This invention relates to an osteotomy guide which assists the orthopedic surgeon in aligning the segments of bones in a procedure for correcting a bone deformity, wherein pins are inserted into the bones at an angle with respect to each other which corresponds to the desired angle of correction of the bone.
When a bone of the human body is incorrectly formed, as by being twisted or "rotated" along its longitudinal axis or by having an angular deformity therein, a procedure for correcting the deformity is to sever the bone and reconnect the segments in proper orientation with respect to each other. In the instance of a rotational deformity, the correcting procedure includes the steps of severing the bone into two segments and twisting or "derotating" the segments with respect to each other, and then connecting the segments back together in their correct alignment. In the instance of a bone having an improper angle formed therein the correcting procedure includes the steps of severing the bone in two locations on opposite sides of the angle in the bone to form a small wedge shaped segment of bone which has the same angle as the deformity of the bone, removing the wedge of bone and reorienting the remaining segments in alignment and connecting the segments together.
While it is usually a simple matter to perceive the desired angle of correction for a malformed bone, the orthopedist must cut through the malformed bone and adjust the bone segments with respect to each other to correct the deformity. The correction procedure is difficult in that the orthopedist usually encounters some difficulty in correctly aligning and maintaining the alignment of the bone segments during the operation. For example, if a bone is to be derotated it is difficult to perceive the exact angle through which the bone has been derotated, and it is also difficult to maintain the proper angle of derotation during the reconnection procedure for the bone segments.