smith&nephew RT-PLUS Surgical Technique page 19

Femoral Preparation
Access: Please refer to the relevant surgical textbooks for the initial access to the knee.
Note
In addition to the bone resections, it is important to correct any ligament imbalance by
appropriate soft-tissue procedures. If necessary, a general release should be performed on
the side of the contracture prior to the bone resections.
The leg is fl exed and any osteophytes on the femur and tibia should be removed. This
provides good exposure of the knee joint, which facilitates size determination.
Femoral size determination
By using the femoral sizer (2, 4, 6, 8 or 10)
the size is determined, sagittaly according to
the inside/outside contours as well as
ventrally according to the anterior/posterior
resections and the medial/lateral contours.
Note
The line in the sagittal view of the femoral sizer
shows the position of the femoral IM canal, i.e.,
the position of the stem.
Femur opening
The adjustable IM femoral drill guide is set to
the planned size of the femoral components
(size marking 2, 4, 6, 8 or 10) and inserted
under the quadriceps into the center of the
femur. The distal stop should be on the
medial condyle. Make sure that the gauge
is fl at on the anterior femoral cortical bone in
the direction of the femoral axis.
Open the femoral IM canal with the Ø 8 mm
IM drill.
Important
To ensure an optimal position of the femoral
drill guide on the condyles, gently tap the
M/L area, not the drill guide section of the
instrument.
17