Importance

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Abstract

Instruments for use in the surgical implanation of a knee prosthesis including a femoral alignment rod for insertion into the medulla of a femur through an access hole located between the femoral condyles. The rod is resiliently deformable so that once the rod is fully inserted within the medulla the portion of the rod located within the medulla contacts the inner walls of the bone defining the medulla and is thus caused to bend. The access hole through which the rod is inserted is sufficiently larger than the diameter of the rod so as to impose no physical constraint on the rod for allowing the portion of the rod which protrudes from the access hole to extend linearly along an axis the position of which is determined by points of contact within the medulla between the rod and the inner walls of the medulla. According to further embodiments, the invention includes an angle adaptor for slideably and rotatably accommodating the protruding end of the alignment rod, and a method of surgically implanting a femoral component of a knee prosthesis.

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First Claim