Metal implant guide without preparation access to abutment undercut
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202621118870.3
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2026-07-23
- Publication Date
- 2026-08-21
- Estimated Expiration
- 2036-07-23
AI Technical Summary
[0009]本实用新型的目的在于提供一种无需备牙进入基牙倒凹的金属种植导板,解决在修复及种植牙的过程中,导板在游离端缺损的情况下容易失稳,导致稳定性和引导精度不理想的问题
[0020]本实用新型由于采用了上述技术方案,使之与现有技术相比具有的积极效果是:
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Figure CN224655439U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This utility model relates to the field of dental implant technology, specifically to a metal implant guide that allows entry into the undercut of the abutment tooth without the need for tooth preparation. Background Technology
[0002] After tooth loss, especially free-end dentition loss, it typically presents as Kennedy Class I or II dentition loss. The distal end of the missing area lacks natural tooth support, relying solely on the mesial remaining tooth for retention. Retention is usually achieved using a guide plate with a guide hole, which is fixedly connected to the mesial remaining tooth. The guide hole is then used for defect restoration and implant positioning. Because the guide plate is fixed to the remaining abutment tooth on only one side, it easily forms a typical cantilever beam structure in long-span free-end defects. Long-span Kennedy Class IV defects can also be considered anterior free-end dentition loss, facing the same mechanical challenges. When using currently mainstream resin materials, deformation and even breakage are prone to occur. To prevent these problems, larger structural designs are usually adopted, resulting in greater spatial resistance, affecting implantation and even making implantation impossible. In addition, classic implant guides all adopt a design that does not enter the undercut, and their occlusal surface and other coverage areas are large. Regardless of whether they are made of resin or metal, it is difficult to further reduce the size of the guide, and it is also difficult to further improve the stability of the guide.
[0003] Vibration generated during drilling and lateral force applied by the drill bit during implantation can easily cause distal displacement of the guide plate, resulting in significantly higher implant placement deviations compared to non-free-end defects, with vertical deviations being particularly prominent. Furthermore, patients with free-end defects often have alveolar ridge resorption in the edentulous area, resulting in poor bone volume and limited available space, which places higher demands on the axial and depth guidance precision of the implantation procedure.
[0004] In implant dentistry for free-end defects, guide plate failure mainly manifests in two forms: first, the guide plate detaches from the abutment tooth and tilts or swings, which is called Type I failure; second, even when the guide plate is well fixed, the free-end cantilever deforms, causing vertical deviation, which is called Type II failure. Existing fixation structures cannot effectively avoid both Type I and Type II failures.
[0005] If a retention screw is used to assist the retention guide, the procedure becomes invasive, potentially damaging bone and soft tissues, and carrying risks such as infection, screw loosening, or breakage. Important anatomical structures such as the maxillary sinus and inferior alveolar nerve are also easily damaged during the procedure, and its applicability is poor when bone volume is insufficient. Due to the leverage effect, the guiding accuracy of distal implant sites remains limited, and the procedure is complex, prolonging the operation time, resulting in generally low patient acceptance. In cases where bone width and height are limited in the free-end edentulous area, it is often difficult to find a safe double-retention screw placement site, or even a safe single-screw placement location.
[0006] In summary, traditional surgical guide designs suffer from excessive size, requiring a high degree of opening in posterior tooth implantation cases, thus limiting their widespread application. Previous metal surgical guide designs also suffer from indistinct design differences, significant weight, and high cost. In particular, the opacity of metal and its large coverage of the occlusal surface of the abutment tooth make it difficult to monitor complete guide placement during surgery. Furthermore, although the mechanical properties of metal are far superior to resin, without utilizing undercuts for mechanical retention, the aforementioned Type I and Type II failures cannot be avoided. The key to replacing resin surgical guides with metal ones lies in leveraging the advantages of metal's mechanical properties to further reduce steric hindrance in the surgical area. Additionally, existing surgical guides often have a modular design, lack specialized design software, and the design process takes an average of 1-2 hours, resulting in high time costs.
[0007] Devices utilizing the elasticity of metal materials to achieve mechanical retention through undercuts in abutment teeth are found in classic removable partial dentures (RPDs). Metal implant guides can mimic this structural design to achieve retention and stability, and the volume of such RPD-like structures can be significantly smaller than that of conventional implant guides. However, to transmit external forces vertically to the abutment teeth, RPDs require prepared abutment recesses, which is impossible during pre-implantation preparation. Therefore, the structure of the abutment must be redesigned. Furthermore, in cases of unilateral or bilateral free-end defects, RPDs rely on the mucosa of the edentulous area for mixed support, resulting in fewer clasps on the abutment teeth, and requiring special design for retention and stability. Therefore, blindly copying the design of RPDs in metal implant guide design will lead to poor retention and stability.
[0008] Therefore, this application is hereby submitted. Utility Model Content
[0009] The purpose of this invention is to provide a metal implant guide that does not require tooth preparation to enter the undercut of the abutment tooth, thereby solving the problem that the guide is prone to instability when the free end is damaged during restoration and implantation, resulting in unsatisfactory stability and guiding accuracy.
[0010] This utility model is achieved through the following technical solution: A metal implant guide that allows entry into the undercut of an abutment tooth without the need for tooth preparation includes: a splint, the splint comprising an abutment portion and a wrapping portion, the abutment portion being used to abut against the lingual side of the crown of all abutment teeth; the wrapping portion being disposed on the abutment portion of the abutment tooth near the nick, and used to sequentially wrap around the nick side and buccal side of the crown of the abutment tooth near the nick; and an abutment, the abutment corresponding one-to-one with the wrapping portion, the abutment being strip-shaped, one end of the abutment being fixedly connected to the nick side of the corresponding wrapping portion, and the other end extending toward the adjacent abutment tooth for covering the undercut. The abutment includes: a central fossa covering the crown of the abutment tooth with a gap; several indirect retainers located at the clamping portion for sequentially wrapping around the lingual, central fossa, and labial sides of the crown of the abutment tooth; several direct retainers located at the rest, clamp, or indirect retainers for abutting against the buccal or labial side of the crown of the abutment tooth; and a guide plate fixedly connected to the gap side of the clamping portion for placement in the implant area, the guide plate having several guide holes for positioning the defective tooth for implantation.
[0011] In another preferred embodiment, the clamping part is in the shape of an arc rod or plate, matching the arc surface formed by splicing the lingual side of the crowns of all the abutment teeth; the clamping part abuts against the lingual side of the crowns of all the abutment teeth.
[0012] In another preferred embodiment, the clamp wraps around the crown of the near-septum abutment tooth at an angle ≥180°.
[0013] In another preferred embodiment, the thickness of the clamp is 1-3 mm and the width of the clamp is 2-16 mm.
[0014] In another preferred embodiment, the support is plate-shaped; when the support is plate-shaped, the thickness of the support is 0.5-2.0 mm, and the width of the support is 2-6 mm.
[0015] In another preferred embodiment, the abutment may extend to the central fossa to the marginal region of the crown of the adjacent abutment tooth near the vacant abutment tooth.
[0016] In another preferred embodiment, when the indirect retainer is located on an anterior tooth, the indirect retainer is saddle-shaped and fits onto the corresponding anterior tooth, successively wrapping around the lingual fossa and the labial side of the incisal edge of the anterior tooth; when the indirect retainer is located on a posterior tooth, the indirect retainer extends at least to the middle of the central fossa of the crown of the abutment tooth in which it is located; when the indirect retainer is located between two abutment teeth, the indirect retainer successively wraps around the interproximal space, wedge-shaped space and wedge-shaped space between adjacent marginal ridges on the lingual side of the two abutment teeth and enters the interproximal space between adjacent marginal ridges on the labial side of the two abutment teeth.
[0017] In another preferred embodiment, the indirect retainer is located on the abutment tooth away from the rest.
[0018] In another preferred embodiment, the direct retainer is in the form of an arc-shaped strip or a straight rod; the thickness of the direct retainer is 0.5-1.5 mm; and the tip of the direct retainer extends into the undercut of the abutment tooth to a depth of 0.1-0.5 mm.
[0019] In another preferred embodiment, the guide hole on the guide plate can be designed as a cylindrical, partially C-shaped, or fully C-shaped opening; the size of the C-shaped opening matches the maximum diameter of the instruments used in the actual surgery.
[0020] Because this utility model adopts the above-mentioned technical solution, it has the following positive effects compared with the prior art: This invention combines a quantitative design system of "stabilization first, then support, and finally retention" with metal 3D printing technology, achieving the following significant technical effects in the scenario of guided implant surgery for long-span free-end dentition defects: 1. Simultaneously address two guide plate failure modes (Type I and Type II failure) under the premise of completely non-invasive fixation: First, stabilize the tooth: use a splint to firmly press against the lingual surface of the abutment tooth, and wrap the splint around the abutment tooth on the side near the gap to restrict horizontal displacement; Further support: The rest covers the central fossa, forming a composite structure of fulcrum / fulcrum line + indirect retainer without the need for rest preparation, preventing the working part of the guide plate from tilting up, while not relying on the mucosa support of the edentulous area and not affecting flap elevation. Rear retention: Through the above-mentioned fulcrum / fulcrum line structure, combined with the mechanical design that the sum of retention moments is more than 1.5 times the disengagement moment, the working part of the guide plate is prevented from sinking. The number of retaining rings is increased and concentrated in a position far away from the fulcrum / fulcrum line to maximize the retention moment. Utilizing metal 3D printing for integrated molding, the working part of the guide plate achieves a stiffness 4-5 times that of traditional resin guide plates while reducing its thickness to 1-2mm. This significantly reduces the deflection of the cantilever beam in the working part of the guide plate, preventing Type II failure.
[0021] 2. Lightweight design reduces the need for surgical incision size: The splint only wraps around the middle area of the lingual side of the abutment tooth, and the non-full tooth surface coverage makes it easy to check whether the guide is in place; The TPMS Diamond lattice structure is adopted to further reduce weight while ensuring rigidity.
[0022] Traditional resin guide plates often have a working part that is 3-5mm thick. This invention uses a metal 3D printing integrated molding process, which can reduce the thickness of the working part of the guide plate to 1-2mm. Combined with the C-shaped opening guide hole, it can greatly reduce the requirements for the opening of the surgical area and expand the indications for the use of the guide plate.
[0023] 3. Wide applicability and high design efficiency: This invention is suitable for tooth loss of different spans and types. It can be used from Kennedy Class I to Kennedy Class IV and different subclasses. This invention uses clinically mature removable partial denture (RPD) design software for design. The retention part design process is standardized. Novices can complete the retention part design in only 5-10 minutes, and experienced technicians can complete it in only 2-3 minutes, saving design costs. Attached Figure Description
[0024] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the embodiments of the present invention and form part of this application, do not constitute a limitation thereof. In the drawings: Figure 1 Design drawing of implantation guide for Kennedy I type defect provided by this utility model; Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the implantation guide plate for Kennedy Class I defects provided by this utility model in use; Figure 3 Design drawing of implantation guide for Kennedy type II defects provided by this utility model; Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the implantation guide plate for Kennedy type II defects provided by this utility model in use; Figure 5 Design drawing of implantation guide plate for Kennedy Class III defects provided by this utility model; Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the implantation guide plate for Kennedy Class III defects provided by this utility model in use; Figure 7 Design drawing of implantation guide for Kennedy IV type defects provided by this utility model; Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the implantation guide plate for Kennedy IV type defects provided by this utility model in use; Figure 9 A schematic diagram of the non-arch-crossing implant guide provided by this utility model; Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the use of the non-arch-crossing implant guide provided by this utility model.
[0025] The attached diagram shows the markings and corresponding component names: 10-Clamping plate; 11-Clamping part; 12-Circumferential clamping part; 20-Support; 30-Indirect retainer; 40-Direct retainer; 50-Guide plate guide part; 51-Guide hole. Detailed Implementation
[0026] The technical solution of this utility model will now be clearly and completely described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this utility model. Based on the embodiments of this utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this utility model.
[0027] In the description of this utility model, it should be understood that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by terms such as "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "inner", "outer", "front", "back", "horizontal", and "vertical" are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings and are only for the convenience of describing this utility model, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or component referred to must have a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this utility model.
[0028] It should be noted that the terms "horizontal" and "vertical" in this utility model are used to describe approximate positional relationships, and not strictly "horizontal plane" or "vertical plane".
[0029] Example 1: Please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, this embodiment is a Kenneth Class I tooth defect case, with missing teeth 15-17 and 25-27. The splint covers the lingual surface of all remaining teeth and is positioned around the splint on the lingual surface of teeth 14 and 24, near the defect surface and buccal surface. Rests are positioned on teeth 14 and 24, forming a fulcrum line. The remaining interproximal spaces are filled with interproximal hooks. The interproximal hooks act as indirect retainers in the valvular region, and as direct retainers in the undercut portions.
[0030] Please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, this embodiment provides a metal implant guide that allows entry into the undercut of the abutment tooth without the need for tooth preparation. It includes a splint 10, an abutment 20, several indirect retainers 30, several direct retainers 40, and a guide portion 50. The splint 10 includes a clamping portion 11 and a wrapping portion 12. The clamping portion 11 is used to abut against the lingual side of the crown of all abutment teeth. The wrapping portion 12 is disposed on the clamping portion 11 of the abutment tooth near the nick, and is used to sequentially wrap around the nick side and buccal side of the crown of the abutment tooth near the nick. The abutment 20 corresponds one-to-one with the wrapping portion 12. The abutment 20 is strip-shaped, and one end of the abutment 20 is connected to the corresponding... The clamping part 12 is fixedly connected to the gap side, and the other end extends toward the adjacent abutment tooth to cover the central fossa of the crown of the abutment tooth near the gap. The indirect retainer 30 is provided on the clamping part 11 to sequentially wrap around the lingual side, central fossa and labial side of the crown of the abutment tooth. The direct retainer 40 is provided on the support 20, the clamp 10 or the indirect retainer 30 to abut against the buccal or labial side of the crown of the abutment tooth. The guide plate 50 is fixedly connected to the gap side of the clamping part 12 and is laid in the implant area. The guide plate 50 has several guide holes 51 for positioning the defective tooth for implantation.
[0031] In order to better fit the shape of the lingual side of the abutment tooth and further improve the tightness and precision of the connection with the abutment tooth, the abutment 11 is in the shape of an arc rod or plate, which matches the arc surface formed by splicing the lingual side of the crown of all the abutment teeth; the abutment 11 abuts against the lingual side of the crown of all the abutment teeth.
[0032] To further improve the connection performance between the clamp 10 and the crown of the near-septum abutment tooth, and to further avoid unnecessary horizontal displacement or shaking of the entire device, the clamp 10 wraps around the crown of the near-septum abutment tooth at an angle ≥180°.
[0033] To further ensure the structural performance and stress-bearing effect of the clamping plate 10, the thickness of the clamping plate 10 is 1-3mm and the width of the clamping plate 10 is 2-16mm.
[0034] To further ensure the supporting and connecting effect of the support 20, the support 20 is plate-shaped; when the support 20 is plate-shaped, the thickness of the support 20 is 0.5-2.0mm, and the width of the support 20 is 2-6mm.
[0035] To further enhance the support performance of the rest 20, the rest 20 may extend to the central fossa to the marginal region of the crown of the adjacent abutment tooth near the nick.
[0036] It should be noted that when the indirect retention body 30 is located on an anterior tooth, the indirect retention body 30 is saddle-shaped and fits onto the corresponding anterior tooth, successively wrapping around the lingual fossa and the labial side of the incisal edge of the anterior tooth; when the indirect retention body 30 is located on a posterior tooth, the indirect retention body 30 extends at least to the middle of the central fossa of the crown of the abutment tooth in which it is located; when the indirect retention body 30 is located between two abutment teeth, the indirect retention body 30 successively wraps around the interproximal space, wedge-shaped space and wedge-shaped space between the adjacent marginal ridges on the lingual side of the two abutment teeth and enters the interproximal space between the adjacent marginal ridges on the labial side of the two abutment teeth.
[0037] To further optimize the placement of the indirect retainer 30, the indirect retainer 30 is placed on the abutment tooth away from the support 20.
[0038] To further explain the specific structure of the direct retainer 40, the direct retainer 40 is in the form of an arc-shaped strip or a straight rod; the thickness of the direct retainer 40 is 0.5-1.5 mm; and the tip of the direct retainer 40 extends into the undercut of the abutment tooth to a depth of 0.1-0.5 mm.
[0039] It should be noted that the guide hole 51 on the guide plate guide part 50 can be designed as cylindrical, partially C-shaped, or completely C-shaped; the size of the C-shaped opening matches the maximum diameter of the instruments used in the actual surgery.
[0040] Example 2: Please refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, this embodiment provides a metal implant guide that does not require tooth preparation before entering the undercut of the abutment tooth, in a Kent Class II defect case, with missing teeth 25-27. The splint covers the lingual surface of all remaining teeth and is positioned around the splint on the lingual surface of teeth 17 and 24, near the defect surface and buccal surface. The rests are strip-shaped and cover the central fossa; the rests are respectively positioned on teeth 17 and 24, forming a fulcrum line. The remaining interproximal spaces are filled with interproximal hooks. The interproximal hooks act as indirect retainers in the valvular area, and the portion of the interproximal hooks extending into the undercut acts as direct retainers.
[0041] Example 3: Please refer to Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, this embodiment provides a metal implant guide that does not require tooth preparation before entering the undercut of the abutment tooth, in a Kent Class III defect case, with missing teeth 23-26. The splint covers the lingual surfaces of teeth 11-15, 21, 22, and 27, and is positioned around the splint on the lingual surface of teeth 22 and 27, near the defect surface and buccal surface. The abutment is strip-shaped, covering the lingual, incisal, and labial surfaces of the anterior teeth sequentially, and the central fossa of the posterior teeth; it is positioned on teeth 22 and 27, forming a fulcrum line. The remaining spaces between the abutment teeth covered by the splint are filled with interproximal hooks. The interproximal hooks act as indirect retainers in the valvular region, and as direct retainers in the portion extending into the undercut.
[0042] Example 4: Please refer to Figure 7 and Figure 8 As shown, this embodiment provides a metal implant guide that does not require tooth preparation to enter the undercut of the abutment tooth, in a Kent Class IV defect case, with missing teeth 13-23. The splint covers the lingual surface of all remaining teeth and is positioned around the splint on the lingual surface, near the septum surface, and buccal surface of teeth 14 and 24. The abutment is strip-shaped, covering the lingual, incisal, and labial surfaces of the anterior teeth in sequence, and the central fossa of the posterior teeth; it is positioned on teeth 14 and 24 respectively, forming a fulcrum line. Additional strip-shaped indirect retainers are designed in the central fossa of teeth 17 and 27, and the interproximal spaces of the remaining abutment teeth covered by the splint are filled with interproximal hooks. The interproximal hooks act as indirect retainers in the valvular area, and the portion of the interproximal hooks extending into the undercut acts as direct retainers.
[0043] It should be noted that in all the above embodiments, the guide plate body is of the arch-crossing type. In other embodiments, the guide plate body may also be of the non-arch-crossing type. Please refer to [the relevant documentation]. Figure 9 and Figure 10 As shown, it is mainly used when the span of missing teeth is relatively short. The main difference lies in the setting position and length of the splint 10. Specifically: Splint 10 covers fewer abutment teeth, and the end of the splint closest to the abutment tooth successively wraps around the lingual side, the slit side, and the buccal side of the crown of the abutment tooth near the slit.
[0044] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present utility model and does not limit the implementation method and protection scope of the present utility model. Those skilled in the art should realize that all solutions obtained by equivalent substitutions and obvious changes made based on the description and illustrations of the present utility model should be included within the protection scope of the present utility model.
Claims
1. A metal implant guide that allows entry into the undercut of the abutment tooth without the need for tooth preparation, characterized in that: The splint (10) includes a clamping part (11) and a wrapping part (12). The clamping part (11) is used to abut against the lingual side of the crown of all the abutment teeth. The wrapping part (12) is disposed on the clamping part (11) of the abutment tooth near the vacancy and is used to wrap around the vacancy side and buccal side of the crown of the abutment tooth near the vacancy in sequence. The support (20) corresponds one-to-one with the clamping part (12). The support (20) is strip-shaped. One end of the support (20) is fixedly connected to the gap side of the corresponding clamping part (12), and the other end extends toward the adjacent abutment tooth to cover the central fossa of the crown of the near gap abutment tooth. A plurality of indirect retainers (30) are provided on the clamping part (11) for sequentially wrapping around the lingual side, central fossa and labial side of the crown of the abutment tooth; A number of direct retainers (40) are provided on the support (20), the splint (10) or the indirect retainer (30) for contacting the buccal or labial side of the crown of the abutment tooth; The guide plate guide part (50) is fixedly connected to the gap side of the clamping part (12) and is used to be laid in the implantation area. The guide plate guide part (50) has several guide holes (51) for positioning the implantation of the defective tooth.
2. The metal implant guide plate for entering the undercut of the abutment tooth without the need for tooth preparation as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The clamping part (11) is in the shape of an arc rod or plate, and matches the arc surface formed by splicing the lingual side of the crowns of all the abutment teeth; The clamping part (11) abuts against the lingual side of the crown of all the abutment teeth.
3. The metal implant guide plate for entering the undercut of the abutment tooth without the need for tooth preparation as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The clamp (10) has a wrapping angle of ≥180° around the crown of the near-gap abutment tooth.
4. The metal implant guide plate for entering the undercut of the abutment tooth without the need for tooth preparation as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The thickness of the clamping plate (10) is 1-3mm, and the width of the clamping plate (10) is 2-16mm.
5. The metal implant guide plate for entering the undercut of the abutment tooth without the need for tooth preparation as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The support (20) is plate-shaped; When the support (20) is plate-shaped, the thickness of the support (20) is 0.5-2.0 mm, and the width of the support (20) is 2-6 mm.
6. The metal implant guide plate for entering the undercut of the abutment tooth without the need for tooth preparation as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The rest (20) can extend to the central fossa to the marginal region of the crown of the adjacent abutment tooth near the vacant abutment tooth.
7. The metal implant guide plate for entering the undercut of the abutment tooth without the need for tooth preparation as described in claim 6, characterized in that, When the indirect retainer (30) is placed on the anterior tooth, the indirect retainer (30) is saddle-shaped and is fitted onto the corresponding anterior tooth, successively wrapping around the lingual fossa and the labial side of the incisal edge of the anterior tooth; When the indirect retainer (30) is located on a posterior tooth, the indirect retainer (30) extends at least to the middle of the central fossa of the crown of the abutment tooth to which it is located; When the indirect retainer (30) is placed between the two abutment teeth, the indirect retainer (30) sequentially surrounds the interproximal space between the adjacent marginal ridges on the lingual side of the two abutment teeth, the wedge-shaped space, and the wedge-shaped space between the adjacent marginal ridges on the labial side of the two abutment teeth, and enters the interproximal space between the adjacent marginal ridges on the labial side of the two abutment teeth.
8. The metal implant guide plate for entering the undercut of the abutment tooth without the need for tooth preparation as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The indirect retainer (30) is located on the abutment tooth away from the support (20).
9. The metal implant guide plate for entering the undercut of the abutment tooth without the need for tooth preparation as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The direct retainer (40) is in the form of an arc-shaped strip or a straight rod; The thickness of the direct retainer (40) is 0.5-1.5 mm; The tip of the direct retainer (40) extends into the undercut of the abutment tooth to a depth of 0.1-0.5 mm.
10. The metal implant guide plate for entering the undercut of the abutment tooth without the need for tooth preparation as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The guide hole (51) on the guide plate guide part (50) can be designed as cylindrical, partially C-shaped or fully C-shaped. The size of the C-shaped opening is matched to the maximum diameter of the instruments used in the actual surgery.