Adjustable Biodegradable Mesh Bone Implant for Defect Customization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional bone grafts and implants are limited by their fixed shape and size, which hinders customization to specific bone defects and cannot provide immediate mechanical support, leading to issues with stress shielding and slow remodeling.
Innovation Solution
A biodegradable mesh bone implant that can be rolled to enclose bone material, allowing for adjustable size and shape to match the defect, along with a kit including sizing rings or funnels for precise fitting and a desiccant to prevent degradation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional bone grafts are used, then bone material can be provided for regeneration, but the grafts are limited by fixed shape and size which hinders customization to specific bone defects
Solution Approach 1:
The bone graft is divided into a flexible mesh component and a separate bone material component. The mesh can be segmented into different sizes and configurations, allowing customization to fit various bone defect shapes and locations while maintaining structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The mesh is designed to be dynamically adjustable, allowing it to be configured in different shapes, sizes, and orientations to match the specific requirements of the bone defect site. This dynamic adaptability enables the same mesh to serve multiple customization needs without requiring multiple specialized grafts.
2Adaptability or versatility
If monolithic bone preformed grafts are used, then structural support is provided, but the implant is substantially complete at implantation time providing little ability for customization
Solution Approach 1:
The implant is segmented into a customizable mesh framework and separate bone material that can be added as needed. This allows the mesh to be manufactured in standard configurations while enabling intraoperative customization by adjusting the mesh size, shape, or adding bone material to specific areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The mesh is pre-manufactured in a standardized, ready-to-implant configuration, but the system allows preliminary customization actions during surgery by adjusting the mesh to fit the specific defect geometry or adding bone material, combining pre-preparation with intraoperative flexibility.
3Strength
If metal implants are used to replace mechanical functions of injured bone, then structural support is provided, but stress shielding occurs due to metal being significantly stiffer than bone
Solution Approach 1:
The implant material parameters are changed from rigid metal to a flexible, bone-like mesh structure. The mesh can be made from materials with mechanical properties closer to bone, and its flexibility allows it to deform with bone loading, distributing stress more naturally and reducing stress shielding effects.
Solution Approach 2:
The implant uses composite construction combining a flexible mesh framework with bone material or bone substitutes. This composite structure provides the necessary mechanical support while the flexible mesh component allows stress distribution similar to natural bone, reducing the harmful stress shielding effect associated with rigid metal implants.
4Strength
If traditional bone substitute materials are used, then bone defects can be filled, but the materials cannot immediately provide mechanical support
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the mechanical support function from the remodeling function. The flexible mesh provides immediate structural support and containment, while the bone material or bone substitutes are incorporated to provide gradual remodeling and long-term integration. This separation allows immediate strength while enabling controlled remodeling.
Solution Approach 2:
The composite structure combines the flexible mesh framework that provides immediate mechanical support with bone material or bone substitutes that enable remodeling. The mesh maintains structural integrity in the early phase while the bone material integrates over time, achieving both immediate strength and controlled remodeling duration.
5Stability of the object's composition
If bone grafts with limited porosity are used, then structural integrity is maintained, but cortical bone remodels slowly
Solution Approach 1:
The mesh is designed with controlled porosity that balances structural integrity with remodeling capability. The porous structure maintains sufficient mechanical strength while allowing cellular infiltration and vascularization, enabling faster remodeling compared to dense cortical bone grafts. The pore size and distribution can be adjusted to optimize both strength and remodeling rate.
Data Source
AI summary
A bone implant for enclosing bone material is provided. The bone implant comprises a covering, which can be a biodegradable mesh. The covering is configured to be rolled into a diameter to at least partially enclose the bone material within the covering. In some embodiments, the covering also includes a closure member, the closure member configured to hold the covering in a rolled configuration to a predetermined diameter to at least partially enclose the bone material. A kit and a method of using the bone implant are also provided.