Driving instrument with variably angled joint and extended tip and method of use for minimally invasive hip surgery

1. A method for using minimally invasive surgery to implant a prosthetic acetabular shell and insert into a natural acetabulum, comprising the steps of:

incising a hip with a minimally invasive incision;

implanting the acetabular shell into the natural acetabulum;

providing a driving instrument having a working section and a driving section connected together with a joint connector, wherein the working section includes a handle, the driving section includes a driving tip, and the joint connector enables the working section and driving section to move to various angles relative to each other;

attaching an acetabular plug to the driving tip of the driving section;

positioning the working section at an angle with respect to the driving section;

positioning the driving tip and acetabular plug through the incision to engage the acetabular shell;

rotating the handle to threadably engage the acetabular plug to the acetabular shell while the working section is at an angle relative to the driving section;

removing the driving instrument from the incision;

positioning the acetabular insert into the acetabular shell; and

closing the incision.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of incising a hip creates the minimally invasive incision with a length of about 2½ inches to about 4 to 5 inches.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising the step of providing the joint connector as a U-joint.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of providing the driving section with a length of about one inch.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of positioning the working section at various angles with respect to the driving section while the acetabular plug is connected to the driving tip.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

providing a driving guide;

connecting the driving guide to the driving section; and

guiding the driving section with the driving guide while the driving tip and acetabular plug are positioned through the incision.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising the step of removing the driving guide from the driving section after the step of removing the driving instrument from the incision.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of moving the driving section to various angles with respect to the working section.

9. A method for using minimally invasive surgery to implant a prosthetic acetabular shell into a natural acetabulum, comprising the steps of:

incising a hip with an incision with a length of between about 2.5 inches to about 5 inches;

implanting the acetabular shell into the natural acetabulum;

providing a driving instrument having a working section and a driving section connected together with a joint connector adapted to move the working section and driving section to various angles relative to each other;

attaching an acetabular bone screw to the driving section;

positioning the acetabular bone screw through the incision;

positioning the working section at an angle with respect to the driving section;

rotating the working section to drive the bone screw through the acetabular shell and into the natural acetabulum;

removing the driving instrument from the incision; and

closing the incision.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising the step of attaching a driving guide to the driving section of the driving instrument.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising the step of guiding the bone screw and driving section with the driving guide to the acetabular shell.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of removing the driving guide from the driving section after the step of removing the driving instrument from the incision.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein the step of rotating the working section simultaneously rotates the driving section while the working section is angled with respect to the driving section.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of providing the driving section with a length of about one inch.

15. The method of claim 9 further comprising the steps of providing the driving section with a driving tip, and connecting the acetabular bone screw to the driving tip.

16. A method for implanting a prosthetic acetabular component into a natural acetabulum, comprising the steps of:

incising a hip with an incision;

implanting the acetabular component into the natural acetabulum;

providing a driving instrument having a working section and a driving section connected together with a joint connector adapted to move the working section and driving section to various angles relative to each other;

attaching to the driving section one of an acetabular bone screw, an acetabular screw-hole plug, and an acetabular dome plug;

positioning the driving section through the incision;

angling the working section with respect to the driving section;

rotating the working section to rotate the driving section to drive one of the acetabular bone screw, the acetabular screw-hole plug, and the acetabular dome plug;

removing the driving instrument from the incision; and

closing the incision.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising the step of providing the joint connector as a U-joint.

18. The method of claim 16 further comprising the step of providing the working section with a handle at a proximal end, and providing the driving section with a driving tip at a distal end.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising the step of providing the driving section with an elongated, cylindrical drive shaft.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising the step of providing the driving section with a length of between about 0.5 inches to about 1.5 inches.