US 12,268,615 B2
Joint soft tissue evaluation method
J. Dean Cole, Orlando, FL (US); Franz W. Kellar, Gastonia, NC (US); Michael D. Bissette, Belmont, NC (US); Harold L. Crowder, Concord, NC (US); and Franz Austen Kellar, Gastonia, NC (US)
Assigned to DYNAMIC BALANCER SYSTEMS LLC, Belmont, NC (US)
Filed by Little Engine, LLC, Belmont, NC (US)
Filed on Mar. 27, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/190,389.
Application 18/190,389 is a continuation of application No. 17/881,410, filed on Aug. 4, 2022, granted, now 11,612,503.
Application 17/881,410 is a continuation in part of application No. 17/851,948, filed on Jun. 28, 2022, granted, now 11,602,443.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/349,714, filed on Jun. 7, 2022.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/349,719, filed on Jun. 7, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2023/0390080 A1, Dec. 7, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A61B 17/02 (2006.01); A61B 90/00 (2016.01); A61F 2/46 (2006.01)
CPC A61F 2/4657 (2013.01) [A61B 90/37 (2016.02); A61F 2/461 (2013.01); A61B 2017/0268 (2013.01); A61B 2090/3916 (2016.02); A61F 2002/4633 (2013.01); A61F 2002/4666 (2013.01); A61F 2002/4668 (2013.01)] 28 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of evaluating soft tissue of a human knee joint which includes a femur bone, a tibia bone, a patella bone, and ligaments, wherein the ligaments are under anatomical tension to connect the bones together, creating a load-bearing articulating joint, the method comprising:
inserting into the knee joint a tensioner-balancer that includes: a base plate, a top plate that is configured to freely pivot about a pivot axis, a means of controlling a distraction force, and at least one sensor configured to measure a distraction force acting through the pivot axis and a distraction height of the top plate relative to the baseplate;
providing an electronic receiving device;
moving the knee joint through at least a portion of its range of motion;
while moving the knee joint, controlling the distraction force, and collecting displacement and distraction load data of the bones from the at least one sensor, using the electronic receiving device;
processing the collected data to produce a digital geometric model of the knee joint, wherein the model includes ligament displacement data along a range of flexion angles and ligament load data along a range of flexion angles; and
storing the digital geometric model for further use.