Acetabulum Resurfacing Aid for Precise Prosthesis Alignment
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional hip resurfacing surgery lacks precise alignment of femoral and acetabular prostheses, relying on manual and potentially error-prone methods, which can lead to misalignment and complications during the procedure.
Innovation Solution
A custom-designed acetabulum surgical resurfacing aid with a body conforming to the acetabulum, extending arms for surface fit, and an alignment tube guide for accurate placement of the acetabular prosthesis, utilizing patient-specific imaging and rapid prototyping for precise alignment and reduced manual error.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual methods are used to determine the position and axis of the acetabular prosthesis during surgery, then the surgeon can perform the procedure with standard tools, but the alignment precision deteriorates due to the manual and error-prone nature of the process
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies preliminary action by creating a patient-specific 3D model of the acetabulum before surgery, which is then used to fabricate a custom alignment aid. This pre-surgical preparation allows the alignment process during surgery to be precise and straightforward, eliminating the need for complex manual determination procedures while maintaining high alignment precision.
2Productivity
If conventional manual alignment procedures are used, then the surgical procedure can be performed with standard equipment, but the surgical time increases due to the lengthy and error-prone nature of manual alignment
Solution Approach 1:
The custom alignment aid is designed and fabricated before surgery based on patient-specific imaging data. During surgery, the aid is simply inserted into the acetabulum and used to guide prosthesis placement, eliminating the need for lengthy manual alignment procedures and significantly reducing surgical time while improving efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces a custom alignment aid as an intermediary tool between the surgeon and the acetabulum. This aid serves as a physical mediator that translates pre-surgical planning into accurate intraoperative alignment, eliminating the need for complex manual procedures and reducing surgical time.
3Manufacturing precision
If standard surgical templates and imaging are used for planning, then the preoperative planning can be performed with conventional methods, but the transfer of planned positions to the actual patient during surgery deteriorates in precision due to the manual and inherently imprecise process
Solution Approach 1:
The invention creates a precise physical copy or replica of the patient's acetabulum geometry using 3D modeling and rapid prototyping technologies. This custom alignment aid is an exact copy tailored to the patient's specific anatomy, allowing the preoperatively planned positions to be transferred accurately to the actual patient during surgery without manual intervention errors.
Data Source
AI summary
An acetabulum surgical resurfacing aid that includes a body conformed to fit an acetabulum of a patient is presented. A portion of the body is further conformed to fit an acetabular fossa of the patient. One or more arms extend outward from the body and are configured to fit the surface of the acetabulum. A support extends from the body beyond the acetabulum. An alignment tube guide connects to the support.