Surgically implantable knee prosthesis having enlarged femoral surface

1. An implantable knee prosthesis comprising:

a body having a substantially elliptical shape in plan and including a first portion and a second portion;

the first portion having a first peripheral edge and a first face, the first portion being substantially kidney shaped including a first notch;

the second portion having a second peripheral edge and a second face; and

the second peripheral edge extending radially outwardly from the first peripheral edge to form a shoulder between the first portion and the second portion.

2. The prosthesis as defined in claim 1 wherein the first peripheral edge 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.

3. The prosthesis as defined in claim 1 wherein the first face includes a convex surface.

4. The prosthesis as defined in claim 3 wherein the second face includes a concave surface.

5. The prosthesis as defined in claim 1 wherein the second portion is substantially kidney shaped including a second notch.

6. The prosthesis as defined in claim 5 wherein the second notch extends radially outwardly from the first notch.

7. The prosthesis as defined in claim 1 wherein the first portion includes a first area A 1 , and the second portion includes a second area A 2 , different from the first area A 1 .

8. The prosthesis as defined in claim 7 wherein the first area A 1 is less than the second area A 2 .

9. The prosthesis as defined in claim 1 wherein the first peripheral edge includes a first notch and the second peripheral edge includes a second notch aligned with the first notch.

10. The prosthesis as defined in claim 1 wherein only the first peripheral edge includes a notch.

11. An implantable knee prosthesis, comprising:

a body having a substantially elliptical shape in plan and including a first portion and a second portion, the first portion including a first face and a first peripheral edge extending away from the first face and generally toward the second portion, the first face including a convex surface, the second portion having a second peripheral edge extending radially outward from the first peripheral edge, thereby forming a shoulder between the first portion and the second portion.

12. The prosthesis as defined in claim 11 wherein the second portion includes a second face, the second face including a concave surface.

13. The prosthesis as defined in claim 11 wherein the first portion is substantially kidney shaped including a first notch.

14. The prosthesis as defined in claim 13 wherein the second portion is substantially kidney shaped including a second notch.

15. The prosthesis as defined in claim 14 , wherein the second notch extends radially outwardly from the first notch.

16. The prosthesis as defined in claim 11 wherein the first portion includes a first area A 1 , and the second portion includes a second area A 2 , different from the first area A 1 .

17. The prosthesis as defined in claim 16 wherein the first area A 1 is less than the second area A 2 .

18. A method of providing a knee prosthesis comprising:

providing a body having a substantially elliptical shape in plan and including a first portion and a second portion;

providing the first portion with a first peripheral edge and a first face, the first portion being substantially kidney shaped including a first notch;

providing the second portion with a second peripheral edge and a second face; and

extending the second peripheral edge radially outwardly from the first peripheral edge to form a shoulder between the first portion and the second portion.

19. The method as defined in claim 18 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.