Surgically implantable knee prosthesis having different tibial and femoral surface profiles

1. An implantable unicompartmental knee prosthesis comprising:

a unicompartmental body having a substantially elliptical shape in plan and a pair of opposed faces;

a first one of the faces having a first shape, the first face being a tibial face;

a second one of the faces having a second shape different from the first shape, the second face being a femoral face; and

a peripheral edge extending at an incline between the first face and the second face at least a portion of the peripheral edge extending outwardly from the second face to the first face.

2. The knee prosthesis as defined in claim 1 wherein the first face is substantially kidney shaped in plan.

3. The knee prosthesis as defined in claim 2 wherein the second face is substantially elliptical in plan.

4. The knee prosthesis as defined in claim 2 wherein the first face includes a convex surface.

5. The knee prosthesis as defined in claim 4 wherein the second face includes a concave surface.

6. The knee prosthesis as defined in claim 1 wherein the first face includes a contour which is substantially the same as an associated contour of a tibial plateau.

7. The knee prosthesis as defined in claim 6 wherein the second face includes a contour which is substantially the same as an associated contour of a femoral condyle.

8. The knee prosthesis as defined in claim 1 wherein the peripheral edge adjacent the first face includes a notch fanned therein.

9. The knee prosthesis as defined in claim 8 wherein the second face extends over the notch.

10. The knee prosthesis as defined in claim 9 wherein the second face is offset relative to the first face.

11. The knee prosthesis as defined in claim 1 wherein the first face has a first area and the second face has a second area different than the first area.

12. The prosthesis as defined in claim 1 wherein the peripheral edge adjacent the first one of the faces includes a first side, a second side opposite the first side, a first end, a second end opposite the first end, a first dimension D defined by the first end and the second end, and a second dimension F defined by the first side and the second side, where the dimension F is from about 0.25 to about 1.5 of the dimension D.

13. A method of providing a unicompartmental knee prosthesis comprising:

providing a unicompartmental body having a substantially elliptical shape in plan and a pair of opposed faces;

providing a first one of the faces with a first shape, the first face being a tibial face;

providing a second one of the faces with a second shape, different from the first shape, the second face being a femoral face; and

providing a peripheral edge extending at an incline between the first face and the second face at least a portion of the peripheral edge extending outwardly from the second face to the first face.

14. The method as defined in claim 13 further comprising:

removing at least a portion of a meniscus in a knee joint;

measuring for a length dimension of the prosthesis;

measuring for a thickness dimension of the prosthesis;

inserting a trial component into the knee joint;

verifying sizing for the trial component; and

inserting the prosthesis.

15. The method as defined in claim 13 further comprising:

forming a notch in the peripheral edge adjacent the first face.

16. The method as defined in claim 15 further comprising:

extending the second face over the notch.

17. The method as defined in claim 13 further comprising:

offsetting the second face relative to the first face.

18. The method as defined in claim 13 further comprising:

providing the first face with a first area; and

providing the second face with a second area different than the first area.

19. The method as defined in claim 13 further comprising:

providing a convex surface on the first face.

20. The method as defined in claim 19 further comprising:

providing a concave surface on the second face.