Knee instruments and methods

1. A method for inserting pins in a femur, comprising:

attaching a bone contacting surface of a base to an anterior distal femoral cortex of the femur;

positioning a distal edge of the bone contacting surface of the base at a place on the anterior distal femoral cortex where an anterior femoral resection is planned to exit the femur;

coupling an alignment rod to the base;

aligning the alignment rod with a mechanical axis of the femur;

coupling a pin guide to the base, wherein when the bone contacting surface of the base is attached to the anterior distal femoral cortex, the distal edge of the bone contacting surface of the base is positioned at the place, the alignment rod is coupled to the base and aligned with the mechanical axis of the femur, and the pin guide is coupled to the base, a first hole extending through the pin guide is aimed at a first point on a distal end of the femur that is located along a Whiteside's line associated with the femur that corresponds to a center of a trochlear groove of the femur, a second hole extending through the pin guide is aimed at a second point on the distal end of the femur that is in the trochlear groove, the first and second points are located between the anterior distal femoral cortex and an intramedullary canal of the femur, and the first and second holes of the pin guide are aligned with the mechanical axis of the femur and the bone contacting surface of the base; and

inserting a first pin through the first hole of the pin guide, through the first point, and into the femur and inserting a second pin through the second hole of the pin guide, through the second point, and into the femur so that a leading end of the second pin exits the femur at the place to indicate that the anterior femoral resection will intersect the anterior distal femoral cortex at the place, wherein the first and second pins are inserted while the bone contacting surface of the base is attached to the anterior distal femoral cortex, the distal edge of the bone contacting surface of the base is positioned at the place, the alignment rod is coupled to the base and aligned with the mechanical axis of the femur, and the pin guide is coupled to the base, such that the first and second pins are located between the anterior distal femoral cortex and the intramedullary canal of the femur.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein aligning the alignment rod with the mechanical axis of the femur comprises centering a proximal end of the alignment rod over a rotational center of an articular head of the femur.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein aligning the alignment rod with the mechanical axis of the femur further comprises centering a distal end of the alignment rod over the distal end of the femur, opposite the articular head, while the proximal end of the alignment rod is centered over the rotational center of the articular head of the femur.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the distal end of the alignment rod is coupled to the base while the proximal end of the alignment rod is centered over the rotational center of the articular head of the femur and the distal end of the alignment rod is centered over the distal end of the femur.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein when the first pin is inserted into the femur, in an anterior view of the femur, the first pin is parallel to the mechanical axis.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the bone contacting surface of the base is planar.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein when the first pin is inserted into the femur:

in an anterior view of the femur, the first pin is collinear with the mechanical axis of the femur, and,

in a lateral view of the femur, the first pin is parallel to at least one of:

the anterior distal femoral cortex, and

the anterior femoral resection.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein when the second pin is inserted into the femur:

in an anterior view of the femur, the second pin is collinear with the mechanical axis of the femur.

9. A method for inserting pins into a femur along desired trajectories, the method comprising:

attaching a base to an anterior distal femoral cortex of the femur;

coupling an alignment rod to the base;

aligning the alignment rod with a mechanical axis of the femur;

coupling a pin guide to the base, wherein when the base is attached to the anterior distal femoral cortex, the alignment rod is coupled to the base and aligned with the mechanical axis of the femur, and the pin guide is coupled to the base, a first hole through the pin guide is aimed along a first trajectory at a first point located on a distal end of the femur and located along a Whiteside's line associated with the femur that corresponds to a center of a trochlear groove of the femur, a second hole through the pin guide is aimed along a second trajectory at a second point located on the distal end of the femur and located in the trochlear groove, and the first and second points are located between the anterior distal femoral cortex and an intramedullary canal of the femur;

inserting a first pin through the first hole of the pin guide, along the first trajectory, through the first point and into the femur at a defined orientation relative to the anterior distal femoral cortex, intersecting the Whiteside's line, and aligned with the mechanical axis of the femur; and

inserting a second pin through the second hole of the pin guide, along the second trajectory, through the second point, and into the femur, such that a leading end of the second pin exits the femur at a third point located at a distal edge of the base and located along the second trajectory, to indicate that an anterior femoral resection will intersect the anterior distal femoral cortex at the third point;

wherein the first and second pins are inserted while the base is attached to the anterior distal femoral cortex, the alignment rod is coupled to the base and aligned with the mechanical axis of the femur, and the pin guide is coupled to the base, wherein the first and second pins are located between the anterior distal femoral cortex and the intramedullary canal of the femur.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein aligning the alignment rod with the mechanical axis of the femur comprises centering a proximal end of the alignment rod over a rotational center of an articular head of the femur.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein aligning the alignment rod with the mechanical axis of the femur further comprises centering a distal end of the alignment rod over the distal end of the femur, opposite the articular head of the femur, while the proximal end of the alignment rod is centered over the rotational center of the articular head of the femur.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the distal end of the alignment rod is coupled to the base while the proximal end of the alignment rod is centered over the rotational center of the articular head of the femur and the distal end of the alignment rod is centered over the distal end of the femur.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein when the first pin is in the defined orientation along the first trajectory, in an anterior view of the femur, the first pin is parallel to the mechanical axis.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein:

in an anterior view of the femur, the first trajectory is collinear with the mechanical axis of the femur; and

in a lateral view of the femur, the first trajectory is parallel to at least one of the anterior distal femoral cortex and the anterior femoral resection.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein in in an anterior view of the femur, the second trajectory is collinear with the mechanical axis of the femur.

16. A method for inserting pins in a femur, the method comprising:

attaching a base to an anterior distal femoral cortex of the femur;

coupling an alignment rod to the base;

aligning the alignment rod with a mechanical axis of the femur;

coupling a pin guide to the base, wherein when the base is attached to the anterior distal femoral cortex, the alignment rod is coupled to the base and aligned with the mechanical axis of the femur, and the pin guide is coupled to the base, a first hole extending through the pin guide is aimed at a first point located on a distal end of the femur and located along a Whiteside's line along a center of a trochlear groove of the femur, a second hole extending through the pin guide is aimed at a second point located on the distal end of the femur and located in the trochlear groove, and the first and second points are located between the anterior distal femoral cortex and an intramedullary canal of the femur;

inserting a first pin through the first hole of the pin guide, through the first point, and into the femur at a defined orientation relative to the anterior distal femoral cortex, intersecting the Whiteside's line, and aligned with the mechanical axis of the femur; and

inserting a second pin through the second hole of the pin guide, through the second point, and into the distal end of the femur so that a leading end of the second pin exits the femur at a distal edge of the base, in order to verify that an anterior femoral resection will intersect the anterior distal femoral cortex at the distal edge of the base;

wherein the first and second pins are inserted while the base is attached to the anterior distal femoral cortex, the alignment rod is coupled to the base and aligned with the mechanical axis of the femur, and the pin guide is coupled to the base, wherein the first and second pins are located between the anterior distal femoral cortex and the intramedullary canal of the femur.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein aligning the alignment rod with the mechanical axis of the femur comprises centering a proximal end of the alignment rod over a rotational center of an articular head of the femur.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein aligning the alignment rod with the mechanical axis of the femur further comprises centering a distal end of the alignment rod over the distal end of the femur, opposite the articular head of the femur, while the proximal end of the alignment rod is centered over the rotational center of the articular head of the femur.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the distal end of the alignment rod is coupled to the base while the proximal end of the alignment rod is centered over the rotational center of the articular head of the femur and the distal end of the alignment rod is centered over the distal end of the femur.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein when the first pin is in the defined orientation, in an anterior view of the femur, the first pin is parallel to the mechanical axis.

21. The method of claim 16 , wherein when the first pin is in the defined orientation:

in an anterior view of the femur, the first pin is collinear with the mechanical axis of the femur; and

in a lateral view of the femur, the first pin is parallel to at least one of the anterior distal femoral cortex and the anterior femoral resection.

22. The method of claim 16 , wherein the second pin is inserted into the distal end of the femur so that in an anterior view of the femur, the second pin is collinear with the mechanical axis of the femur.