Height-Adjustable Bone Fixation Cage with Intramedullary Rod
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Solution Overview
Problem
Rod-cage systems used in orthopedic surgery for bone fixation often exhibit instability, necessitating additional support to securely hold the fixation area, which complicates surgical procedures and patient recovery.
Innovation Solution
A height-adjustable cage system coupled with an intramedullary rod, where the rod is fixed to the cage using transverse fixators, providing enhanced stability and adjustability to match the size of the bone defect, and allowing for secure implantation and stabilization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a rod-cage system is used for bone fixation, then the fixation area is supported, but the system exhibits instability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the rod and cage into an integrated construct where the rod passes through the cage and is secured with fixators, creating a unified stable structure. This merging of components resolves the instability issue while maintaining manageable complexity through standardized integration methods.
Solution Approach 2:
The cage includes adjustable height mechanisms with dynamic sections that can be modified intraoperatively to achieve proper fit and stability. This dynamic adjustability allows the system to adapt to patient-specific anatomy while maintaining overall structural stability.
2Reliability
If additional support is added to the rod-cage system to improve stability, then fixation reliability increases, but surgical procedure complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The rod is pre-positioned through the cage structure, and fixators are designed to be inserted through predetermined pathways. This preliminary arrangement of components and pre-planned insertion paths simplifies the surgical procedure while achieving the necessary stability without requiring complex additional support structures.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the cage is made height-adjustable to fit various bone defects, then adaptability improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cage is divided into adjustable height sections that can be modified independently. This segmentation allows the cage to adapt to different bone defect sizes through controlled adjustments of specific sections, rather than requiring completely different cage designs for each defect size.
Solution Approach 2:
The cage incorporates dynamic adjustment mechanisms that allow intraoperative modification of height to match the specific bone defect. This dynamic capability provides versatility across different defect sizes while using standardized components and adjustment procedures.
Data Source
AI summary
A bone fixation system includes an intramedullary rod, a cage that is configured to receive the intramedullary rod at least partially therethrough, and at least one fixator configured to connect the intramedullary rod to the cage. A method for repairing a bone defect in a patient using the bone fixation system includes implanting the cage into the bone defect, inserting at least a portion of the intramedullary rod into the cage, and securing the cage to the intramedullary rod using the fixator.