Patient-specific acetabular alignment guide and method

1. A patient specific implant alignment method comprising:

obtaining one or more images of an anatomic location where an implant is to be implanted;

fabricating an anatomical reference component based on the one or more images, wherein the anatomical reference component comprises at least one matching feature shaped and dimensioned to match and complement a specific feature of the anatomic location, and wherein the anatomical reference component further comprises one or more protrusions;

inserting and attaching the anatomical reference component to the anatomic location so that the one matching feature of the anatomical reference component directly interfaces with the specific feature of the anatomic location;

providing a guide component comprising one or more attachment protrusions and wherein the one or more attachment protrusions are shaped and dimensioned to match and interface with the one or more protrusions of the anatomical reference component;

attaching the guide component to the anatomical reference component by matching and attaching the one or more attachment protrusions of the guide component to the one or more protrusions of the anatomical reference component, and thereby aligning and orienting the guide component relative to the anatomical reference component;

verifying the positioning and alignment of the guide component relative to the anatomical reference component and the anatomic location;

attaching the guide component to the anatomic location; and

using the guide component to align and insert the implant in the anatomic location; and

wherein the anatomic location comprises the acetabulum and wherein the anatomical reference component comprises a curved concave cavity area, a convex curved outer surface, a through opening and first and second protrusions extending from a bottom surface of the anatomical reference component and wherein the a curved concave cavity area complements and matches the acetabulum anatomy.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the anatomic location comprises a cavity with a curved concave inner surface and wherein the anatomical reference component comprises a curved concave cavity complementing and matching the curved concave inner surface of the anatomic location.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more protrusions of the anatomical reference comprises a threaded opening matching a corresponding threaded opening in the corresponding matching attachment protrusion of the guide component.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more attachment protrusions of the guide component are attached to the one or more protrusions of the anatomical reference component with one of screws, clamps, pins or wires.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the guide component is attached to the anatomic location with one of screws, clamps, pins or wires.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the guide component comprises first and second slots on a top surface and wherein the first and second protrusions of the anatomical reference component are shaped and dimensioned to slide within the first and second slots of the guide component.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the guide component further comprises an upward extending cylindrical extension and wherein the cylindrical extension comprises a through-bore.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising providing a positioning device and wherein the positioning device comprises a rod dimensioned to be received within the through-bore of the cylindrical extension of the guide component, and wherein the rod is a reference axis for the positioning device.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the positioning device comprises an implant positioning device or a surgical instrument positioning device.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing a reference axis for positioning an implant or a device and wherein the reference axis comprises one of a pin, a reference frame or an electronic alignment device.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the electronic alignment device comprises one of an RF device, a laser beam or an optical beam.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more images comprise one of computer tomography (CT) images, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images, ultrasound images, microwave images, Infrared images or radiographic images.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the anatomical reference component is fabricated via additive layer machining.

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising removing the anatomical reference component prior to inserting the implant in the anatomic location.