Bicortical Step Drill for Aligned Bone Holes With Less Tissue Removal
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for bicortical bone boring and implant installation are inefficient, often requiring multiple drills or complicated procedures, which can lead to imperfect hole alignment and excessive cortical tissue removal.
Innovation Solution
A step drill with interchangeable boring portions, where a proximal portion efficiently bores a larger hole in one direction and a distal portion efficiently bores a smaller hole in the opposite direction, allowing for bicortical hole formation without over-complicating the procedure and minimizing cortical tissue removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If multiple drills or complicated procedures are used for bicortical bone boring, then hole formation can be achieved, but alignment precision deteriorates and cortical tissue removal increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple boring functions into a single drill bit by integrating a proximal boring portion and a distal boring portion with different diameters. This unified tool allows simultaneous formation of both the larger proximal hole and smaller distal hole in one operation, eliminating the need for multiple separate drills and procedures, thereby improving alignment precision while reducing procedural complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The drill bit is segmented into distinct functional portions: a proximal boring portion for creating the larger proximal hole and a distal boring portion for creating the smaller distal hole. Each portion is optimized for its specific function with appropriate diameter and geometry, allowing the tool to perform multiple specialized tasks in sequence during a single drilling operation
2Ease of manufacture
If multiple drills are used for bicortical boring, then hole formation is possible, but the surgical procedure becomes excessive and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
By merging the functions of multiple drills into a single multi-portion drill bit, the surgical procedure is simplified to a single drilling operation. This eliminates the need for multiple tool changes, setup adjustments, and sequential drilling steps, thereby reducing surgical time while maintaining ease of manufacture and implementation
3Loss of substance
If conventional drilling methods are used, then bone holes can be formed, but cortical tissue removal is excessive
Solution Approach 1:
The drill bit applies local quality by having different portions with different diameters optimized for specific locations: the proximal boring portion with larger diameter for the proximal hole, and the distal boring portion with smaller diameter for the distal hole. This localized optimization ensures that only the necessary amount of cortical tissue is removed at each location, preventing excessive tissue removal while maintaining high boring efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The drill bit performs preliminary action by pre-forming both the proximal and distal holes in a single integrated operation. The proximal and distal boring portions work in sequence during one drilling pass, preparing both cortical openings before implant insertion, thereby minimizing total tissue removal and maximizing procedural efficiency
Data Source
AI summary
Orthopedic systems and methods for installing an implant and/or boring a bone bicortically. The system may include a drill having a proximal boring portion configured to bore a larger hole in a bone more efficiently when the drill rotates in a first direction compared to an opposite second direction, and a distal boring portion configured to bore a smaller hole in the bone more efficiently when the drill rotates in the second direction. The implant may be configured to be implanted at least partially in the bone, such that a first region of the implant is located in the larger hole and a second region of the implant is located in the smaller hole. In an exemplary method, the larger hole and the smaller hole may be bored in the bone's near cortex and far cortex, respectively, by a shaft and a nose of the drill rotated in opposite directions.