Ankle Implant Tissue Grooves for Soft Tissue Anchoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
In total ankle replacement surgeries, anchoring soft tissue to the implant is challenging when bone is not available, leading to tissue deterioration due to the lack of secure attachment.
Innovation Solution
The development of an implant with anchor holes and tissue grooves that allow for the secure anchoring of soft tissue to the implant body, using anchors such as sutures or staples, to maintain tissue position and prevent deterioration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional ankle replacement implants are used without anchor holes, then the implant structure remains simple, but soft tissue cannot be securely anchored to the bone when bone is not available
Solution Approach 1:
The implant is divided into functional zones: an articulation surface for joint movement, a bone contact surface for osseointegration, and anchor holes for soft tissue attachment. This segmentation allows each zone to perform its specific function independently, resolving the contradiction by adding anchoring capability without compromising the simplicity of the overall design.
Solution Approach 2:
The implant body serves multiple functions: providing articulation surfaces for joint movement, offering a bone contact surface for stabilization, and containing anchor holes for soft tissue attachment. This multi-functionality resolves the contradiction by integrating soft tissue anchoring into the existing implant structure without requiring separate components.
2Reliability
If anchor holes are added to the implant, then soft tissue can be securely anchored, but the manufacturing process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
Anchor holes are pre-formed in the implant body during manufacturing, allowing soft tissue to be anchored securely during surgery. This preliminary action resolves the contradiction by incorporating the anchoring function into the manufacturing process itself, eliminating the need for complex post-manufacturing modifications or separate anchoring procedures.
3Reliability
If the implant thickness is increased to accommodate anchor holes, then soft tissue anchoring is improved, but the articulation surface area is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The implant thickness is increased locally at specific anchor hole locations rather than uniformly throughout the entire implant. This localized thickening provides the necessary depth for secure soft tissue anchoring while preserving the articulation surface area, resolving the contradiction by applying the thickness increase only where functionally necessary.
Data Source
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AI summary
An implant (402) for use in a total ankle replacement system comprises a body (404) comprising an articulation surface (406) and an opposed bone contact surface (408) and at least one tissue groove (420) defined by the body. The at least one tissue groove is sized and configured to receive soft tissue therein and position the soft tissue in an anatomically desirable position when the implant is coupled to a bone.