Floating patella sensor, knee stabilizer with same and robotic knee testing apparatus with same

1. A joint manipulation and evaluation apparatus comprising:

a positioning structure having an adjustable portion and being movable by a drive system to manipulate a first bone of a joint relative to a second bone of the joint;

a joint stabilizer having a frame arranged to engage the joint and hold the second bone in place as the first bone is manipulated; and

a sensor coupled to the frame of the joint stabilizer and configured and arranged to float unstressed relative to the frame and contact a surface of the joint via gravity to detect residual movement of a clamped portion of the joint relative to the joint stabilizer as the first bone is manipulated.

2. A joint manipulation and evaluation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor has a joint contacting end positioned to contact the clamped portion of the joint, and wherein the joint contacting end moves with the clamped portion of the joint to detect the residual movement of the clamped portion.

3. A joint manipulation and evaluation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the joint stabilizer is a knee stabilizer and the joint is a knee joint, and wherein the joint stabilizer is arranged to hold a femur of the knee joint as a tibia of the knee joint is manipulated and the sensor is arranged to detect residual movement of a patella of the knee joint.

4. A joint manipulation and evaluation apparatus according to claim 1 , the drive system of the positioning assembly further comprising:

a first drive configured to manipulate the first bone relative to the second bone in a first direction;

a second drive configured to manipulate the first bone relative to the second bone in a second direction; and

a third drive configured to manipulate the first bone relative to the second bone in a third direction,

wherein the first, second, and third directions are different relative to each other.

5. A joint manipulation and evaluation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the frame is arranged to surround the joint and includes one or more pads carried within the frame, the pads positioned so as to be disposed between the frame and the joint.

6. A joint manipulation and evaluation apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the sensor is an electromagnetic sensor carried on the frame.

7. A joint manipulation and evaluation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor has a joint contacting end positioned within the frame of the joint stabilizer, the joint contacting end being movable relative to the frame.

8. A joint manipulation and evaluation apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the joint contacting end floats along only a single linear axis relative to the frame of the joint stabilizer.

9. A joint manipulation and evaluation apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the joint contacting end floats along at least one linear axis relative to the frame and is pivotable about a pivot point relative to the frame.

10. A joint manipulation and evaluation apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a processor, a memory device, or both coupled to the sensor and configured to receive and/or store data signals from the sensor that correspond to the residual movement.

11. A joint manipulation and evaluation apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a processor coupled to the sensor, the processor programmed to evaluate the joint and to account for the residual movement of the clamped portion when evaluating the joint.

12. A joint manipulation and evaluation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor is a linear actuator.