Positioning device for ankle joint replacement surgery

1. A surgical system for cutting bone in an ankle arthroplasty procedure, the surgical system comprising:

an external fixation jig, comprising:

a base frame;

a tibial support assembly extending from the base frame for supporting a tibial section of a leg; and

a foot plate extending from the base frame for supporting a foot of the leg; and

a cutting guide fixed to the external fixation jig for making tibial and/or talar cuts in an ankle arthroplasty procedure.

2. The surgical system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the foot plate and the tibial support assembly is movable along the base frame for adjusting the distance between the foot plate and the tibial support assembly.

3. The surgical system of claim 1 , wherein the foot plate is movable along the base frame for adjusting the distance between the foot plate and the tibial support assembly.

4. The surgical system of claim 1 , wherein the tibial support assembly includes a curved support member in which the tibial section of the leg can be received.

5. The surgical system of claim 1 , further including a fixation pin that in combination with the external fixation jig is effective for fixing the external fixation jig to the leg.

6. The surgical system of claim 5 , wherein the fixation pin is a calcaneus fixation pin that in combination with the external fixation jig is effective for fixing the external fixation jig to the calcaneus.

7. The surgical system of claim 1 , wherein the cutting guide includes a cutting block.

8. The surgical system of claim 1 , wherein the cutting guide works in conjunction with a guide system enabling tibial and/or talar cuts to be made parallel to a plane of a sole of the foot.

9. The surgical system of claim 1 , wherein the cutting guide includes a cutter pivot assembly with a side cutting instrument that is positionable between the tibial support assembly and the foot plate for making tibial and/or talar cuts that are arced.

10. The surgical system of claim 1 , further comprising a radiopaque alignment rod extending between the tibial support assembly and the foot plate for aligning the tibial shaft in a direction parallel to the radiopaque alignment rod when the leg is situated in the external fixation jig.

11. An external fixation jig for cutting bone in an ankle arthroplasty procedure, the external fixation jig comprising:

a base frame;

a tibial support assembly extending from the base frame for supporting a tibial section of a leg, the leg including a foot and a tibial shaft; and

a foot plate extending from the base frame for supporting the foot; and

a radiopaque alignment rod extending between the tibial support assembly and the foot plate for aligning the tibial shaft in a direction parallel to the radiopaque alignment rod when the leg is situated in the external fixation jig; and

a cutting block fixed to the external fixation jig for making tibial and/or talar cuts in an ankle arthroplasty procedure,

wherein the cutting block works in conjunction with a guide system enabling tibial and/or talar cuts to be made parallel to a plane of a sole of the foot.

12. The external fixation jig of claim 11 , further including a fixation pin that in combination with the external fixation jig is effective for fixing the external fixation jig to the leg.

13. A method of cutting bone in an ankle arthroplasty procedure, the method comprising:

positioning a leg of a patient in an external fixation jig such that a tibial section of the leg is supported by a tibial support assembly of the external fixation jig and a foot of the leg is supported by a foot plate of the external fixation jig;

fixing the leg to the external fixation jig with one or more fixation pins; and

cutting bone in a tibia and/or talus of the leg.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein said cutting includes cutting from an anterior surgical approach.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein said fixing includes placing a pin in a calcaneus of the leg.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein said cutting includes cutting through a cutting block.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein said cutting is guided so that a tibial cut and/or a talar cut is made parallel to a plane of a sole of the foot.

18. The method of claim 13 , wherein said positioning includes moving the foot plate along the base frame to adjust the distance between the foot plate and the tibial support assembly.