Self-biasing ankle clamp tibial alignment guide
The self-biasing ankle clamp tibial alignment guide includes a clamp body, at least one lever arm outwardly extending from the clamp body, and an alignment rod generally upwardly extending toward a proximal end of a patient tibia and movable relative to the clamp body. A strap couples to the lever arm to exert a force thereon offset from a contact point where the clamp body pulls into engagement with a patient, thereby generating a moment about the contact point that causes the alignment rod carrying a cutting guide to bias forward into engagement with the patient.
1 . An ankle clamp tibial alignment guide, comprising:
a clamp body having a patient-contacting interface selectively engageable with an ankle of a patient;
a rod upwardly extending from the clamp body terminating in a cutting guide end distal from the patient-contacting interface; and
a restraint selectively coupled to at least one lever arm, the at least one lever arm extending up from the clamp body and positioned entirely above the patient-contacting interface, wherein tightening the restraint generates a moment near where the patient-contacting interface selectively engages the ankle, to self-bias the cutting guide end of the rod generally toward the patient.
2 . The alignment guide of claim 1 , wherein the at least one lever arm upwardly extends from the clamp body and the restraint couples to a distal end thereof relative to the clamp body.
3 . The alignment guide of claim 2 , wherein the distal end of the at least one lever arm comprises a position relatively higher than the patient-contacting interface selectively engaged with the ankle.
4 . The alignment guide of claim 1 , wherein the patient-contacting interface includes a pair of outwardly extending clamp arms generally forming a U-shaped enclosure for selectively receiving the ankle therein.
5 . The alignment guide of claim 4 , wherein the pair of outwardly extending clamp arms comprise an arcuate shape.
6 . The alignment guide of claim 4 , wherein the at least one lever arm comprises a pair of lever arms each upwardly extending from the pair of outwardly extending clamp arms.
7 . The alignment guide of claim 6 , wherein the restraint includes a first end selectively adjustably couplable with one of the pair of lever arms by way of a series of apertures formed within the restraint and a second end selectively adjustably coupled with the other of the pair of lever arms by a selectively lockable adjustment housing.
8 . The alignment guide of claim 1 , wherein the clamp body includes a casing housing a slide integrated therewith for selectively horizontally positioning the patient-contacting interface and the rod relative to the patient.
9 . The alignment guide of claim 8 , wherein the casing includes an externally accessible lock movable between a first unlocked position permitting movement of the slide relative to the casing and a second locked position in friction fit engagement with the slide thereby inhibiting movement of the slide relative to the casing.
10 . The alignment guide of claim 1 , wherein the at least one lever arm comprises an extendable lever arm.
11 . The alignment guide of claim 1 , wherein the restraint comprises a strap selected from the group consisting of an elastic strap, a rubber strap, a silicone strap, a plastic strap, a belt, and a metal spring.
12 . The alignment guide of claim 1 , further including a hinge coupling the rod to the clamp body, the hinge permitting pivoting movement of the rod relative to the clamp body.
13 . The alignment guide of claim 1 , wherein the rod comprises a telescoping rod.
14 . The alignment guide of claim 1 , wherein the restraint comprises a pair of spring-loaded clamping paddles positioned along the at least one lever arm.
15 . An ankle clamp alignment guide, comprising:
a clamp body having a patient-contacting interface selectively engageable with an ankle of a patient;
a rod upwardly extending from the clamp body terminating in a cutting guide end distal from the patient-contacting interface, the rod comprising an upper portion defining an upper alignment post and a lower portion defining a lever arm; and
a restraint selectively coupled to the lever arm below the upper alignment post, the lever arm extending up from the clamp body and positioned entirely above the patient-contacting interface, wherein tightening the restraint generates a moment near where the patient-contacting interface selectively engages the ankle, to self-bias the cutting guide end of the rod generally toward the patient.