Determination of an implant orientation relative to a bone

1. A data processing method for determining implant orientation data representing a range of functional orientations of a first implant part relative to a first bone, the first implant part being part of an implant pair to be implanted in an associated patient, the implant pair comprising the first implant part and a second implant part, the method comprising:

acquiring, by a computer, second implant orientation data representing an orientation of the second implant part relative to a second bone;

acquiring, by the computer, implant shape data representing shapes of the first and the second implant parts;

acquiring, by the computer, activity data representing a desired activity of the associated patient, the desired activity having an associated original range of motion between the first bone and the second bone;

determining, by the computer, the implant orientation data based on the second implant orientation data, the implant shape data, and the activity data, the determining the implant orientation data comprising:

determining a zero joint orientation, in which the first and the second bone are in a neutral position relative to each other, of the implant joint based on a trial orientation and the second implant orientation data;

determining, for the trial orientation, that the associated original range of motion of the desired activity can be achieved from the zero joint orientation with an implant joint formed by the implant pair for the trial orientation; and

adding the trial orientation to the implant orientation data; and

outputting, to an associated user, information based on the implant orientation data.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the desired activity is associated with a set of one or more relative orientations between the first bone and the second bone, and

the associated original range of motion of the desired activity is achieved when the implant joint formed by the implant pair for the trial orientation allows all relative orientations in the set of one or more relative orientations.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining that the associated original range of motion of the desired activity can be achieved with the implant joint includes determining that the implant joint can reach the associated original range of motion from the zero joint orientation.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the desired activity has an associated reduced range of motion between the first bone and the second bone, the reduced range of motion being less than the original range of motion, and

the determining the implant orientation data includes determining extended implant orientation data based on the desired activity having the associated reduced range of motion.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:

tracking, by a medical tracking system operably associated with the computer, an actual orientation of the first implant part relative to the first bone; and

determining, by the computer, that the actual orientation is within the range of functional orientations of the first implant part relative to the first bone represented by the extended implant orientation data.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising tracking, by a medical tracking system operably associated with the computer, an actual orientation of the first implant part relative to the first bone.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising determining, by the computer, that the actual orientation is within the range of functional orientations of the first implant part relative to the first bone represented by the implant orientation data.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the activity data represents a plurality of desired activities,

respective activity implant orientation data is calculated for each of the plurality of desired activities, and

the implant orientation data comprises an intersection of the respective activity implant orientation data of all of the plurality of desired activities.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the implant pair forms a ball-and-socket joint.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the implant orientation data represents an orientation of the first implant part in two rotational dimensions.

11. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a program for determining implant orientation data representing a range of functional orientations of a first implant part relative to a first bone, the first implant part being part of an implant pair to be implanted in an associated patient, the implant pair comprising the first implant part and a second implant part, the program, which, when running on a computer or loaded onto the computer, causes the computer to:

acquire second implant orientation data representing an orientation of the second implant part relative to a second bone;

acquire implant shape data representing shapes of the first and the second implant parts;

acquire activity data representing a desired activity of the associated patient, the desired activity having an associated original range of motion between the first bone and the second bone;

determine the implant orientation data based on the second implant orientation data, the implant shape data, and the activity data, wherein to determine the implant orientation data the computer is caused to:

determine a zero joint orientation, in which the first and the second bone are in a neutral position relative to each other, of the implant joint based on a trial orientation and the second implant orientation data;

determine, for the trial orientation, that the associated original range of motion of the desired activity can be achieved from the zero joint orientation with an implant joint formed by the implant pair for the trial orientation; and

add the trial orientation to the implant orientation data; and

output, to an associated user, information based on the implant orientation data.

12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11 wherein:

the desired activity is associated with a set of one or more relative orientations between the first bone and the second bone, and

the associated original range of motion of the desired activity is achieved when the implant joint formed by the implant pair for the trial orientation allows all relative orientations in the set of one or more relative orientations.

13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the determining that the associated original range of motion of the desired activity can be achieved with the implant joint includes determining that the implant joint can reach the associated original range of motion from the zero joint orientation.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the desired activity has an associated reduced range of motion between the first bone and the second bone, the reduced range of motion being less than the original range of motion, and

the determining the implant orientation data includes determining extended implant orientation data based on the desired activity having the associated reduced range of motion.

15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 14 , further comprising:

tracking, by a medical tracking system operably associated with the computer, an actual orientation of the first implant part relative to the first bone; and

determining, by the computer, that the actual orientation is within the range of functional orientations of the first implant part relative to the first bone represented by the extended implant orientation data.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11 , further comprising tracking, by a medical tracking system operably associated with the computer, an actual orientation of the first implant part relative to the first bone.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16 , further comprising determining, by the computer, that the actual orientation is within the range of functional orientations of the first implant part relative to the first bone represented by the implant orientation data.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein:

the activity data represents a plurality of desired activities,

respective activity implant orientation data is calculated for each of the plurality of desired activities, and

the implant orientation data comprises an intersection of the respective activity implant orientation data of all of the plurality of desired activities.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the implant orientation data represents an orientation of the first implant part in two rotational dimensions.

20. A system for determining implant orientation data representing a range of functional orientations of a first implant part relative to a first bone, the first implant part being part of an implant pair to be implanted in an associated patient, the implant pair comprising the first implant part and a second implant part, the system comprising:

a medical tracking system; and

a computer, the computer being operable to:

acquire second implant orientation data representing an orientation of the second implant part relative to a second bone;

acquire implant shape data representing shapes of the first and the second implant parts;

acquire activity data representing a desired activity of the associated patient, the desired activity having an associated original range of motion between the first bone and the second bone;

determine the implant orientation data based on the second implant orientation data, the implant shape data, and the activity data, wherein to determine the implant orientation data, the computer is further operable to:

determine a zero joint orientation, in which the first and the second bone are in a neutral position relative to each other, of the implant joint based on a trial orientation and the second implant orientation data;

determine, for the trial orientation, that the associated original range of motion of the desired activity can be achieved from the zero joint orientation with an implant joint formed by the implant pair for the trial orientation; and

add the trial orientation to the implant orientation data; and

output, to an associated user, information based on the implant orientation data.