Ball and Socket Toe Implant Resolves Fixation Infection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional surgical methods for correcting hammer toe and claw toe deformities, such as the use of K-wires, are associated with complications like pin tract infections, loss of fixation, migration, and breakage, necessitating multiple surgeries and requiring improved toe bone implants and correction methods.
Innovation Solution
The development of toe bone implants featuring a non-rigid construct with a ball and socket mechanism that allows for predetermined movement post-insertion, utilizing materials like polyethylene and stainless steel, and incorporating resorbable components to provide initial rigid fixation followed by flexible motion, reducing the need for multiple surgeries.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional K-wires are used for toe correction, then fixation is provided, but pin tract infections and loss of fixation occur
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the problematic external components (pins protruding through skin) while retaining the essential fixation function through internal implant structures that anchor within the bone without requiring percutaneous pins
Solution Approach 2:
The implant serves as an intermediary device that provides fixation through bone-anchored structures rather than skin-penetrating pins, mediating between the need for stable fixation and the need to avoid soft tissue complications
2Reliability
If K-wires are used for toe correction, then initial fixation is achieved, but migration and breakage occur requiring multiple surgeries
Solution Approach 1:
The implant incorporates a dynamic ball-and-socket mechanism that evolves over time, providing rigid fixation initially through the socket portion anchored in the proximal phalanx, then transitioning to allow controlled motion as healing progresses, thereby maintaining reliability throughout the entire healing duration
Solution Approach 2:
The implant's functional parameters change over time - initially providing rigid stabilization with the socket portion, then progressively allowing increased range of motion as the joint heals, adapting the fixation characteristics to match the healing timeline without requiring removal or replacement
3Stability of the object's composition
If rigid fixation is used for toe correction, then stability is provided, but flexibility and movement are restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The ball-and-socket mechanism provides dynamic adaptability, delivering rigid stability when needed during early healing while progressively permitting physiological motion ranges as the joint recovers, thus reconciling the contradiction between stability and flexibility across different healing phases
Solution Approach 2:
The implant is segmented into distinct functional components - the socket portion providing stable anchorage in the proximal phalanx and the ball portion allowing controlled motion in the distal phalanx, with the articulating interface between them enabling progressive restoration of joint flexibility while maintaining overall stability
Data Source
AI summary
A toe bone implant for correction of toe bone deformities is provided. The toe bone implant includes a first portion having a socket portion. The toe bone implant also includes a second portion having a ball portion operatively connected to the socket portion. The toe bone implant is implanted in a joint such that the ball portion is configured to rotate a predetermined amount respective to the socket portion.