Patient-Specific Ankle Template Integrating Cutting and Guidance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current ankle replacement surgery templates are limited as they only serve as spatial guides for determining the location and alignment of surgical cutting tools, cannot make necessary surgical cuts, and require external aid tools for proper alignment, restricting surgeons to available prosthetic joint sizes and complicating the surgery process.
Innovation Solution
A patient-specific, three-in-one template with integrated cut paths and fixation openings for the tibial and talar sections, allowing it to function as a surgical guide, spatial guide, or preliminary template for attachment with conventional surgical tools, ensuring accurate fixation and alignment using preoperative planning and 3D printing for customized fit.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If electronic templates are used as spatial guides only, then the location and alignment of cutting tools can be determined, but the templates cannot make the necessary surgical cuts
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functions into a single template structure that integrates both spatial guidance features (openings for determining location and alignment) and surgical cut capability (paths engraved on the template for making cuts). This merging resolves the contradiction by allowing the template to simultaneously provide precise measurement guidance and enable surgical cutting operations without requiring separate tools or templates.
2Measurement precision
If two separate pieces are used for tibial and talar cuts, then each section can be addressed specifically, but the template cannot provide complete fixation insight and requires external aid tools
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the previously separate tibial and talar templates into a single integrated template that provides guidance for both sections. The template includes paths for tibial cuts, paths for talar cuts, and openings for fixation verification, eliminating the need for multiple separate pieces and external aid tools while maintaining section-specific guidance precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The single template serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides spatial guidance for tibial section, spatial guidance for talar section, makes tibial cuts, makes talar cuts, and verifies fixation completeness. This multi-functionality resolves the contradiction by reducing device complexity while maintaining or improving measurement precision across all surgical tasks.
3Ease of operation
If perpendicular openings are used for fixing the template, then the template can be attached to the bone surface, but the surgeon cannot ensure complete fixation of the template
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates openings in the template that allow the surgeon to visually verify complete fixation of the template to the bone surface. These openings provide feedback on whether the template is properly attached, enabling the surgeon to confirm fixation completeness before proceeding with surgical cuts. This feedback mechanism resolves the contradiction by maintaining ease of attachment while ensuring reliable fixation verification.
Data Source
AI summary
This invention relates to a custom made cutting block for total ankle replacement consisting of two pieces, one for tibia and other for talus. The block can be using in 3 ways as pin locator, cutting block or in coupling with the other conventional instruments. The block provides a unique method for matching with the tibia and talus based on the CT-scan imaging The block allows the surgeons to detect the correct position of the tibia pin guide and talus pin guide in addition with the volume of bone cutting in tibia to perform the total ankle replacement surgery. The block provides the surgeon by the size of implant and optimum length of the screws. The block can coupling with the other conventional tool in easy plugging method with give a wide range of varieties to the surgeon to preform and detect a correct position of the prosthesis in total ankle arthroplasty.