base plate as the superior spacer moves between the first position and the second position.
6. 6 . The device of claim 5 , wherein translation of the superior spacer is locked with respect to a first axis and a second axis, wherein the first axis is orthogonal to the second axis, wherein each of the first axis and the second axis is orthogonal to the longitudinal axis.
7. 7 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the superior spacer is formed from a polymer.
8. 8 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the joint is a knee joint and the first bone is a tibia.
9. 9 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the joint is a shoulder joint.
10. 10 . A system for assessing laxity in a joint having a first bone and a second bone, the system comprising: a tensioner tool comprising a pair of arms defining an insertion portion, wherein the pair of arms are configured to pivot about a pivot axis between a compressed configuration and an expanded configuration; a trial component comprising: a base plate configured to couple to the first bone, and a superior spacer coupled to the base plate, wherein the superior spacer is configured to be selectively moved between a first position in contact with a superior surface of the base plate and a second position separated from the superior surface, wherein the base plate and the superior spacer define a cavity therebetween, the cavity configured to receive the insertion portion of the tensioner tool therein; a processor; and a non-transitory, computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to: receive information related to a distance between the superior surface of the base plate and the superior spacer in the second position, and determine, based on the information, a gap distance associated with the first bone and the second bone.
11. 11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the cavity is configured to receive the insertion portion of the tensioner tool in the compressed configuration.
12. 12 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the superior spacer is configured to move from the first position to the second position when the tensioner tool pivots from the compressed configuration to the expanded configuration within the cavity.
13. 13 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the superior surface comprises a first keying feature and the tensioner tool comprises a second keying feature complementary to the first keying feature, wherein the first keying feature is configured to mate with the second keying feature when the insertion portion is received within the cavity.
14. 14 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the first keying feature, when mated with the second keying feature, secures an anterior-posterior pose of the tensioner tool.
15. 15 . The system of claim 10 , wherein a cross-sectional geometry of the superior surface substantially matches a cross-sectional geometry of the superior spacer.
16. 16 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the superior spacer pivots with respect to the superior surface of the base plate as the superior spacer moves between the first position and the second position.
17. 17 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the superior spacer translates along a longitudinal axis of the base plate as the superior spacer moves between the first position and the second position.
18. 18 . The system of claim 17 , wherein translation of the superior spacer is locked with respect to a first axis and a second axis, wherein the first axis is orthogonal to the second axis, wherein each of the first axis and the second axis is orthogonal to the longitudinal axis.
19. 19 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the superior spacer is formed from a polymer.
20. 20 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the joint is a knee joint, the first bone is a tibia, and the second bone is a femur.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/454,381 entitled “Devices and Systems for Assessing Laxity in a Joint,” filed Mar. 24, 2023, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates generally to methods, systems, and apparatuses related to assessing laxity of a joint. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to assessing laxity of a joint using a trial component and a tensioner tool. The disclosed techniques may be applied to, for example, knee arthroplasties, but may also apply to shoulder arthroplasties, hip arthroplasties, and other surgical interventions. BACKGROUND In joint arthroplasties such as total knee arthroplasty (TKA), tensioning the collateral ligaments provides objective system inputs to help aid in implant planning. While various devices are available for tensioning joints, the available tools rely on prior bony resection. Furthermore, tools that may enable tensioning with limited resection still suffer from the limitation of a minimum gap. For example, FIG. 10 depicts a tensioner tool inserted in a knee joint in accordance with an embodiment. As shown, the tensioner tool 1000 may have an insertion tip for a profile configured for insertion in a limited space between the femur and the tibia of a knee joint. The insertion tip may be inserted in a medial compartment, a lateral compartment, adjacent the medial condyle of the femur, adjacent the lateral condyle of the femur, centrally between the condyles, and/or at additional positions with respect to features of the femur and tibia. When inserted, a force may be applied to a handle of the tensioner tool 1000 to cause a distraction force at a contact surface upon the bones, i.e., a surface of the insertion tip in contact with the bones. The applied force may be sensed and registered by force sensors on the tensioner tool, e.g., a strain gauge or another force sensor as would be known to a person having an ordinary level of skill in the art. Further, the distraction force may cause the femur and the tibia to separate, resulting in pivoting of the arms of the tensioner tool and formation of a gap between the femur and the tibia. The applied force and/or the gap distance may be recorded to perform calculations related to the biomechanics of the knee joint. However, as shown in FIG. 10, insertion of the tensioner tool 1000 between the femur and the tibia creates a minimum gap profile therebetween due to the thickness of the tensioner tool 1000. Accordingly, while a surgeon may prefer a surgical plan including a gap profile less than the thickness of the insertion tip of the tensioner tool, it may not be possible to verify the gap profile for a set force target using a tensioner tool 1000, thereby limiting the assessment of useful post-operative joint laxity measurements. As such, it would be advantageous to have a system for measuring and assessing a joint laxity that facilitates a gap profile less than a thickness of the tensioner tool, thereby enabling surgeons to measure a lower minimum gap during post-operative trialing. SUMMARY A device for assessing laxity in a joint is provided. The device comprises a trial component configured to be coupled to a first bone of the joint, the trial component comprising a base plate configured to couple to the first bone and a superior spacer coupled to the base plate, wherein the base plate and the superior spacer define a cavity therebetween, the cavity configured to receive a portion of a tensioner tool, wherein the superior spacer is configured to be selectively moved between a first position in contact with a superior surface of the base plate and a second position separated from the superior surface. According to some embodiments, the superior surface comprises a keying feature configured to mate with a surface feature on the portion of the tensioner tool, thereby securing an anterior-posterior pose of the tensioner tool. According to some embodiments, a cross-sectional geometry of the superior surface substantially matches a cross-sectional geometry of the superior spacer. According to some embodiments, the superior spacer pivots with respect to the superior surface of the base plate as the superior spacer moves between the first position and the second position. According to some embodiments, the superior spacer translates along a longitudinal axis of the base plate as the superior spacer moves between the first position and the second position. According to additional embodiments, translation of the superior spacer is locked with respect to a first axis and a second axis, wherein the first axis is orthogonal to the second axis, wherein each of the first axis and the second axis is orthogonal to the longitudinal axis. According to some embodiments, the superior spacer is formed from a polymer. According to some embodiments, the joint is a knee joint an