Acetabular Roof Reinforcement Plate Angular Fixation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current acetabular implants for hip joint fractures are not sufficiently stable to allow immediate weight bearing, requiring separate surgical procedures and prolonged immobility, which negatively impacts patient health, especially in elderly individuals.
Innovation Solution
An acetabular implant with angularly stable bone fixation elements, including a partially hemispherical body and radially extending flange with variable angle bone fixation holes, allowing secure fixation and immediate weight bearing by distributing bone screws in an angularly stable configuration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If traditional acetabular implants with manually bent flanges and non-angularly stable screw configuration are used, then the implant can be installed with simpler geometry, but the fixation stability is insufficient to allow immediate weight bearing
Solution Approach 1:
The implant is divided into distinct functional segments: a body portion for acetabular engagement and a flange portion for iliac engagement. This segmentation allows each part to be optimized for its specific function while maintaining overall structural integrity and angularly stable screw configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The design transitions from a two-dimensional flat plate to a three-dimensional structure with a body portion extending into the acetabulum and a flange portion extending onto the ilium. This dimensional change creates angularly stable screw pathways that traverse both bone structures, providing superior fixation stability.
2Reliability
If separate surgical procedures are performed for fracture fixation and hip replacement, then each procedure can be optimized for its specific purpose, but the patient experiences prolonged immobility and extended recovery time
Solution Approach 1:
The implant combines fracture fixation and hip replacement capabilities into a single device that can be implanted during one surgical procedure. The body portion accommodates the acetabular cup while the flange portion provides fracture stabilization, allowing both procedures to be performed simultaneously and enabling immediate weight bearing.
Solution Approach 2:
The implant serves multiple functions: it stabilizes acetabular fractures, provides a foundation for acetabular cup placement, and enables immediate weight bearing. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate surgical procedures and reduces overall recovery time.
3Ease of manufacture
If the implant uses a hemispherical basket with radially extending flanges that must be manually bent, then the implant can be manufactured with simpler geometry, but the fit to patient anatomy requires time-consuming manual adjustment
Solution Approach 1:
The implant incorporates variable angle bone fixation holes with predetermined orientations that can be selected based on patient anatomy. This allows the surgeon to optimize the screw configuration for each patient without manual bending, combining manufacturing simplicity with surgical flexibility.
Data Source
AI summary
An acetabular implant has (a) a body including a substantially convex exterior surface configured to be received within and engage an acetabulum and a substantially concave interior surface sized and shaped to receive a head portion of a femur; (b) a rim extending about a periphery of the body and including a plurality of first holes, each of the first holes being configured to lockingly receive a bone fixation element therethrough in an angularly stable configuration; and (c) a flange extending radially from the rim and including a plurality of second holes. Each of the second holes is configured to receive a bone fixation element therethrough in an angularly stable configuration.