PATIENT-MATCHED SURGICAL COMPONENT AND METHODS OF USE

1 . A method of automatically registering a surgical navigation system to a patient's anatomy, comprising:

programming the surgical navigation system with a first spatial relationship between a surgical component and a reference array connected to the surgical component;

programming the surgical navigation system with a second spatial relationship between an anatomical feature of a patient and the surgical component;

installing the surgical component on the patient such that the surgical component engages the anatomical feature in the second spatial relationship; and

locating the reference array with the surgical navigation system, wherein the navigation system automatically recognizes the position of the reference array relative to the patient's anatomy.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein installing the surgical component onto the patient comprises mating a surface of the surgical component with a corresponding surface on the anatomical feature, the corresponding surface on the anatomical feature being shaped to substantially correspond to the shape of the surgical component's surface.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein installing the surgical component on the patient comprises adjusting the position of the surgical component relative to the anatomical feature until a tactile sensation of correct placement is achieved.

4 . The method of claim 2 , wherein mating the surface of the surgical component with the corresponding surface on the anatomical feature comprises attaching the surgical component to the anatomical feature with at least one of pins and screws.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising identifying a finite number of predefined points on a representative model of the anatomical feature, the model being generated from a preoperative image of the patient's anatomy.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein at least one of the predefined points is a bony anatomical landmark selected from at least one of a femoral head landmark, a central knee landmark, a medial femoral condyle landmark, a lateral femoral condyle landmark, a medial epicondyle landmark, a lateral epicondyle landmark, a medial posterior condyle landmark, a lateral posterior condyle landmark and an anterior cortex point landmark.

7 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising using the surgical navigation system to calculate a bone cut by analyzing the predefined points on the model.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising removing a portion of the anatomical feature and a portion of the installed surgical component.

9 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising tracking a remaining portion of the anatomical feature with the surgical navigation system, the remaining portion of the anatomical feature including a portion of the installed surgical component, the remaining portion of the installed surgical component including the reference array.

10 . A method of performing a surgical procedure aided by a surgical navigation system, comprising:

generating a representative model of an anatomical feature from an image of a patient's anatomy;

using the model to make a surgical component, the surgical component having a surface that is shaped to substantially mate with the anatomical feature in a predefined spatial relationship;

installing the surgical component on the anatomical feature by mating the surface of the component with the anatomical feature in the predefined spatial relationship; and

tracking movement of the anatomical feature with a tracking system when the installed surgical component is moved within a measurement field of the tracking system.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein installing the surgical component on the anatomical feature comprises adjusting the position of the surgical component relative to the anatomical feature until a tactile sensation of correct placement is achieved.

12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein tracking movement of the anatomical feature with the tracking system comprises tracking movement of a reference array attached to the surgical component.

13 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising identifying a finite number of predefined points on the anatomical feature, the predefined points being shown on the model to assist in making the surgical component.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein at least one of the predefined points is a bony anatomical landmark selected from at least one of a femoral head landmark, a central knee landmark, a medial femoral condyle landmark, a lateral femoral condyle landmark, a medial epicondyle landmark, a lateral epicondyle landmark, a medial posterior condyle landmark, a lateral posterior condyle landmark and an anterior cortex point landmark.

15 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising removing a portion of the anatomical feature and a portion of the installed surgical component.

16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising tracking a remaining portion of the anatomical feature with the surgical navigation system, the remaining portion of the anatomical feature including a portion of the installed surgical component, the remaining portion of the installed surgical component including the reference array.

17 . A patient matched surgical component, comprising:

a body having a surface that is shaped to substantially mate with the shape of an anatomical feature of a patient in a predefined spatial relationship; and

a reference array connected to the body, the reference array being trackable by a tracking system when exposed to a measurement field of the tracking system.

18 . The patient matched surgical component of claim 17 , wherein the surface of the body and a surface of the anatomical feature have interfitting shapes, the interfitting shapes being configured to allow a surgeon to achieve a tactile sensation when correctly placing the surgical component relative to the anatomical feature during a surgical procedure.

19 . The patient matched surgical component of claim 17 , wherein a first portion of the surgical component is adapted to be removed during a surgical procedure and a second portion is adapted to remain attached to the anatomical feature, the remaining portion being trackable by the tracking system during a remainder of the surgical procedure.

20 . The patient matched surgical component of claim 17 , wherein the reference array comprises a frame and at least one marker attached to the frame and detectable by the tracking system during a surgical procedure.

21 . The patient matched surgical component of claim 17 , wherein the surgical component further comprises a coupler adapted to releasably attach the reference array thereto.

22 . The patient matched surgical component of claim 21 , further comprising an attachment means for attaching the reference array to the surgical component, the attachment means being selected from at least one of welding, fusing, molding, gluing, threading, snap-connecting and quick disconnecting.

23 . A method of performing a surgical procedure aided by a surgical navigation system, comprising:

generating a representative model of an anatomical feature from an image of a patient's anatomy;

using the model to make a surgical component, the surgical component having a reference array associated therewith and a surface that is shaped to substantially mate with an anatomical feature in a predefined spatial relationship;

installing the surgical component on the anatomical feature by mating the surface of the component with the anatomical feature in the predefined spatial relationship;

tracking movement of the anatomical feature with the tracking system when the installed surgical component is moved within a measurement field of the tracking system;

removing a portion of the anatomical feature, the removed portion also including a portion of the installed surgical component; and

tracking a remaining portion of the anatomical feature with the tracking system, the remaining portion of the anatomical feature including a portion of the installed surgical component, the remaining portion of the installed surgical component including the reference array.

24 . The method of claim 23 , wherein installing the surgical component on the anatomical feature comprises adjusting the position of the surgical component relative to the anatomical feature until a tactile sensation of correct placement is achieved.

25 . The method of claim 23 , further comprising identifying a finite number of predefined points on the anatomical feature, the predefined points being shown on the model to assist in making the surgical component.

26 . The method of claim 25 , wherein at least one of the predefined points is a bony anatomical landmark selected from at least one of a femoral head landmark, a central knee landmark, a medial femoral condyle landmark, a lateral femoral condyle landmark, a medial epicondyle landmark, a lateral epicondyle landmark, a medial posterior condyle landmark, a lateral posterior condyle landmark and an anterior cortex point landmark.

27 . The method of claim 23 , wherein removing a portion of the anatomical feature comprises resecting bone with a saw blade through a cut slot of the surgical component.

28 . The method of claim 23 , wherein mating the surface of the component with the anatomical feature in the predefined spatial relationship comprises attaching the surgical component to the anatomical feature with at least one of pins and screws.