Method and apparatus for performing an open wedge, high tibial osteotomy

1. A one piece osteotomy implant for disposition in a wedge-shaped osteotomy opening in a bone, the implant comprising:

a body for disposition within the wedge-shaped osteotomy opening in the bone and adapted to support the bone while healing occurs, said body having a leading face, a trailing face, and a longitudinal axis extending transverse to said trailing face; and

at least one key integral with said body for stabilizing said body relative to the adjacent bone while healing occurs, said at least one key extending longitudinally from said trailing face to said leading face and having an outwardly extending curved surface that is transverse to said longitudinal axis, and a bore extending therethrough.

2. An osteotomy implant according to claim 1 wherein said body is generally J-shaped.

3. An osteotomy implant according to claim 1 wherein said body comprises a top surface comprising a plurality of top surface segments separated by said at least one key, and further wherein the plurality of top surface segments are substantially coplanar with one another.

4. An osteotomy implant according to claim 3 wherein said body comprises a bottom surface comprising a plurality of bottom surface segments separated by said at least one key, and further wherein said plurality of bottom surface segments are substantially coplanar with one another.

5. An osteotomy implant according to claim 4 wherein said top and bottom surfaces converge toward one another in a substantially medial-to-lateral direction relative to a patient anatomy.

6. An osteotomy implant according to claim 1 wherein two keys are integral with said body, the two keys being connected to each other by a bridge.

7. An osteotomy implant according to claim 6 wherein said keys are provided with at least one bore extending therethrough.

8. An osteotomy implant according to claim 7 wherein the longitudinal axis of the at least one bores lies within the same plane as the longitudinal axis of the key.

9. An osteotomy implant according to claim 8 wherein said at least one key is provided with a plurality of bores extending therethrough, and further wherein the bores diverge from one another.

10. An osteotomy implant according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one fenestration extending through said body.

11. An osteotomy implant according to claim 10 wherein said fenestration extends substantially transversely through said implant body.

12. An osteotomy implant according to claim 10 wherein the fenestration extends substantially radially through said implant body.

13. An osteotomy implant according to claim 10 wherein the fenestration extends substantially axially through said implant body.

14. A one piece osteotomy implant for disposition in a wedge-shaped osteotomy opening in a bone, the implant comprising:

a body for disposition within the wedge-shaped osteotomy opening in the bone and adapted to support the bone while healing occurs, said body having a trailing face and an axis transverse to the trailing face; and

at least one key integral with said body for stabilizing said body relative to the adjacent bone while healing occurs, said key having at least one bore extending therethrough and a protruding outer curved surface with a peak / valley that extends along said axis;

wherein at least a portion of said body and said at least one key are formed of a relatively strong, load-bearing material, whereby to stabilize the bone during healing;

and further wherein at least a portion of said body is formed of a bone growth-promoting material, whereby to enhance bone healing across the osteotomy opening in the bone.

15. An osteotomy implant according to claim 14 wherein said body is generally J-shaped.

16. An osteotomy implant according to claim 14 wherein said body comprises a top surface comprising a plurality of top surface segments separated by said at least one key, and further wherein said plurality of top surface segments are substantially coplanar with one another.

17. An osteotomy implant according to claim 16 wherein said body comprises a bottom surface comprising a plurality of bottom surface segments separated by said at least one key, and further wherein said plurality of bottom surface segments are substantially coplanar with one another.

18. An osteotomy implant according to claim 17 wherein said top and bottom surfaces converge toward one another in a substantially medial-to-lateral direction relative to a selected patient anatomy.

19. An osteotomy implant according to claim 14 wherein two keys are integral with said body, the two keys being connected to each other by a bridge.

20. An osteotomy implant according to claim 14 wherein each bore is longitudinally aligned with a longitudinal axis of said key.

21. An osteotomy implant according to claim 20 wherein each of said keys is provided with a plurality of bores extending therethrough, and further wherein the bores diverge from one another.

22. An osteotomy implant according to claim 14 wherein the load-bearing material comprises PEEK.

23. An osteotomy implant according to claim 14 wherein the bone growth-promoting material comprises allograft bone material.