Ankle Osteotomy Spacers and Adjustable Guides for Revision Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ankle joint deterioration due to arthritis, bone degeneration, or injury leads to pain, reduced range of motion, and decreased quality of life, necessitating ankle replacement surgery with implants, which may require revision surgeries to correct misalignments and deformities not addressed in primary surgeries.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising patient-specific spacers and adjustable guides that align bones accurately using custom surgical instruments and fixtures, allowing for precise implant placement and correction of joint deformities during revision surgeries.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional ankle replacement surgery is performed, then the surgery can be completed with standard implants, but misalignments and deformities cannot be corrected
Solution Approach 1:
The surgical system is segmented into modular components including spacers, guides, and alignment tools that can be independently positioned and adjusted. This allows complex alignment corrections to be achieved through coordinated simple components rather than a single complex implant
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables parameter changes in bone positioning and alignment through adjustable spacers and guides that can be configured to specific angles and positions, allowing correction of misalignments by changing the spatial parameters of the surgical intervention
2Manufacturing precision
If standard surgical instruments are used, then the surgical procedure is simpler, but implant placement accuracy is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
Patient-specific spacers and guides are fabricated before surgery based on preoperative imaging and planning. This preliminary action allows precise implant placement during surgery without requiring complex intraoperative adjustment instruments
Solution Approach 2:
Custom spacers and guides serve as intermediary tools that transfer the preplanned alignment geometry to the actual implant placement. These intermediaries enable high precision without requiring the surgical instruments themselves to be complex
3Reliability
If revision surgery is performed to correct deformities, then joint function can be improved, but surgical time and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
All alignment corrections and implant positioning decisions are made during preoperative planning. Custom spacers and guides are manufactured beforehand, eliminating the need for complex intraoperative adjustments and reducing surgical time
Solution Approach 2:
The surgical system incorporates adjustable and adaptable components that can be configured during surgery to match the actual anatomical conditions, providing the flexibility needed for revision surgeries without requiring completely custom procedures
Data Source
AI summary
A system includes a first spacer sized and configured to be received within a resected bone space of a first bone and a second spacer sized and configured to be coupled to a second bone. The first spacer and the second spacer each include a body extending between a bone contacting surface and a coupling surface. At least one shim is positioned between the first and second spacers. The shim includes a body extending between a first coupling surface and a second coupling surface. The first spacer, the second spacer, and the at least one shim position the first and second bones in a predetermined alignment. An adjustable guide including a guide adapter and a guide body is configured to couple to the first spacer and is adjustable on a first axis.