Bio-absorbable Toe Splint with Nested Guide Wire
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for treating hammertoes and other toe deformities, such as Kirschner wire fixation and absorbable implants, result in prolonged immobilization and require bone removal, limiting patient functionality and having drawbacks like wire protrusion and bone loss.
Innovation Solution
A bio-absorbable tube with a guide wire is implanted into the toe, allowing for joint arthrolysis without protruding wires, using a surgical procedure that includes drilling, shaping, and inserting the tube and guide wire to correct toe deformity, which can be selectively broken after healing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If Kirschner wire fixation is used to treat hammertoes, then the toe can be immobilized for healing, but the wire protrudes from the toe requiring protective devices and prolonged incapacity
Solution Approach 1:
The Kirschner wire is inserted inside the hollow nail implant, with the distal end of the wire extending through the nail. This nested configuration allows the wire to provide internal immobilization while the nail covers the protruding wire end, eliminating the need for external protective devices and restoring patient functionality during the healing period.
2Ease of manufacture
If absorbable implant is used to correct toe deformity, then wire removal is unnecessary, but substantial bone removal is required and the implant lacks cannulation for guide wire use
Solution Approach 1:
The solution separates the functions of the nail implant and the fixation wire. The hollow nail serves as both the corrective implant and the protective covering, while the Kirschner wire provides the fixation function. This segmentation allows the nail to be inserted first, followed by the wire through the nail's hollow interior, eliminating the need for substantial bone removal while maintaining cannulation capability.
3Reliability
If traditional arthrodesis or Hohmann operation is performed, then joint stability is achieved, but 6 to 8 weeks of immobilization is required
Solution Approach 1:
The hollow nail implant provides dynamic stabilization that allows for earlier mobilization compared to traditional arthrodesis. The nail's structural design maintains joint stability while permitting controlled movement, reducing the immobilization period from 6-8 weeks to a shorter duration, thereby decreasing loss of time while maintaining joint stability.
Data Source
AI summary
A device for temporarily splinting toes, especially for the treatment of hammertoes and other defective positions of toes, consisting of a tube composed of a bio-absorbable material and a guide wire. The tube has an inner diameter of d, whereas the guide wire has an external diameter D, such that D<d. The device enables contact between the ball of the toe and the floor to be reestablished.