Method for robotic arthroplasty using navigation

1. A method for robotic knee surgery on a femur and tibia of a knee joint, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a robotic system including a cutting tool;

providing a navigation system;

tracking positions of the femur and tibia during the surgery with the navigation system as the femur and tibia move during the surgery;

communicating information related to the tracked positions of the femur and tibia from the navigation system to the robotic system;

guiding movement of the cutting tool of the robotic system relative to the femur and tibia so that material from the femur and tibia can be removed by the cutting tool without the use of physical resection guides; and

removing material from the femur and tibia with the cutting tool and without the use of physical resection guides.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein guiding movement of the cutting tool includes one of:

guiding user-controlled movement of the cutting tool; or

robotically guiding movement of the cutting tool using a motor and control of the robotic system.

3. The method as set forth in claim 1 including determining a position of the cutting tool relative to the femur and determining a position of the cutting tool relative to the tibia wherein the navigation system cooperates with the robotic system to determine the positions of the cutting tool relative to the femur and tibia during the surgery.

4. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein providing the navigation system includes providing a plurality of locating devices and a plurality of photo cells to receive light from the plurality of locating devices to determine the positions of the femur and tibia.

5. The method as set forth in claim 1 including indicating volumes of material to be removed from the femur and tibia using non-physical cutting guides and monitoring the removal of material from the femur and tibia with respect to the volumes of material thereby facilitating use of the cutting tool of the robotic system without the use of physical resection guides.

6. The method as set forth in claim 5 wherein indicating the volumes of material to be removed from the femur and tibia includes indicating desired femoral cuts relative to a distal end portion of the femur based on a size of a femoral component of a knee implant and indicating desired tibial cuts relative to a proximal end portion of the tibia based on a size of a tibial component of the knee implant.

7. The method as set forth in claim 6 including adjusting the size of one of the femoral or tibial components during the surgery and adjusting the volume of material to be removed from one of the femur or tibia based on the adjusted size.

8. The method as set forth in claim 6 including detecting a discrepancy between the desired femoral or tibial cuts and actual cuts made with the cutting tool of the robotic system and activating one of an audible alert or a visual alert in response to detecting the discrepancy.

9. The method as set forth in claim 8 wherein activating one of the audible alert or visual alert includes activating the visual alert by changing displayed colors viewable by a user from green to red.

10. The method as set forth in claim 8 including interrupting operation of the robotic system upon detecting the discrepancy.

11. The method as set forth in claim 1 including displaying desired cuts to be made to the femur or tibia wherein the desired cuts correspond to a desired size of one of a femoral or tibial component of a knee implant.

12. The method as set forth in claim 11 including displaying the desired cuts with respect to a distal end portion of the femur or a proximal end portion of the tibia.

13. The method as set forth in claim 11 including generating an image of the desired cuts to be made to the femur or tibia.

14. The method as set forth in claim 13 wherein generating the image of desired cuts to be made to the femur or tibia includes generating a three-dimensional optical image.

15. The method as set forth in claim 1 including:

transmitting images of the knee joint to a control unit; and

displaying the transmitted images on a display for viewing during the surgery.

16. The method as set forth in claim 15 wherein displaying the transmitted images includes displaying relative movement between a distal end portion of the femur and a proximal end portion of the tibia.

17. The method as set forth in claim 1 including displaying relative movement of a distal end portion of the femur and a proximal end portion of the tibia on a display.

18. The method as set forth in claim 1 including:

tracking movement of the femur with a first plurality of locating devices attached to the femur; and

tracking movement of the tibia with a second plurality of the locating devices attached to the tibia.

19. The method as set forth in claim 1 including:

tracking movement of the femur with a first plurality of emitters attached to the femur; and

tracking movement of the tibia with a second plurality of emitters attached to the tibia.

20. The method as set forth in claim 1 including:

tracking movement of the femur with a first plurality of reflectors attached to the femur; and

tracking movement of the tibia with a second plurality of reflectors attached to the tibia.

21. The method as set forth in claim 1 including supporting a lower portion of a leg on a movable foot holder operative to move the lower portion of the leg during the surgery so that the tibia is movable relative to the femur during the surgery.

22. The method as set forth in claim 1 including attaching femoral and tibial components to the femur and tibia.

23. The method as set forth in claim 22 including displaying a relationship between the femoral and tibial components on a display to evaluate a fit of the femoral and tibial components.

24. The method as set forth in claim 23 wherein the femoral and tibial components are trial implant components.

25. The method as set forth in claim 23 wherein the femoral and tibial components are final implant components cemented to the femur and tibia.

26. The method as set forth in claim 1 including displaying movement of the cutting tool relative to the femur on a display and displaying movement of the cutting tool relative to the tibia on the display.

27. A method for robotic knee surgery on a femur and tibia of a knee joint, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a robotic system including a cutting tool;

providing a navigation system comprising a plurality of locating devices;

tracking a position of the cutting tool during the surgery as the cutting tool moves relative to the femur and tibia during the surgery;

tracking positions of the femur and tibia during the surgery as the femur and tibia move during the surgery;

communicating information related to the tracked positions of the femur and tibia from the navigation system to the robotic system;

controlling movement of the cutting tool of the robotic system relative to the femur and tibia based on the information related to the tracked positions of the femur and tibia being communicated to the robotic system from the navigation system so that material from the femur and tibia can be removed without the use of physical resection guides; and

removing material from the femur and tibia with the cutting tool and without the use of physical resection guides.

28. The method as set forth in claim 27 wherein controlling movement of the cutting tool includes robotically guiding movement of the cutting tool using computer controls of the robotic system.

29. A method for robotic knee surgery on a femur and tibia of a knee joint, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a robotic system including a cutting tool and controls to move the cutting tool;

providing a navigation system comprising a first plurality of locating devices for attaching to the femur and a second plurality of locating devices for attaching to the tibia;

tracking positions of the femur and tibia during the surgery with the navigation system as the femur and tibia move during the surgery;

communicating information related to the tracked positions of the femur and tibia from the navigation system to the robotic system;

controlling movement of the cutting tool of the robotic system with the controls based on the information related to the tracked positions of the femur and tibia being communicated to the robotic system from the navigation system so that material from the femur and tibia can be removed without the use of physical resection guides;

removing material from the femur and tibia with the cutting tool and without the use of physical resection guides; and

providing non-physical cutting guides defining target shapes for the femur and tibia corresponding to desired femoral and tibial components to guide the removal of material from the femur and tibia.

30. The method as set forth in claim 29 including attaching the femoral and tibial components to the femur and tibia and displaying a relationship between the femoral and tibial components on a display to evaluate a fit of the femoral and tibial components.