Ankle Replacement Tibial Positioning for Precise Bone Resection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ankle replacement systems face challenges in accurately sizing and resecting bones for implantation, leading to suboptimal fit and increased risk of implant failure due to misalignment and stress concentrations.
Innovation Solution
A position adjustment device with a tool holder locked to pins on the tibia, allowing precise adjustment in multiple directions to secure cutting and drilling tools, enabling accurate resectioning and trial placement of tibial and talar components for ankle replacement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If traditional ankle replacement systems are used without a position adjustment device, then the surgical procedure is simpler, but the manufacturing precision and alignment accuracy of the implant deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The position adjustment device is divided into multiple independent components: a base component that interfaces with the tibia, an adjustment mechanism with movable elements, and a tool holder component. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function while maintaining overall system precision without excessive complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The device incorporates adjustable and movable components that allow dynamic positioning during surgery. The adjustment mechanism enables the tool holder to be positioned at multiple locations and orientations, providing the necessary precision for bone resection while adapting to anatomical variations.
2Measurement precision
If a position adjustment device with multiple adjustment capabilities is used, then the alignment accuracy and fit of the implant improve, but the device complexity and surgical time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The position adjustment device allows pre-planning and pre-positioning of the implant before actual bone resection. The surgeon can adjust the tool holder to the desired position and orientation, verify alignment, and then proceed with confident resection, reducing the need for time-consuming adjustments during the critical resection phase.
Solution Approach 2:
The device serves multiple functions: it acts as a positioning reference, an alignment guide, and a tool holder. This multi-functionality consolidates several surgical tasks into a single device, reducing the number of separate instruments needed and potentially reducing overall surgical time despite the added adjustment capabilities.
3Reliability
If precise bone resection is performed using the position adjustment device, then the implant stability and reliability improve, but the surgical procedure complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The position adjustment device acts as an intermediary between the surgeon's planning and the actual bone resection. It provides a stable reference framework that translates surgical plans into precise physical actions, ensuring implant stability without requiring the surgeon to directly manage complex resection measurements during the procedure.
Data Source
AI summary
A position adjustment device having a tool holder is locked to at least two pins projecting from respective anterior facing locations near a distal end of a tibia of a patient. The position adjustment device is adjusted. The position adjustment device is locked with the tool holder at first coordinates in the proximal-distal and medial-lateral directions. The distal end of the tibia is resectioned with a tool positioned on the tool holder, while the tool holder is in the first coordinates in the proximal-distal and medial-lateral directions. The tool is removed from the tool holder. A tibia trial is placed on the resectioned tibia using the tool holder, while the tool holder is in the first coordinates in the proximal-distal and medial-lateral directions. The tibia trial has a size and shape of a tibial tray of an ankle replacement system.