US Patent 7806897 Knee arthroplasty and preservation of the quadriceps mechanism

A method is provided for the preparation and performance of a total knee arthroplasty. The method includes making a primary incision near the knee joint of a leg of a patient. The incision is sized or located preserving a quadriceps mechanism in the leg of the patient. The method also includes resecting medial and lateral condyles of the femur of the leg to create at least one femoral cut surface and moving a femoral component of a total knee implant through the primary incision. The method further includes positioning the femoral component with respect to the at least one femoral cut surface.