Patient-specific template for total ankle replacement

1. An alignment guide comprising:

a. a talar component having a surface portion that interfaces with a corresponding surface of a superior aspect of at least a section of a talus body or talus neck of an ankle of a patient;

b. a tibial component attached to the talar component having a surface portion that interfaces with a corresponding distal surface of at least a section of a tibia of the ankle of the patient; and

c. a navicular and cuboid component attached to or integral with the talar component and having a surface that is configured to interface with a superior part of a section of a surface of the navicular bone and is configured to interface with a section of a surface of a cuboid bone of the patient; and

wherein a combination of the talar component, and the tibial component is configured such that when the surface portion of the talar component is positioned in contact with the corresponding surface of the superior aspect of at least said section of the talus body or talus neck of the ankle of the patient, and the surface portion of the tibial component is positioned in contact with at the corresponding distal surface of at least said section of the tibia of the ankle of the patient, the ankle of the patient is positioned in a preselected position.

2. The alignment guide according to claim 1 , further comprising means associated with at least one of the tibial component and the talar component for attaching one or more of a cutting, drilling and/or burring jig to the alignment guide.

3. The alignment guide according to claim 1

a. wherein the talar component and the tibial component are integral with one another.

4. The alignment guide according to claim 1 , wherein the surface portion of the talar component is made using image data of the surface of the superior aspect of at least said section of the talus body or talus neck of the ankle of the patient and the surface portion of the tibial component is made using image data of the distal surface of at least said section of the tibia of the ankle of the patient.

5. The alignment guide according to claim 4 , wherein the image data is obtained with the patient's ankle in a preselected position.

6. The alignment guide according to claim 5 , further comprising an attachment means for attaching the talar component to the tibial component, and

wherein the image data is used to configure the attachment means to ensure that the ankle of the patient is positioned in a preselected position when:

a) the talar and tibial components are attached to each other by the attachment means,

b) the surface portion of the talar component is positioned in contact with the corresponding surface of the superior aspect of at least said section of the talus body or talus neck of the ankle of the patient, and

c) the surface portion of the tibial component is positioned in contact with the corresponding distal surface of at least said section of the tibia of the ankle of the patient.

7. The alignment guide according to claim 6 , wherein the attachment means is a releasable attachment means.

8. The alignment guide according to claim 1 , wherein the tibial component comprises a removable section that, upon removal, allows visualization of one or both of a part of the tibia and a space between the tibia and the talus, when the surface portion of the tibial component is positioned in contact with the corresponding distal surface of at least said section the tibia.

9. The alignment guide according to claim 1 , wherein the tibial component is configured to allow visualization of one or both of a part of the tibia and a space between the tibia and the talus, when the surface portion of the tibial component is positioned in contact with the corresponding distal surface of at least said section of the tibia.

10. The alignment guide according to claim 1 , further comprising wires, pins or screws for attaching the alignment guide to the tibia and to the talus.

11. The alignment guide according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the tibial component and the talar component further comprises at least one aperture therein which is configured for guiding a drill, saw, or burring instrument.

12. A method comprising steps of:

a. obtaining image-based data of a patient's ankle in a preselected position;

b. producing a computer-based model of at least a portion of the patient's ankle in a preselected position from the image-based data;

c. creating a tibial component for the alignment guide using the computer-based model including forming a surface portion of the tibial component that interfaces with a distal surface of at least a section of a tibia of the ankle of the patient;

creating a talar component for the alignment guide using the computer-based model including forming a surface portion of the talar component that interfaces with a corresponding surface of a superior aspect of at least a section of a talus body or talus neck of the ankle of the patient;

creating a navicular and cuboid component having a surface portion that interfaces with a corresponding surface of a superior aspect of at least a section of navicular and cuboid bones of the ankle of the patient, and

securing the navicular and cuboid component to the talar component; and

wherein the tibial component and the talar component are configured such that when the surface portion of the talar component is positioned in contact with the corresponding surface of the superior aspect of at least said section of the talus body or talus neck of the ankle of the patient, and the surface portion of the tibial component is positioned in contact with the distal surface of at least said section of the tibia of the ankle of the patient, the ankle of the patient is positioned in the preselected position.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising steps of

affixing the alignment guide to one or both of the tibia and talus of the ankle of the patient using wires, pins, or screws,

attaching a cutting, drilling or burring jig to the tibial component of the alignment guide; and

resecting bone using the cutting, drilling, or burring jig.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising steps of removing a portion of the tibial component to allow visualization of one or both of a part of the tibia and a space between the tibia and the talus, when the surface portion of the tibial component is positioned in contact with the corresponding distal surface of at least said section of the tibia of the ankle of the patient, and

creating recesses in the talus of the patient using a guide which forms part of the talar component.