Aiming Block Pin Alignment for Bone Plate and Intramedullary Nail
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bone plates lack alignment features for surgical tools, particularly aiming or targeting devices, which are essential for precise drilling of pilot holes during fracture fixation, especially when the bone plate does not have pre-defined holes for such devices.
Innovation Solution
An aiming block system is introduced, featuring bores that align with the bone plate holes, utilizing pins to secure the aiming block to the bone plate and intramedullary nail, ensuring precise alignment of surgical tools for drilling and screw insertion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If an aiming block system with pins is introduced to align surgical tools with bone plate holes, then manufacturing precision and alignment accuracy are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The aiming block serves as an intermediary device between the bone plate and surgical tools. It includes pins that extend through holes in the bone plate to contact reference features on the bone or intramedullary nail, thereby mediating the alignment process and enabling precise positioning of drilling tools without requiring complex integrated alignment features in the bone plate itself
Solution Approach 2:
The alignment function is segmented into separate components: the bone plate, the aiming block, and the pins. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently - the bone plate for its primary fixation function, and the aiming block specifically for alignment purposes, rather than requiring the bone plate to integrate both functions
2Measurement precision
If pins are inserted through bone plate holes to contact bone screw heads for alignment, then measurement precision is improved, but the number of components and assembly steps increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pins serve multiple functions: they act as alignment references by contacting bone screw heads or intramedullary nails, and simultaneously serve as mechanical connectors between the aiming block and the bone plate. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate alignment fixtures and simplifies the overall system
Data Source
AI summary
A surgical system for aligning an aiming block includes an intramedullary nail insertable within a medullary canal of a bone, a bone plate including an inner surface configured to be placed against the bone, an opposing outer surface, and a hole extending through the bone plate along a plate thickness dimension measured from the inner surface to the outer surface, and an aiming block including a pin extending from a lower surface of the aiming block, the pin having a pin length measured from the lower surface of the aiming block to a terminal end of the pin, the pin of the aiming block being insertable within the hole of the bone plate. The pin extends beyond the inner surface of the bone plate when the aiming block is disposed on the outer surface of the bone plate with the pin disposed within the hole of the bone plate.