Bent Pulling Lug for Minimally Invasive Bone Fracture Reduction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional surgical instruments for closed reduction of bone fractures often damage surrounding bones due to misalignment of force direction, require larger incisions, and are not optimized for minimally invasive procedures, especially when dealing with multiple fracture fragments.

Innovation Solution

An apparatus with a pulling adaptor featuring a handle, insertion rod, and a bent pulling lug that can be inserted perpendicularly or inclined to facilitate stable fracture recovery through smaller incisions, allowing precise adjustment and minimization of force fluctuation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a hard surgical instrument is inserted into the depressed area to perform spreading or pulling operation, then the depressed bone can be recovered, but other surrounding bones may be damaged

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesafe recovery of depressed boneVSAvoiddamage to surrounding bones

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The instrument is divided into multiple functional segments: a handle for operator control, an insertion rod for access, and a pulling lug for force application. This segmentation allows the force application point (pulling lug) to be separated from the operator's hand, enabling precise positioning of the pulling force directly on the depressed bone fragment while isolating surrounding structures from harmful forces.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The pulling lug acts as an intermediary element that transmits pulling force from the insertion rod to the depressed bone fragment. Its bent configuration allows it to engage with the bone fragment and transmit force in the correct direction, mediating between the operator's linear pulling motion and the required directional force on the bone while protecting surrounding structures.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Force

If the direction of force for pulling out a bone differs from the direction of force of the surgical instrument, then it is difficult to smoothly transmit the force

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveforce transmission efficiencyVSAvoidsmooth force transmission

Core Design Contradiction:

ForceVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The pulling lug is designed with a bent configuration rather than a straight line. This curvature allows the pulling lug to redirect the pulling force from the insertion rod into the appropriate direction for bone fragment elevation. The bent shape acts as a mechanical lever that converts the operator's linear pulling motion into the required directional force on the depressed bone fragment, enabling smooth force transmission despite directional differences.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

3Ease of manufacture

If a linear hard instrument is used for pulling the depressed bone, then the operation can be performed, but the incision size cannot be minimized

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesimplicity of instrumentVSAvoidincision size

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSLength of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The pulling lug is integrated onto the insertion rod in a nested configuration, where the pulling lug extends from the insertion rod like a nested structure. This allows the entire instrument to be inserted through a small incision, with the pulling lug deployable within the body cavity to engage the bone fragment. The nested design minimizes the profile during insertion while providing sufficient functionality during the pulling operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

4Manufacturing precision

If conventional surgery instruments are used for multiple fracture fragments, then one fragment can be reduced, but remaining fragments may be more severed in parallagma

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvereduction accuracy of fracture fragmentVSAvoidintegrity of remaining fracture fragments

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The pulling lug is designed to apply force locally and precisely to the depressed bone fragment through its bent configuration that engages specifically with the target fragment. This localized force application allows accurate reduction of the engaged fragment while minimizing disturbance to adjacent fracture fragments, preserving their integrity for subsequent reduction steps.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS11583264B2Apparatus for closed reduction of bone fracture

Publication Date: 2023.02.21 THE ASAN FOUND

AI summary

The present disclosure relates to an apparatus for closed reduction of a bone fracture. The apparatus includes at least: a pulling adaptor including: a handle configured to be gripped by an operator; an insertion rod that is extended from the handle in a longitudinal direction of the handle, and configured to be inserted into the bone fracture which is depressed in at least one area thereof; and a pulling lug that is bent and extended from an end of the insertion rod such that a longitudinal direction of the pulling lug is perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the insertion rod or such that the pulling lug is inclined with respect to the insertion rod, the pulling lug being configured to be inserted into the at least one depressed area of the bone fracture, in order to pull the bone fracture.