Patient-specific bone-cutting guidance instruments and methods

1. A method for cutting or resurfacing an outer bone surface of a bone of a patient comprising:

mating a patient-specific surface of a patient-specific alignment guide on the outer bone surface of the bone, the patient-specific surface of the patient-specific alignment guide preoperatively configured as a negative surface of the outer bone surface;

inserting a reference pin into the bone through a guiding aperture of the patient-specific alignment guide;

removing the patient-specific alignment guide without removing the reference pin;

coupling a patient-specific resurfacing guide to the reference pin;

mating a patient-specific surface of the patient-specific resurfacing guide on the outer bone surface, the patient-specific surface of the patient-specific resurfacing guide preoperatively configured as a negative surface of the outer bone surface;

guiding a shaft of a resurfacing tool along an elongated slot of the patient-specific resurfacing guide on a sagittal plane of the bone;

coupling a patient-specific resurfacing member to the shaft of the resurfacing tool through a side slot of the patient-specific resurfacing guide, the side slot communicating with the elongated slot of the patient-specific resurfacing guide; and

resurfacing the outer bone surface using the patient-specific resurfacing member.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising removing articular cartilage from the outer bone surface.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein coupling the resurfacing member to the shaft includes coupling the resurfacing member perpendicularly to the shaft.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising removing articular cartilage from a femoral condyle.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising mating the patient-specific resurfacing guide between medial and lateral femoral condyles such that the medial and lateral femoral condyles are exposed for either simultaneous or sequential resurfacing.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

resurfacing a medial condyle of a distal femur using the patient-specific resurfacing member coupled to the resurfacing tool and guided by the patient-specific resurfacing guide; and

resurfacing a lateral condyle of the distal femur using the patient-specific resurfacing member coupled to the resurfacing tool and guided by the patient-specific resurfacing guide.

7. A method for cutting or resurfacing an outer bone surface of a bone of a patient comprising:

mating a patient-specific surface of a patient-specific alignment guide on the outer bone surface of the bone, the patient-specific surface of the patient-specific alignment guide preoperatively configured as a negative surface of the outer bone surface;

inserting a reference pin into the bone through a guiding aperture of the patient-specific alignment guide;

removing the patient-specific alignment guide without removing the reference pin;

coupling a patient-specific resurfacing guide to the reference pin;

mating a patient-specific surface of the patient-specific resurfacing guide on the outer bone surface, the patient-specific surface of the patient-specific resurfacing guide preoperatively configured as a negative surface of the outer bone surface;

guiding a resurfacing tool having a resurfacing member along an elongated slot in the patient-specific resurfacing guide;

guiding a shaft of the resurfacing tool along the elongated slot of the patient-specific resurfacing guide to guide the resurfacing member along a side slot communicating with the elongated slot during resurfacing; and

resurfacing the outer bone surface using the resurfacing member coupled to the resurfacing tool.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising resurfacing the outer bone surface using a patient-specific surface of the resurfacing member coupled to the resurfacing tool.

9. The method of claim 7 , further comprising guiding the resurfacing tool along a sagittal plane of a distal femur.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the side slot is positioned orthogonal to the elongated slot.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein resurfacing the outer bone surface includes resurfacing medial and lateral condyles of a distal femur either simultaneously or sequentially.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein mating the patient-specific surface of the patient-specific resurfacing guide includes mating the patient-specific surface of the patient-specific resurfacing guide between the medial and lateral condyles.

13. A method for cutting or resurfacing an outer bone surface of a bone of a patient, comprising:

mating a patient-specific surface of a patient-specific resurfacing guide on the outer bone surface, the patient-specific surface of the patient-specific resurfacing guide preoperatively configured as a negative surface of the outer bone surface;

guiding a shaft of a resurfacing tool along an elongated slot of the patient-specific resurfacing guide that extends along a sagittal plane of the bone;

coupling a patient-specific resurfacing member to the shaft through a side slot of the patient-specific resurfacing guide, the side slot communicating with the elongated slot of the patient-specific resurfacing guide; and

resurfacing the outer bone surface using the patient-specific resurfacing member coupled to the resurfacing tool.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the resurfacing member is coupled perpendicularly to the shaft of the resurfacing tool.

15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising resurfacing a condyle of a distal femur with the resurfacing member.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

mating a patient-specific surface of a patient-specific alignment guide on the outer bone surface of the bone, the first patient-specific surface of the patient-specific alignment guide preoperatively configured as a negative surface of the outer bone surface;

inserting a reference pin into the bone through a guiding aperture of the patient-specific alignment guide;

removing the patient-specific alignment guide without removing the reference pin; and

coupling the patient-specific resurfacing guide to the reference pin.

17. The method of claim 13 , further comprising mating the patient-specific resurfacing guide between medial and lateral femoral condyles such that the medial and lateral femoral condyles are exposed for either simultaneous or sequential resurfacing.