Adjustable Glenoid Implant Positioning Tool
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current guiding tools for positioning glenoid implants in shoulder prosthetics often force the drilling direction arbitrarily, risking slippage and suboptimal canal formation due to anatomical variability, which can lead to less favorable implant positioning and stability.
Innovation Solution
An ancillary tool with adjustable directional guidance means, such as a barrel with multiple holes or a mobile element with a spherical surface, allows surgeons to preoperatively or intraoperatively adjust the drilling direction to match the patient's specific anatomy, ensuring the drill bit aligns with the most resistant and healthy bone zone.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a fixed guiding tool with arbitrary direction is used, then the device structure is simple, but the adaptability to different patient anatomies is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The guiding tool incorporates adjustable directional guide means that can be repositioned along the plate to change the drilling direction. This dynamic adjustment capability allows the tool to adapt to different patient anatomies while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The plate is designed with multiple possible drilling directions that can be selected based on patient-specific anatomy. The same guiding tool can accommodate various drilling angles and directions, making it a universal solution for different anatomical configurations without requiring multiple specialized tools.
2Manufacturing precision
If the drilling direction is arbitrarily imposed by the tool, then the device structure is simple, but the manufacturing precision of canal positioning is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The adjustable directional guide means enable precise positioning of the drilling direction along the plate. The guide can be positioned at specific locations and angles to achieve accurate canal alignment according to pre-determined optimal directions, significantly improving manufacturing precision while adding only moderate device complexity.
3Manufacturing precision
If the drilling direction is adjusted to match patient anatomy, then the canal positioning precision is improved, but the ease of operation decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The adjustable directional guide means are designed to be easily repositionable along the plate, allowing the surgeon to adjust the drilling direction to match patient anatomy. The adjustment mechanism maintains ease of operation through simple, intuitive adjustments while achieving precise canal positioning.
Data Source
AI summary
The ancillary tool according to the invention comprises a plate which defines a convex surface intended to bear against the glenoid cavity of a patient's scapula and which forms a directional guide for a drilling, fashioning or like member. To allow the surgeon to apply this member in a chosen direction, the tool comprises means for adjusting the position of the guide with respect to the plate.