Abstract: A humeral cut guide member for resectioning or resurfacing a humeral head, including a bone-engagement member including a first patient-specific bone-engagement surface that is complementary and made to substantially mate and nest in only one position on a specific patient's humeral head; a registration member connected to the bone-engagement member including a second patient-specific bone engagement surface that is sized and made to substantially mate and nest in only one position with the specific patient's bicipital groove; and a cut guide plate connected to the bone-engagement member and defining an elongated slot.

Abstract: The disclosed devices and methods relate to fixing (i.e., positioning) a multiaxial reference sensor (e.g., inclinometer(s) and compass sensor) or a mechanical guide to the skeletal anatomy in a known orientation, and then utilizing this reference sensor or mechanical guide to position instrumentation and/or implants with a second multiaxial positioning sensor or via a guide rod that provides spatial positioning information relative to the reference sensor or skeletally fixed references.

Abstract: An exemplary trial component is configured to be attached to a resected bone having a resection surface, and includes a body portion and a sliding fastening mechanism movably coupled to the body portion. The body portion has an articular surface, a bone-facing surface, and at least one drill guide extending through the articular surface and the bone-facing surface. The sliding fastening mechanism includes at least one post extending beyond the bone-facing surface, and the post is operable to engage the resection surface to retain the position of the sliding fastening mechanism relative to the bone. When attached to the bone, the trial component is structured to selectively retain the position of the body portion relative to the bone, and to selectively permit adjustment of the position of the body portion relative to the bone.

Abstract: An orthopedic assembly is disclosed. This orthopedic assembly can include a ring portion, a second portion and indicia. The ring portion can define an aperture configured to allow the ring portion to seat on a head of a bone. The second portion can extend from the ring portion. The second portion can define a slot that is curved along a first length. The indicia can extend along a portion of one or both of the ring portion and the second portion.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for minimally-invasive selective fat removal from a target area by injecting the area with a solution of photo-absorbing nanoparticles and irradiating the injected area with a beam of near infrared (NIR) light. The NIR emission wavelength excites the nanoparticles to melt fat within the target area so that the liquefied fat can be aspirated from the target area. The nanoparticles may be gold nanorods having aspect ratios selected to produce surface plasmon resonance when irradiated with NIR light around 800 nm.

Abstract: A set of tools for installation of a stem implant into a bone comprises a stem-shaped priming tool (1) having a distal tip (32) and a plurality of cutting teeth (31) along a length thereof and a plurality of stem-shaped broaches (2, 3, 4, 5, 6) of different size. Each of the broaches have a distal tip and a plurality of cutting teeth along a length thereof. The priming tool (1) is shorter than, has more cutting teeth (31) per unit length, and has a sharper distal tip (32) than the smallest broach.

Abstract: A surgical device and method for performing a controlled resection of the neck of a femur during a hip replacement procedure. The surgical device includes a body portion. The body portion has a mounting portion. The mounting portion is mountable on a femoral head of the femur to position the body portion with respect to a center of the femoral head. The body portion also has an opening for mounting the body portion on an intramedullary pin located in an intramedullary canal of the femur. The surgical device also includes a resection guide. The resection guide is adjustably locatable at a plurality of positions on the body portion for positioning a resection plane indicator of the resection guide with respect to the neck of the femur according to a measured radius/diameter of the femoral head.

Abstract: A surgical kit and method for performing a controlled resection of the neck of a femur during a hip replacement procedure. The kit includes a mounting portion. The mounting portion includes guide holes for inserting guide pins into the femoral head while the mounting portion is located on an anterior aspect of the femoral head. The kit also includes a body portion connected to the mounting portion. The body portion includes an opening for mounting the body portion on an intramedullary pin. The kit also includes a resection guide including guide holes having the same layout as the guide holes of the mounting portion, to allow the resection guide to be mounted on the anterior aspect of the femoral head with the guide pins inserted into the femoral head for positioning a resection plane indicator of the resection guide with respect to the neck of the femur.

Abstract: A surgical kit and method for milling a bone, the surgical kit including: a rotatable milling tool including a receiving bore with an abutment portion; a positioning pin insertable in the bone for guiding the milling tool along a milling axis and towards the bone, the positioning pin including a pin shaft receivable in the receiving bore and a pin depth determination element, the pin shaft being abuttable against the abutment portion of the milling tool; and a bone milling guide positionable at a predetermined location on the bone for guiding the positioning pin when the positioning pin is inserted into the bone, the bone milling guide including a pin shaft guiding channel for receiving the pin shaft and a guide depth determination element cooperable with the pin depth determination element to provide an indication that the positioning pin is inserted in the bone at a predetermined depth.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a guide for positioning a resurfacing head implant into the appropriate position and angles on the femur bone. The present invention therefore provides a guide system for an implantable device (e.g. a resurfacing head implant), said guide system comprising a first component arranged to act as a clamp and a second component arranged to interact with the first component to prevent movement of said first component when clamped.

Abstract: A minimally invasive hip joint and a joint replacing method are provided. The minimally invasive hip joint includes a threaded rod and a joint body including a plurality of elastic sheets, with their top ends being all disposed at a top end position of the threaded rod, and bottom ends being all movably sleeved on the threaded rod and dispersedly distributed along the circumferential direction of the threaded rod; and the threaded rod is threadedly engaged with a locking component located at the below position of the elastic sheets. The joint replacing method comprises replacing a damaged or undamaged femoral head on a femur with the aforementioned minimally invasive hip joint. When replacing a damaged or undamaged femoral head with the minimally invasive hip joint, it is only necessary to drill at the outer side of the trochanter major and rotate the locking component.

Abstract: The current invention appropriately places stable implants into both sides of the shoulder joint to relieve pain and restore function in an arthritic shoulder, and does so in a manner that is arthroscopic, that does not violate the muscles about the shoulder or other vital structures, and that allows for immediate active or voluntary movement by the patient after surgery.

Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure involve systems, methods, computer program products, and the like, for utilizing a series of images of a patient's anatomy to determine a cut plane for use during a hip replacement procedure. To determine a cut plane for use during the procedure, the computer program determines a best fit line through the center of the neck of the femur, as well as a best fit line through the femoral shaft. In one particular embodiment, a cut plane through the femur may then be determined as perpendicular to the center line through the neck of the femur. Further, the location of these features in the images may be determined by analyzing the gray scale value of one or more pixels around a selected point on the image. The pixel with the lowest gray scale value may then be assumed to be the edge of the cortical bone in the 2D image.

Abstract: Methods and instruments for performing a kinematically-aligned total knee arthroplasty (TKA) are disclosed. Goals of the kinematically-aligned TKA can include restoration of (1) the femoral and tibial joint lines to the patient's natural joint line, (2) the patient's Hip-Knee-Ankle alignment to their constitutional alignment prior to developing osteoarthritis and (3) restoration of the patient's natural soft tissue laxity and envelope. A shim block assembly can be used in resecting the distal medial and lateral condyles to account for cartilage wear on the distal condyles from osteoarthritis. The shim block assembly can include a plurality of shims, and each shim can be attachable to or integral with a reference block. At least one of the plurality of shims can have a medial portion with a thickness different from a thickness of a lateral portion of the shim. The shims need not be joined together as a single medial/lateral component but may be independent of one another.

Abstract: An impaction tip can be used in installing an implant. The impaction tip can comprise a body, and a sliding member. The body can have a handle-facing surface and an implant-facing surface. The body can define a grooved portion. The handle-facing surface can define an opening sized to receive a portion of an impaction handle. The sliding member can be located at least partially within the grooved portion. The sliding member can be slideable from an interior position to an exterior position. When the sliding member is in the exterior position a portion of the sliding member can contact the implant.

Abstract: A device for a patient-specific acetabular and/or femoral guide. The guides can be used in a selected resection of at least one of a femur and an acetabulum to increase a range of motion of the femur relative to the acetabulum. Generally, a natural acetabulum and femoral head are maintained.

Abstract: Devices and methods are disclosed for quantifying temporal changes in human anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) structural properties, such as Anterior-Posterior tibial shear force (TSF) and Anterior-Posterior tibial shear displacement (TSD) for testing ACL overuse injury during training and minimizing or preventing ACL injury.

Abstract: An apparatus for providing a reference indication to a patient tissue includes a primary locating block having a patient-specific primary mating surface contoured for mating contact with a portion of the patient tissue in a predetermined primary mating orientation custom-configured responsive to preoperative imaging of the patient tissue. At least one mounting feature is provided to the primary locating block. At least one secondary item is configured for selective engagement with the primary locating block. The secondary item is at least one of a noncustomized secondary item and a patient-specific secondary item. The secondary item provides a reference indication to at least a portion of the patient tissue. The mounting feature of the primary locating block is configured for engagement with at least one secondary item in a predetermined secondary mounting relationship. The secondary mounting relationship is custom-configured for the patient tissue responsive to preoperative imaging of the patient tissue.

Abstract: A medical device for preparing an elongated bone, such as a proximal femoral bone, for receiving an implant includes a patient-specific femoral guide and an elongated alignment element. The femoral guide has a patient-specific three-dimensional bone-engaging surface configured according to a preoperative plan based on a three-dimensional image model of the femoral bone to mate complementarily with the surface of the proximal femoral bone extending between the greater trochanter, the femoral neck and the femoral shaft of the proximal femur. The femoral guide includes a first guide end forming a planar guide configured for guiding a neck resection. The alignment member can be removably attached to the femoral guide and defines a reference axis for guiding a cutting tool into the femoral bone through a resected surface of the femoral neck.

Abstract: A surface protection system comprising a protective sleeve positionable over an orthopedic tool or implant, for example the tapered end of an orthopedioc femoral stem implant to shield the covered surface from exposure to abrasive particles during an automated polishing process is described. The protective sleeve comprises a body having an annular sidewall that extends from a proximal end to a distal end and is composed of a polymeric material. A cavity resides within the body extending through the distal end to a proximal end sidewall positioned perpendicular to the annular sidewall. The protective sleeve further comprises at least one annular recess intermediate at least two annular ridges that reside along an interior surface at the distal end of the sleeve. These series of annular ridges and recesses form a removably tight seal around the exterior surface that minimizes the migration of abrasive polishing particles to the exterior surface of the orthopedic tool or implant.

Abstract: An orthopedic guide for preparing a particular patient's bone to receive a prosthesis using a milling tool with a rotating burr comprises a platform having a top surface and a bottom surface adapted to face the patient's bone. The platform defines an elongate milling track that extends through the platform from the top surface to the bottom surface of the platform, the milling track being sized and shaped so as to be adapted to guide the milling tool across the patient's bone with the burr of the milling tool rotating beneath the bottom surface of the platform to be adapted to remove a first bone portion from the patient's bone. A plurality of legs are coupled to the platform and each comprise a referencing end that is contour-matching fabricated as a function of the patient's bone data to be adapted to abut the patient's bone, the referencing ends of the plurality of legs adapted to cooperate to locate the orthopedic guide at a single predetermined location of the patient's bone.

Abstract: Embodiments of devices, apparatuses, kits, and methods for repairing and/or augmenting the articular surface and/or articular rim of a joint (e.g., repairing the anterior glenoid rim after an anterior shoulder dislocation).

Abstract: A patient-specific total hip arthroplasty system including surgical guide and jig instrumentation modeled by computer aided design using image data derived from a specific patient's relevant anatomy. Patient-specific jigs fit surface topography of portions of the acetabulum and femur of the patient and are designed to guide surgical implantation at very precise geometries unique to each patient. Patient-specific pin-locating jigs, pin-rail and spacer systems, acetabular reaming and impacting jigs, and femoral resection and version jigs are fabricated pre-operatively according to the models. Methods for fabricating jig components of the system and methods of performing a total hip arthroplasty utilizing the system are also disclosed.

Abstract: The present application relates to surgical guiding tools that may be used for guiding a surgical instrument during bone surgery. A surgical guiding tool may include a body including one or more clamps configured to attach the surgical guiding tool to one or more portions of the bone, wherein a first clamp of the one or more clamps includes a snap-fit portion including a flexible structure for increasing a clamping force of the first clamp and allowing ease of removal of the surgical guiding tool from the bone. The surgical guiding tool may further include at least one aperture for guiding a surgical instrument. The present application further provides methods for manufacturing surgical guiding tools and uses of the tools for placement onto a bone.

Abstract: An apparatus for providing a reference indication to a patient tissue includes a primary locating block having a patient-specific primary mating surface contoured for mating contact with a portion of the patient tissue in a predetermined primary mating orientation custom-configured responsive to preoperative imaging of the patient tissue. At least one mounting feature is provided to the primary locating block. At least one secondary item is configured for selective engagement with the primary locating block. The secondary item is at least one of a noncustomized secondary item and a patient-specific secondary item. The secondary item provides a reference indication to at least a portion of the patient tissue. The mounting feature of the primary locating block is configured for engagement with at least one secondary item in a predetermined secondary mounting relationship. The secondary mounting relationship is custom-configured for the patient tissue responsive to preoperative imaging of the patient tissue.

Abstract: An alignment system for aligning an acetabular cup insertion instrument utilizes pre-operative preferably standing x-rays and intra-operative x-rays to allow the surgeon to compensate for the position of a patient on an operating room table. The system uses a programmable computer connected to a digital x-ray system and an navigation tracking system to provide input for calculating the inclination and anteversion angles of an acetabular cup impactor based on a pre-operative plan developed from the standing x-rays. The system calculates changes in lengths and angles between anatomic landmarks on the pelvis to alter the intra-operative orientation of the acetabular reaming and impacting instruments to produce the desired inclination and anteversion angles when the pelvis is reoriented as the patient is placed on an operating table.

Abstract: An orthopedic device includes a monolithic patient-specific guide. The patient-specific guide includes a three-dimensional contact surface preoperatively configured from medical scans of a specific patient as a negative surface of a medial portion of a proximal femoral bone of the patient according to a preoperative surgical plan for the patient. The guide also includes a proximal planar surface configured for guiding a resection of a femoral neck of the patient, and a scale formed on the planar surface. The scale is configured for indicating a preoperatively planned femoral version of a femoral stem implant and deviations therefrom.

Abstract: A device and method for resecting a distal portion of a femur comprises a distal cutting guide [98], a valgus guide [102], and a variable collet [10]. The distal cutting guide [98] is configured to overlie an anterior portion of the femur and comprises a slot for guiding a cutting tool across a distal portion of the femur. The valgus guide [102] is configured to connect to the distal cutting guide [98]. The valgus guide [102] is configured to align the slot of the distal cutting guide [98] at the proper varus/valgus angle. The variable collet [10] is configured to attach to an intramedullary rod and the valgus guide [102]. The variable collet [10] comprises a port [30] for receiving the intramedullary rod. The port [30] is angularly adjustable with respect to the valgus guide [102] such that adjusting the port [30] adjusts the varus/valgus angle of the distal cutting guide [98].

Abstract: Patient-specific instruments for preparing bones for receipt of orthopedic prostheses, such as the distal tibia and the talus in a total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) procedure. A tibial guide and a talar guide are manufactured based on patient-specific anatomical data obtained using imaging technology, and each guide includes a surface conforming to selected anatomical surfaces or regions of the tibia or talus, respectively. Each guide includes at least one cut referencing surface, such as a cut slot, to guide a resection, and may also include a guide aperture sized to guide a reaming tool for reaming the distal tibia or talus. The guides may also include pin holes positioned within a periphery defined by the cut referencing surfaces such that, when the resections are made and the resected tibial bone portion or talus bone portion is removed, the guide and its associated pins are removed along with the resected bone portion.

Abstract: A resection guide locator includes a bone engagement portion with surfaces that are complementary to the surface topographies of a bone to be resected during surgery. A housing includes a socket defined by a resilient annular wall that is sized and arranged so to accept a resection guide by press-fit to thereby position and hold the resection guide within the socket. The resection guide is maintained in a predetermined, preferred position while the surfaces are releasably locked in position on the bone. A method is disclosed for forming and using the resection guide locator.

Abstract: An arthroplasty plate and method of use to repair a fractured end of a bone are described. The arthroplasty plate comprises a fixation plate (2) arranged to be secured to a surface of a bone and a connector assembly (6) comprising a barrel (18) extending from the fixation plate and having a bore which opens through the fixation plate. A connector rod (22) is arranged to slide within the bore of the barrel. An articulation component (4) comprises a bearing surface coupled to or arranged to couple to an end of the connector rod which extends from the barrel away from the fixation plate. The connector assembly incorporates an adjustment mechanism (24) arranged to cause the connector rod to slide into or out of the barrel and a locking mechanism (26) arranged to lock the position of the connector rod within the barrel to rigidly space the articulation component apart from the fixation plate.

Abstract: An orthopedic device for joint arthroplasty includes a patient-specific alignment guide constructed and configured for a specific patient from medical scans that show a bone surface of a bone of the patient without any overlying soft tissue. The patient-specific alignment guide includes a patient-specific inner surface configured to be offset from and mimic the bone surface and form a clearance for soft tissue overlying the bone surface. The alignment guide also includes a plurality of patient-specific contact areas configured to mate and register directly on the bone surface without intervening soft tissue for direct bone registration. The plurality of patient-specific contact areas includes non-contiguous surface contact areas.

Abstract: A method for placing a pelvic implant including a cup and a femoral stem includes planning at least one of a location of the cup within a pelvis and a location of the stem within a femur such that a combined anteversion between a predetermined cup component and a predetermined femoral stem component satisfies a predetermined combined anteversion.

Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure involve systems, methods, computer program products, and the like, for utilizing a series of images of a patient's anatomy to determine a cut plane for use during a hip replacement procedure. To determine a cut plane for use during the procedure, the computer program determines a best fit line through the center of the neck of the femur, as well as a best fit line through the femoral shaft. In one particular embodiment, a cut plane through the femur may then be determined as perpendicular to the center line through the neck of the femur. Further, the location of these features in the images may be determined by analyzing the gray scale value of one or more pixels around a selected point on the image. The pixel with the lowest gray scale value may then be assumed to be the edge of the cortical bone in the 2D image.

Abstract: A bone resection guide, which includes a profiling guide. The profiling guide includes a first planar bone contact surface, a first guide surface and at least one outline corresponding to at least a portion of a first implant.

Abstract: Methods, systems and devices are provided for facilitating a surgical procedure on a knee, particularly, a revision total knee replacement procedure. Prior femoral and tibial prostheses are removed. A cut end of a distal femur is engaged with a femoral adjustment member, which will typically center itself about an intermedullary rod placed into the femur. The lateral and medial forces exerted by lateral and medial sides of the femoral adjustment member and the cut tibial plateau against each other are measured. The femoral adjustment member is adjusted to apply and or adjust tension to the lateral collateral ligament and/or the medial collateral ligament based an the measured forces, for example, such that the measured lateral force and the measured medial force are matched. Based on the position of the adjusted femoral member, guided clean-up cuts for placement of a new femoral prostheses are made on the cut end of the distal femur.

Abstract: New apparatuses and methods for their design and use are disclosed that can be used to assist a surgeon in placing a guide pin during hip surgery. Specifically, a hip surgery method is disclosed in which an image of a patient's femur can be obtained and used to design and prepare a mold that contains an aperture for guiding a drill at the desired location and angle. During surgery the mold can be quickly and accurately positioned on the exposed femur head. Then, a drill bit can be inserted through the aperture and an opening for a pin can be drilled into the femur head. The mold can have a unique contoured surface adapted to fit to the femur head in a single unique position such that the opening is made in a unique desired position. The apparatuses and methods facilitate faster, more accurate surgery and are less invasive.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method of defining a mating surface in a first side of an arthroplasty jig. The mating surface is configured to matingly receive and contact a corresponding patient surface including at least one of a bone surface and a cartilage surface. The first side is oriented towards the patient surface when the mating surface matingly receives and contacts the patient surface. The method may include: a) identifying a contour line associated with the patient surface as represented in a medical image; b) evaluating via an algorithm the adequacy of the contour line for defining a portion of the mating surface associated with the contour line; c) modifying the contour line if the contour line is deemed inadequate; and d) employing the modified contour line to define the portion of the mating surface associated with the contour line.

Abstract: A prosthetic acetabular cup inserter and impactor has an expandable annular cup engaging element to engage the inner surface of a cup to be inserted in the acetabulum. An expander is provided for expanding the cup engaging element which is connected to one end of a handle via a hollow or partly hollow extension portion. The other end of the handle is provided with an anvil. An elongate operator is located within the extension portion and connected to the cup engaging element. A device is provided for moving the elongate operator to pull the cup engaging element towards the expander.

Abstract: Disclosed are systems, methods, devices and surgical techniques for joint arthroplasty, including implant components that facilitate the position and implantation of a hip replacement using cutting guides and various femoral implant arrangements.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a tool attachment for medical applications, comprising: a connecting section which is at rest relative to the part of the bone while the part of the bone is being machined; at least one machining section for machining a part of the bone; a fastening facility for fastening the tool attachment to a control device, wherein the connecting section is designed to connect the tool attachment, such that it is stationary, to a tool attachment guide.

Abstract: A cutting guide with a sagittal guide plate is made available for generating an outer contour on a bone in order to apply a joint endoprosthesis, in particular a femoral component of a knee endoprosthesis. The cutting guide according to the invention can be oriented relative to the bone and has at least two sagittal guide slits for guiding a bone-cutting tool, wherein the sagittal guide slits extend through the sagittal guide plate and are arranged at an angle to each other.

Abstract: A method for preparing a bone of a joint during joint arthroplasty. The method includes mounting an alignment guide on the bone of a patient along an alignment direction. The method further includes anchoring the alignment guide into a cartilage of the bone using a plurality of patient-specific anchoring elements extending from an inner surface of alignment guide, each anchoring element having a patient-specific length extending between the inner surface and an end point of the corresponding anchoring element.

Abstract: Various devices, surgical tools, molds, methods and/or surgical techniques are disclosed herein that incorporate a variety of features to improve and/or simplify the preparation of a patient's anatomical surfaces for installation of joint implant replacement and/or resurfacing components.

Abstract: Various exemplary embodiments relate to a method of performing an anterior approach hip replacement. The method may include: exposing a surgical site including the femoral neck and acetabulum using a plurality of retractors secured to the plurality of accessory arms; cutting the femoral neck to remove the femoral head; preparing the acetabulum for insertion of an acetabular cup; preparing the femur for insertion of a femoral implant by lifting the femur using a femur hook and the femur distractor; and closing the surgical site. In various alternative embodiments, the method may include using a lesser trochanteric retractor corning from a direct medial approach and a greater trochanteric retractor coming from a lateral, posterior, proximal approach.

Abstract: In some examples, a method for at least one of preparation or machining of a femoral head formed on a neck of a femur includes selecting an instrument including probing forceps and a guide element including a centering axis. The guide element is coupled to the probing forceps at first and second coupling points disposed along the centering axis such that the centering axis is disposed in a central plane of the probing forceps independent of an opening angle of the probing forceps. The probing forceps are closed with probing jaws symmetrically contacting the neck of the femur at opposite sides with respect to an axis of the neck of the femur. The guide element self-adjusts with closing of the probing forceps so that the centering axis is automatically aligned in the middle with respect to the two oppositely disposed sides of the neck of the femur.

Abstract: A modular femoral prosthesis for use during performance of a hip revision procedure includes a proximal body component, a distal stem component, and a locking bolt. Surgical instruments and methods for use in implanting such a modular femoral prosthesis are disclosed.

Abstract: New apparatuses and methods for their design and use are disclosed that can be used to assist a surgeon in placing a guide pin during hip surgery. Specifically, a hip surgery method is disclosed in which an image of a patient's femur can be obtained and used to design and prepare a mold that contains an aperture for guiding a drill at the desired location and angle. During surgery the mold can be quickly and accurately positioned on the exposed femur head. Then, a drill bit can be inserted through the aperture and an opening for a pin can be drilled into the femur head. The mold can have a unique contoured surface adapted to fit to the femur head in a single unique position such that the opening is made in a unique desired position. The apparatuses and methods facilitate faster, more accurate surgery and are less invasive.

Abstract: An adjustable device for defining a cutting plane for bone resection comprising a base positionable on the bone and a cut-guiding element placeable on the base. The cut-guiding element includes a cut-guiding structure for guiding a cutting tool in the cutting plane, the cut-guiding element being tiltable relative to the base about at least one first axis by an adjustable tilt mechanism to adjust the angle of the cutting plane. The tilt mechanism includes a rectilinear guide and a slide that is linearly displaceable along the guide in the longitudinal direction. The tilt mechanism includes a guide portion relative to which an effective portion of the slide is displaced; the guide portion and the effective portion having interacting structures forming a sliding guide effective at a right angle to the longitudinal direction.

Abstract: An orthopedic apparatus includes an alignment guide attachable to one of a femoral joint surface of a femur of a patient. The alignment guide has a patient-specific three-dimensional engagement surface, and at least one guiding portion defining a guiding passage. The engagement surface anatomically matches a corresponding portion of the femoral joint surface.