Biodegradable Bone Implant for Jaw Misalignment Correction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current bone implant techniques for correcting jaw misalignment are aesthetically unsatisfactory due to visible external fixation, require a second surgical procedure for removal, and depend heavily on the surgeon's skill for alignment adjustment during surgery.
Innovation Solution
A bone implant designed as a filler with a geometry that enforces predetermined alignment between bone sections, inserted internally to correct misalignment, using biodegradable materials and a manufacturing method that allows for individual customization and internal fixation, allowing the implant to be replaced by natural bone during healing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If external fixation plates and screws are used to correct jaw misalignment, then the bone sections can be fixed in the desired position, but the fixation becomes visible in the face affecting aesthetics and requires a second surgical procedure for removal
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the harmful external fixation elements (plates and screws) from the system by using an internal filler implant that achieves stabilization without requiring external attachment hardware. The filler implant is inserted internally into the jawbone, eliminating visible external fixtures and the need for their subsequent removal.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of fixing bone sections from the outside using plates and screws, the invention inverts the approach by inserting a filler implant from the inside of the jawbone. This internal insertion method achieves the same stabilization effect while avoiding external visibility and the need for removal surgery.
2Ease of operation
If alignment adjustment is performed manually during surgery using slots and sliders, then the bone sections can be positioned relative to one another, but the success of the operation depends heavily on the surgeon's skill
Solution Approach 1:
The alignment configuration is predetermined and pre-configured in the filler implant design itself. The implant includes internal structures that enforce the desired alignment between bone sections automatically upon insertion, eliminating the need for manual adjustment during surgery and reducing dependence on surgeon skill while maintaining precision.
3Reliability
If a filler implant is used to maintain spacing between bone sections, then alignment can be enforced, but the implant needs to be replaceable by natural bone during healing
Solution Approach 1:
The filler implant is made from biodegradable materials whose mechanical and physical properties change over time. The material gradually degrades and is resorbed by the body during the healing process, transitioning from a load-bearing alignment-enforcing structure to being replaced by natural bone tissue, thus achieving both reliable alignment enforcement and temporary duration of action.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a bone implant (1) for correcting an incorrect position of a bone, the bone implant (1) having a first portion (2) for attachment to a first bone portion (3) of the bone and a second portion (4) for attachment to a second bone portion (5) of the bone, the bone implant (1) being prepared so that, when fixed to the bone, it orients the first bone portion (3) and the second bone portion (5) with respect to one another and keeps said portions at a distance from one another, the bone implant (1) having such a geometry and being adapted such that the bone implant (1) can be inserted between the first bone portion (3) and the second bone portion (5) so as to force a predetermined orientation of the second bone portion (5) relative to the first bone portion (3). The invention also relates to a method for producing such a bone implant (1), in which method a geometry of the bone implant (1) is calculated in one step for correcting an incorrect position of a bone, the geometry is broken down into defined layers in a subsequent step, and then, in a subsequent step, the layers are produced, then stacked one on top of the other and connected to one another.