Biplanar Clavicle Fixation Plate for Stiffness and Fragment Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bone fracture fixation technologies, particularly for clavicle fractures, face challenges in achieving stable reduction and fixation of comminuted fractures due to the difficulty in aligning bone fragments, inadequate bending and torsional stiffness of current plates, and potential devascularization, leading to non-union or malunion and prolonged disability.
Innovation Solution
A biplanar bone reduction and fixation plate with an L-shaped profile, allowing screws to be inserted at right angles, providing increased bending and torsional stiffness, and featuring a lag window for comminuted fragments, while maintaining a thin profile and minimizing devascularization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a monoplanar plate is used for fixation, then the plate can be manufactured with standard thickness, but the bending and torsional stiffness is insufficient to allow early mobilization
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a monoplanar (2D) plate design to a biplanar (3D) plate structure with two surfaces oriented at approximately 90 degrees to each other. This dimensional change allows the plate to achieve superior bending and torsional stiffness by creating a three-dimensional framework that resists multiple方向的 forces simultaneously, enabling early shoulder mobilization while maintaining structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The plate is divided into two distinct planar surfaces (first surface and second surface) that are oriented at approximately 90 degrees to each other. Each surface can be independently optimized for its specific function - one surface provides bending stiffness while the other provides torsional stiffness - allowing the overall structure to achieve high mechanical strength without excessive complexity.
2Strength
If the plate thickness is increased to provide required strength, then bending and torsional stiffness improves, but the plate becomes uncomfortable for the patient and more complex
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of increasing plate thickness in a single plane, the invention uses a biplanar configuration where two thinner plates are oriented at 90 degrees to each other. This dimensional approach provides the required bending and torsional stiffness through geometric arrangement rather than material thickness, keeping the individual plate elements thin and comfortable against the patient's skin while achieving the necessary mechanical strength through their three-dimensional configuration.
3Ease of operation
If a superior plate fixation is used, then bone fragment reduction is easier, but the plate is weak in bending stiffness and does not allow early mobilization
Solution Approach 1:
The plate structure is segmented into two functional surfaces: the first surface is optimized for bone fragment reduction and fixation, while the second surface provides enhanced bending stiffness. This segmentation allows each surface to be independently designed for its specific purpose, combining the ease of fragment reduction with the strength needed for early mobilization.
Solution Approach 2:
By adding a second planar surface at 90 degrees to the first surface, the plate gains bending stiffness in a direction perpendicular to the first surface. This dimensional addition does not interfere with the bone fragment reduction capability of the first surface while providing the necessary mechanical strength to allow early shoulder mobilization.
4Strength
If an anteroinferior plate fixation is used, then bending stiffness is improved, but it is extremely technically difficult to accurately reduce clavicle bone fractures
Solution Approach 1:
The biplanar plate segments the fixation function into two surfaces: the first surface provides bending stiffness and structural support, while the second surface, oriented at 90 degrees, provides a working plane for accurate fracture reduction. This segmentation allows the plate to maintain high bending stiffness while providing a convenient surface for precise fragment alignment and reduction.
5Strength
If a thick plate is used to provide required strength, then stiffness improves, but the plate is palpable through the skin and requires removal
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses a biplanar configuration where two thin surfaces are oriented at 90 degrees to each other. This three-dimensional arrangement provides the required structural strength through geometric configuration rather than increasing individual plate thickness. The thin profile of each surface keeps the overall implant comfortable against the skin and not palpable, eliminating the need for removal while maintaining the necessary mechanical strength.
Data Source
AI summary
A bone reduction and fixation device (1, 70) comprises an elongated biplanar plate along most of its length having an L-shaped profile defined by a first plate surface (3A, 4A) and one or more second plates (3B, 4B), in which the first and second plates comprise a plurality of countersunk holes (8) configured for receipt of bone-fixing screws (10). The biplanar plate comprises two biplanar L-shaped end sections (3, 4) defined by end parts of the first plate and second end plates, and a monoplanar central section (2) defined by a central part of the first plate, in which the central part of the first plate has a thickness greater than the end parts. The L-shaped end sections help guide bone fragments into correct alignment and hold the alignment while the surgeon adjusts one of or both of the fragments laterally and medially to reduce the fragments. The L-shaped profile of the plate also provides for greater bending and torsional stiffness, allowing the plate to have a reduced thickness.