COMPRESSION IMPLANTS, INSTRUMENTS AND METHODS

1 . A bone joint implant comprising:

a longitudinal axis;

a spacer having a first bone engaging surface operable to engage a surface of a bone; and

a first leg connected to the bone engaging surface, the first leg having a first elongate inboard surface facing the longitudinal axis and extending from a first leg leading end to a first leg trailing end, the first elongate inboard surface being spaced from the longitudinal axis a first leading distance at the leading end and the first elongate inboard surface being spaced from the longitudinal axis a first trailing distance at the first trailing end, the first leading distance being greater than the first trailing distance.

2 . The bone joint implant of example 1 wherein the spacer further comprises an articulating surface opposite the bone engaging surface, the articulating surface having a shape and surface finish that facilitate articulation with an opposing bone or opposing articulating joint component.

3 . The bone joint implant of example 1 wherein the first bone engaging surface includes a fixation feature projecting from the bone engaging surface.

4 . The bone joint implant of example 3 wherein the fixation feature is selected from the group consisting of roughened textures, spikes, tabs, and posts.

5 . The bone joint implant of example 1 wherein the first bone engaging surface is planar and parallel to the insertion axis.

6 . The bone joint implant of example 1 wherein the first leg is moveably mounted for translation relative to the spacer parallel to the insertion axis.

7 . The bone implant of example 6 wherein the first leg is provided as plurality of first legs, the plurality of first legs being interchangeably mountable relative to the spacer to provide a selectable size or shape of first leg.

8 . The bone joint implant of example 1 further including a body between the spacer and the first leg, the body including an aperture operable to receive a transverse fixation member.

9 . The bone joint implant of example 1 wherein the spacer is operable to space a femur and tibia at a knee joint, the spacer further comprising an articulating surface opposite the bone engaging surface, the articulating surface having a shape and surface finish that facilitate articulation with an opposing articulating surface of a femur or femoral implant.

10 . The bone joint implant of example 1 wherein the spacer includes a second bone engaging surface opposite the first bone engaging surface and the implant further comprises:

a second leg connected to the second bone engaging surface, the second leg having a second elongate inboard surface facing the longitudinal axis and extending from a second leg leading end to a second leg trailing end, the second elongate inboard surface being spaced from the longitudinal axis a second leading distance at the leading end and the second elongate inboard surface being spaced from the longitudinal axis a second trailing distance at the second trailing end, the second leading distance being greater than or equal to the second trailing distance.

11 . The bone joint implant of example 10 wherein the spacer is operable to space adjacent vertebral bodies of a human spine, the first leg being insertable into a first vertebral body to compress the first bone engaging surface against the first vertebral body and he second leg being insertable into a second vertebral body to compress the second bone engaging surface against the second vertebral body.

12 . A bone joint system comprising:

a bone joint implant comprising:

a longitudinal axis;

a spacer having a first bone engaging surface operable to engage a surface of a bone; and

a first leg connected to the bone engaging surface, the first leg having a first elongate inboard surface facing the longitudinal axis and extending from a first leg leading end to a first leg trailing end, the first elongate inboard surface being spaced from the longitudinal axis a first leading distance at the leading end and the first elongate inboard surface being spaced from the longitudinal axis a first trailing distance at the first trailing end, the first leading distance being greater than the first trailing distance, the spacer first bone engaging surface and the first elongate inboard surface diverging to define a divergence angle; and

a hole forming guide comprising:

a guide body operable to guide a hole forming instrument along a guide axis;

a probe having a probe reference surface operable to engage a bone surface, the guide axis and probe reference surface diverging at an angle equal to the divergence angle.

13 . A method of operating on a bone joint, the method comprising:

forming a first passage in a first bone adjacent to the joint;

engaging an implant with the first bone with a first bone engaging surface of the implant in engagement with an external surface of the first bone and a first leg of the implant inserted into the first passage;

advancing at least the first leg to cause compression of the first bone engaging surface against the external surface of the first bone.

14 . The method of example 13 wherein the implant comprises:

a spacer defining the first bone engaging surface; and

the first leg is connected to the bone engaging surface, the first leg having a first elongate inboard surface facing the longitudinal axis and extending from a first leg leading end to a first leg trailing end, the first elongate inboard surface being spaced from the longitudinal axis a first leading distance at the leading end and the first elongate inboard surface being spaced from the longitudinal axis a first trailing distance at the first trailing end, the first leading distance being greater than the first trailing distance, the spacer first bone engaging surface and the first elongate inboard surface diverging to define a divergence angle.

15 . The method of example 14 wherein the step of advancing at least the first leg into the first passage comprises advancing the spacer and the leg together to cause increasing compression.

16 . The method of example 14 wherein the first leg is mounted for translation relative to the spacer, the step of engaging an implant with the first bone comprising positioning the spacer on the first bone at a desired location on the surface of the first bone and the step of advancing the first leg comprising advancing the first leg without changing the position of the spacer on the first bone.

17 . The method of example 16 wherein the first bone engaging surface includes a fixation feature projecting from the first bone engaging surface, the method comprising first engaging the first bone engaging surface with the first bone in a first direction transverse to the first bone engaging surface and then advancing the first leg in a second direction transverse to the first direction.

18 . The method of example 13 wherein the spacer comprises a tibial knee component and is operable to space a tibia and a femur at a knee joint, the first leg being operable to compress the spacer against the end of the tibia when the first leg is advanced into the tibia.

19 . The method of example 14 wherein the spacer includes a second bone engaging surface opposite the first bone engaging surface and the implant further comprises a second leg connected to the second bone engaging surface, the second leg having a second elongate inboard surface facing the longitudinal axis and extending from a second leg leading end to a second leg trailing end, the second elongate inboard surface being spaced from the longitudinal axis a second leading distance at the leading end and the second elongate inboard surface being spaced from the longitudinal axis a second trailing distance at the second trailing end, the second leading distance being greater than or equal to the second trailing distance, the method further comprising:

forming a second passage in a second bone adjacent to the joint;

engaging the implant with the second bone with the second bone engaging surface of the implant in engagement with an external surface of the second bone and the second leg of the implant inserted into the second passage;

advancing the second leg to cause compression of the second bone engaging surface against the external surface of the second bone.

20 . The method of example 19 wherein the spacer comprises a spinal disc implant and is operable to space first and second vertebral bodies of the spine, the first leg being operable to compress the spacer against the end of the first vertebral body when the when the first leg is advanced into the first vertebral body and the second leg being operable to compress the spacer against the end of second vertebral body when the second leg is advanced into the second vertebral body.