Method of designing a surgical kit for cartilage repair in a joint

1. A method of designing a surgical kit for cartilage repair in an articulating surface of a joint, comprising the steps of:

I. Determining physical parameters for a cartilage damage in a joint, comprising:

a. obtaining image data representing a three dimensional image of a bone member of the joint;

b. identifying in the image data a cartilage damage in an articulate surface of the bone member;

c. determining based on the image data the location of the cartilage damage;

d. determining based on the image data the size and shape of a cartilage damage;

e. determining based on the image data the surface contour curvature of the cartilage and/or the subchondral bone in the joint in a predetermined area comprising and surrounding the site of cartilage damage;

II. Generating design parameters for a medical implant, comprising:

f. generating the contour curvature for an articulate surface of a substantially plate shaped implant body dependent on said determined surface curvature of the cartilage and/or the subchondral bone;

g. generating a cross-section for the implant body dependent on and substantially corresponding to said determined size and shape of the damaged cartilage;

h. generating an edge height for the implant body that substantially corresponds to the thickness of healthy cartilage plus a selected height of a bone contacting part of the implant for countersinking the implant into a recess to be made in the bone to fit and receive the implant;

i. generating a length and a cross-section profile for an extending post extending from a bone contacting surface of the implant dependent on predetermined rules related to the size and shape of the cartilage damage;

III. Generating design parameters of a guide tool for implanting said implant, comprising:

j. generating the contour curvature for a cartilage contact surface of a positioning body dependent on said determined surface contour curvature of the cartilage and/or the subchondral bone in the joint in a predetermined area comprising and surrounding the site of cartilage damage, such that said cartilage contact surface of the positioning body corresponds to and fits to said surface contour of the cartilage or the subchondral bone in the joint;

k. generating the cross-section profile for a guide channel in a guide body extending from the positioning body, said guide channel passing through said positioning body and said guide body, the cross-section profile for the guide channel being generated dependent on and substantially corresponding to said determined size and shape of the damaged cartilage, and such that the guide channel is designed to have a cross-sectional profile that corresponds to the cross-section of the plate shaped implant body, and such that the guide channel is designed to have a muzzle on the cartilage contact surface of the positioning body at a position corresponding to the site of the diseased cartilage;

l. generating the cross-section profile for an insert tool to have a cross-sectional profile that corresponds to the cross-sectional profile of the guide channel with a tolerance enabling the insert tool to slide within the guide channel.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising generating design parameters for an insert tool provided in the form of a drill guide to have a cross-sectional profile that corresponds to the cross-sectional profile of the guide channel with a tolerance enabling the drill guide to slide within the guide channel, and generating position and dimension parameters for a drill channel through the drill guide for guiding a drill bit, the drill channel being placed in a position that corresponds to the position of the extending post of the medical implant.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising generating design parameters for a drill bit dependent on the design parameters for the extending post and such that a cross-sectional area for a drill bit is slightly smaller than the cross-sectional area for the extending post.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein generating design parameters for the drill channel comprises generating a cross-sectional area that matches the cross-sectional area of the drill bit with a tolerance enabling the drill bit to slide within the drill channel.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein generating design parameters for the drill bit comprises generating dimensions and position for a depth gauge on the drill bit for adjustment of the depth of drilling.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising generating design parameters for an insert tool provided in the form of a reamer guide with a cross-sectional profile that is slightly smaller than the cross-sectional profile of the guide channel with a tolerance enabling the reamer guide to slide within the guide channel.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising generating design parameters for an insert tool provided in the form of a cartilage cutting tool with a cross-sectional profile that is designed to correspond to the cross-sectional profile of the guide channel with a tolerance enabling the cartilage cutting tool to slide within the guide channel.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein generating design parameters for a cartilage cutting tool comprises generating design parameters for a cutting tool in the form of a punch having an end with a cutting surface, said end having a recess with a cross-sectional profile that substantially corresponds to the cross-section of the plate shaped implant body.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein generating design parameters for a cartilage cutting tool comprises generating design parameters for a cutting tool in the form of a cartilage cut drill having a cross-sectional profile that substantially corresponds to the cross-section of the plate shaped implant body.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating design parameters for the implant comprises generating design parameters for an implant body of the implant being substantially flat, having a thickness of approximately 0.5-5 mm.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating design parameters for the cartilage contact surface of the positioning body comprises generating design parameters for a positioning body having three contacting points spread out around the guide body, for contacting parts of the joint in order to provide stable positioning of the guide tool in the joint.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating design parameters for the guide channel to have a height of 3-10 cm.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating design parameters for the guide channel comprises generating design parameters for an orifice leading through the guide body at the foot of said guide body.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein image data representing an image of the joint is obtained using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computerized tomography (CT) imaging or a combination of both, or other suitable techniques such as delayed Gadolinium-enhanced MRI of cartilage (dGEMRIC) techniques.

15. The method of claim 1 , further comprising generating design parameters for an insert tool provided in the form of a hammer tool with a cross-sectional profile that is designed to correspond to the cross-sectional profile of the guide channel with a tolerance enabling the hammer tool to slide within the guide channel.

16. The method of claim 1 , further comprising generating design parameters for a depth adjustment tool comprising a drill depth bit and a drill depth assembly holder and a drill depth spacer wherein the depth adjustment tool is designed to fit onto the top of the guide channel comprising the drill guide and also designed to be able to be secured on the guide channel.