Surgical instrumentation kit for inserting an ankle prosthesis

1. A surgical instrument for implanting at least a tibial prosthesis on a prepared bottom end of a tibia and a talus prosthesis on a prepared top surface of a talus of an ankle joint, the surgical instrument comprising:

at least one tibial phantom generally corresponding to at least some geometric features of the tibial prosthesis, the tibial phantom comprising a top surface adapted to move freely against the prepared bottom end of the tibia;

at least one talus phantom generally corresponding to at least some geometric features of the talus prosthesis, the talus phantom adapted to engage with the prepared top surface of the talus; and

at least one phantom skid located between the tibial phantom and the talus phantom, the phantom skid engaged with the tibial phantom with no freedom of movement between the tibial phantom and the phantom skid, such that dynamic engagement between the phantom skid and the talus phantom through extension and flexion of the ankle joint positions the tibial phantom relative to the prepared bottom end of the tibia.

2. The surgical instrument of claim 1 wherein the tibial phantom and the phantom skid comprise separate components.

3. The surgical instrument of claim 1 wherein the tibial phantom and the phantom skid comprise a single component.

4. The surgical instrument of claim 1 wherein the tibial phantom is displaced along the prepared bottom end of the tibia during extension and flexion of the ankle joint to a location corresponding to natural movement of the ankle joint.

5. The surgical instrument of claim 1 comprising a low friction coating located on the top surface of the tibial phantom.

6. The surgical instrument of claim 1 comprising a biocompatible lubricant located between the top surface of the tibial phantom and the prepared bottom end of the tibia.

7. The surgical instrument of claim 1 wherein extension and flexion of the ankle joint moves a midplane of the tibial phantom to an angle α relative to a sagittal plane T 3 of the ankle joint.

8. The surgical instrument of claim 1 wherein an upper surface of the talus phantom and a bottom surface of the phantom skid comprise complementary surfaces that simulate movement of the talus prosthesis and a prosthetic skid in the ankle joint.

9. The surgical instrument of claim 1 comprising an alignment member that is simultaneously positioned relative to the tibia during positioning of the tibial phantom.

10. The surgical instrument of claim 1 comprising an alignment member engaged with the tibial phantom, the alignment member including a drill guide adapted to prepare the tibia to receive the tibial prosthesis.

11. The surgical instrument of claim 1 comprising an alignment member engaged to the tibial phantom that is positioned opposite an anterior face of the tibia.

12. The surgical instrument of claim 1 comprising an alignment member that measures a setback of the tibial phantom relative to a surface of the tibia.

13. The surgical instrument of claim 1 comprising an alignment member engaged with the tibial phantom that measures a setback (δ p ) of the tibial phantom relative to an anterior surface of the tibia.

14. The surgical instrument of claim 1 comprising an alignment member attached to the tibial phantom, at least a portion of the alignment guide and the tibial phantom comprising a single component.

15. The surgical instrument of claim 1 wherein displacement of a midplane of the tibial phantom to an angle α relative to a sagittal plane (T 3 ) of the ankle joint results in a medio-lateral offset (δ α ) of an alignment member along an anterior face of the tibia.

16. The surgical instrument of claim 1 wherein the dynamic engagement between the phantom skid and the talus phantom self-positions the tibial phantom on the prepared bottom end of the tibia in a precise anatomical location corresponding to an optimum operation of the ankle joint.

17. The surgical instrument of claim 1 comprising a kit including one or more of a plurality of tibial phantoms, a plurality of talus phantoms, and a plurality of phantom skids.

18. The surgical instrument of claim 1 comprising:

an alignment feature engaged with the tibial phantom adapted to prepare the tibia to receive the tibial prosthesis; and

an impacting instrument that locates the tibial prosthesis at a setback relative to a surface of the tibia.

19. The surgical instrument of claim 1 comprising:

an alignment feature engaged with the tibial phantom adapted to determine a setback of the tibial prosthesis relative to a surface of the tibia; and

an impacting instrument that implants the tibial prosthesis in the tibia at the determined setback.

20. The surgical instrument of claim 1 comprising:

an alignment feature engaged with the tibial phantom adapted to determine a setback of the tibial prosthesis relative to an anterior surface of the tibia; and

an impacting instrument that implants the tibial prosthesis in the tibia at the determined setback.

21. The surgical instrument of claim 1 comprising:

an alignment feature engaged with the tibial phantom adapted to determine a setback of the tibial prosthesis relative to a surface of the tibia; and

an impacting instrument comprising an insert that contacts a surface of the tibia when the tibial prosthesis is in the tibia at the setback.

22. The surgical instrument of claim 1 comprising an impacting instrument that locates the tibial prosthesis at a setback relative to a surface of the tibia.

23. A surgical system comprising:

a tibial prosthesis configured for implantation on a prepared bottom end of a tibia, the tibial prosthesis comprising a top surface with a bone anchor stud protruding therefrom, the bone anchor stud configured for insertion into the prepared bottom end of the tibia;

a talus prosthesis configured for implantation on a prepared top surface of a talus of an ankle joint;

a skid configured for implantation between the tibial prosthesis and the talus prosthesis;

a tibial phantom generally corresponding to at least some geometric features of the tibial prosthesis, the tibial phantom comprising a top surface adapted to move freely against the prepared bottom end of the tibia;

a talus phantom generally corresponding to at least some geometric features of the talus prosthesis, the talus phantom adapted to engage with the prepared top surface of the talus; and

a phantom skid located between the tibial phantom and the talus phantom, wherein movement of the phantom skid with respect to the tibial phantom is at least partially constrained in a manner in which movement of the skid with respect to the tibial prosthesis is not constrained, such that dynamic engagement between the phantom skid and the talus phantom through extension and flexion of the ankle joint positions the tibial phantom relative to the prepared bottom end of the tibia in a phantom position indicating an implant position for the tibial prosthesis.

24. The surgical system of claim 23 , wherein the prepared bottom surface of the tibia and the top surface of the tibial phantom are substantially flat, such that the prepared bottom surface of the tibia slides against the top surface of the tibial phantom.

25. The surgical system of claim 23 , further comprising an alignment member engaged with the tibial phantom, the alignment member configured to indicate, when the tibial phantom is in the phantom position, a location of the bone anchor stud corresponding to the tibial prosthesis being in the implant position.

26. A surgical instrumentation kit for fitting an ankle prosthesis, the ankle prosthesis including a tibial implant, a talar implant and a prosthetic bearing interposed between the tibial and talar implants, the surgical instrumentation kit comprising:

a tibial phantom of the tibial implant;

a talar phantom of the talar implant; and

a phantom bearing of the prosthetic bearing, wherein the tibial phantom, the talar phantom, and the phantom bearing are adapted to be stressed jointly in a region of an ankle of a patient undergoing surgery, for preoperative testing and checking, wherein the tibial phantom is adapted to be both fixedly connected to the phantom bearing and freely displaceable against a lower end of the patient's tibia.

27. The surgical instrumentation kit of claim 26 , wherein the talar phantom is adapted to display kinematic characteristics, with respect to the phantom bearing and the patient's talus, which are at least partly analogous to those of the talar implant with respect to the prosthetic bearing and the patient's talus.

28. The surgical instrumentation kit of claim 27 , wherein articular surfaces of the talar phantom and of the phantom bearing are adapted to cooperate with each other, and are complementary to each other in horizontal section.

29. The surgical instrumentation kit of claim 26 , wherein the tibial phantom and the phantom bearing are distinct components capable of being assembled to each other, respectively provided with means for fixing and immobilizing one on the other.

30. The surgical instrumentation kit of claim 29 , wherein the means of the tibial phantom and of the phantom bearing are adapted to cooperate together by complementarity of shapes.

31. The surgical instrumentation kit of claim 29 , further comprising, on one hand, two tibial phantoms, respectively adapted to be used for fitting a right ankle prosthesis and a left ankle prosthesis, and, on the other hand, two talar phantoms, respectively adapted to be used for fitting a right ankle prosthesis and a left ankle prosthesis, wherein the same phantom bearing is adapted to be used equally well with either the tibial phantom and talar phantom associated with the right ankle prosthesis, or the tibial phantom and talar phantom associated with the left ankle prosthesis, and wherein the means are adapted to key assembly of the same phantom bearing with either of the two tibial phantoms.

32. The surgical instrumentation kit of claim 26 , wherein the tibial phantom and the phantom bearing are made as a single part.

33. The surgical instrumentation kit of claim 26 , further comprising a means for locating a given position occupied by the tibial phantom against the end of the tibia after said stressing of the tibial phantom, the talar phantom, and the phantom bearing in the region of the ankle.

34. The surgical instrumentation kit of claim 33 , wherein the tibial phantom includes the means for locating.

35. The surgical instrumentation kit of claim 33 , wherein the means for locating comprises a means for guiding a tool for drilling or cutting the tibia, wherein the means is adapted to apply such tool in the tibia with an angle and an offset with respect to a predetermined plane of the tibia, wherein the angle and the offset are associated with the given position, wherein the angle is a horizontal angle, wherein the plane is a sagittal plane of the tibia, and wherein the offset is a medio-lateral offset with respect to the sagittal plane.

36. The surgical instrumentation kit of claim 33 , wherein the means for locating comprises a means for measuring depth of the given position with respect to an anterior face of the tibia.

37. The surgical instrumentation kit of claim 36 , further comprising an accessory for impacting the tibial implant and an insert adapted to be fitted on the instrument so as to abut the anterior face of the tibia when the tibial implant occupies a position with respect to the end of the tibia, a depth of which is substantially equal to the depth of the given position.

38. The surgical instrumentation kit of claim 26 , further comprising a means for sliding between the lower end of the tibia and a surface of the tibial phantom, wherein the means for sliding is adapted to be displaceably pressed against the lower end of the tibia.