Basal Joint Implant Assembly With Suture Sling Stabilization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing trapeziectomy methods for treating basal joint arthritis are lengthy, require extensive incisions, have high recovery times, and can lead to complications such as subsidence and pin tract issues, while also being technically demanding and requiring tendon sacrifice.
Innovation Solution
A surgical implant assembly comprising deformable anchor bodies and sutures that are passed through bone tunnels to create a sling structure, allowing for secure anchoring and stabilization of the basal joint, reducing the need for extensive incisions and tendon sacrifice.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional trapeziectomy with tendon sacrifice is used, then pain relief is achieved, but surgical procedure becomes lengthy and recovery time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The implant assembly is divided into separate components (anchor, sling, suture) that can be independently inserted and positioned, eliminating the need for extensive dissection and tendon sacrifice while achieving stable fixation and pain relief
Solution Approach 2:
The anchor and sling are pre-assembled as a complete functional unit before surgery, allowing for rapid deployment through minimal incisions and reducing overall surgical time and recovery period
2Stability of the object's composition
If traditional trapeziectomy with pinning is used, then joint stability is achieved, but pin tract complications and subsidence occur
Solution Approach 1:
The sling acts as an intermediary soft tissue structure that distributes load across the joint space and anchors the metacarpals together, eliminating the need for rigid pins that cause pin tract complications and subsidence while maintaining joint stability
Solution Approach 2:
The sling is constructed as a flexible soft tissue implant that can adapt to the joint anatomy and distribute mechanical loads, avoiding the rigid pin fixation that leads to complications while providing adequate stability
3Stability of the object's composition
If ligament reconstruction is performed to restore function, then joint alignment and stability are improved, but surgical complexity and procedure time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The implant assembly serves multiple functions simultaneously - it reconstructs the ligamentous support, maintains joint alignment, and provides stabilization through a single integrated device, eliminating the need for separate reconstruction procedures and reducing surgical complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The anchor and sling are combined into a single functional unit that performs both ligament reconstruction and joint stabilization functions, simplifying the surgical procedure while achieving the same clinical outcomes as separate reconstruction steps
Data Source
AI summary
A surgical implant assembly comprising: first and second anchor bodies adapted to engage respective metacarpal bone surfaces of first and second metacarpal bones, a primary suture having a suture length extending between first and second terminal segments of the primary suture, the suture length of the primary suture comprising a first suture segment that passes through the first anchor body and a second suture segment passing through the second anchor body with a bridging segment of the primary suture extending between the first and second suture segments of the primary suture wherein the first suture segment lies in between the bridging segment and the first terminal segment and wherein the second suture segment lies in between the bridging segment and the second terminal segment; a secondary suture having a suture length extending between first and second terminal segments of the secondary suture, the secondary suture comprising a secondary suture segment being passed through the first anchor body, the secondary suture segment being located between the first and second terminal segments of the secondary suture and wherein no portion of the secondary suture passes through the second anchor body.