Bone-Anchored Jaw Distraction Device With Articulated Retention Arms
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing jaw distraction devices, particularly those used for transverse expansion of the upper jaw, face challenges such as poor power transmission, risk of breakage, and difficulty in achieving even stretching due to the use of plastic components, and they often require lengthy wear and can lead to periodontal disease and misalignment of teeth.
Innovation Solution
A distraction device with a guide element featuring a central bar, side bars, and two independently actuable threaded rods, allowing for differential stretching in anterior and posterior palate areas, and a mechanism for articulating retention arms to the jaw or teeth to avoid non-transverse forces, enabling individualized and even jaw expansion without the need for impressions or dental laboratory models.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If tooth-borne distraction devices are used to expand the upper jaw, then the distraction can be achieved, but periodontal disease risk increases and teeth become loaded causing misalignment
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the distraction function from the teeth and relocates it to the palatal bones. The distractor is bone-fixed rather than tooth-borne, removing the harmful load from the teeth and periodontal structures while maintaining the jaw expansion capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces bone-anchored screws as an intermediary mechanism between the distractor and the jaw. Instead of directly loading the teeth, the force is transmitted through bone screws into the palatal bones, serving as a mediator that protects the teeth from harmful forces.
2Ease of manufacture
If plastic guide elements are used in distraction devices, then the device can be manufactured easily, but power transmission is poor and breakage risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention employs a composite construction where the guide element is made of metal (such as titanium or stainless steel) rather than plastic. This metal guide element provides superior strength, rigidity, and power transmission while still allowing for precise manufacturing and adaptation.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the material parameter of the guide element from plastic to metal, fundamentally altering its mechanical properties. This parameter change enables the guide element to withstand higher forces, transmit power effectively, and resist breakage while maintaining ease of manufacture through standard metalworking techniques.
3Reliability
If conventional distraction devices are used, then jaw expansion can be achieved, but even stretching is difficult due to rigid structure
Solution Approach 1:
The invention introduces articulation between the retention arms and the guide element, transforming the rigid structure into a dynamic, adaptable system. The retention arms can pivot and adjust to the specific anatomical geometry of the patient's palate, enabling even and controlled stretching while maintaining expansion capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention segments the retention arms from the guide element, allowing independent movement and adjustment of each retention arm. This segmentation enables the device to adapt to irregular palatal geometries and achieve more uniform force distribution across the expansion site.
4Reliability
If tooth-supported distractors are used, then distraction can be performed, but long wear time is required for bony stabilization
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the distraction function from the teeth and relocates it to the palatal bones. By anchoring the distractor directly to the bone rather than to teeth, the device achieves immediate bony stabilization, eliminating the need for prolonged tooth-borne support and reducing overall treatment time.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The device allows for precise and even expansion of the upper jaw, reducing the risk of periodontal disease and misalignment, enabling immediate continuation of orthodontic treatment, and can be adapted and inserted intraorally, reducing procedural time and costs.
Implementation Method 1
two threaded rods (20, 21), which can be actuated separately from one another, so that the stretching in the anterior and posterior palate areas can be set differently
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a distraction set comprising a device for distracting at least two bone segments in the jaw, facial, and skull region with a guide element (15; 55) having a central web (16; 56) and at least one perpendicularly extending side web (17, 17', 18, 18'; 57, 57') on each side of the central web (16, 56), with a first (20; 58) and a second (21; 59) threaded rod, wherein each threaded rod (20, 21; 58, 59) has two opposing threads (23, 23'), and with at least four retention bodies (25, 25', 26, 26'), wherein each retention body (25, 25', 26, 26') has a bore (31) with an internal thread (32) for receiving a screw thread (23, 23') of a threaded rod (20, 21) and each retention body (25, 25', 26, 26') has a further bore (30) through which a side web (17, 17', 18, 18` passes;57, 57') of the guide element (15, 55), and wherein by rotating the threaded rods (20, 21) the retention bodies (27, 27', 28, 28') connected to the threaded rod (20, 21) can be spread laterally outwards.;