Patient-Specific Bone Graft Placement Guides for Mandible Reconstruction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current orthopedic implant technologies face challenges in creating patient-specific and mass-customized implants that accurately match individual bone anatomy, particularly for deformed, shattered, or missing bone structures, leading to suboptimal fit and functionality.
Innovation Solution
The method involves comparing patient-specific abnormal bone models with reconstructed models to optimize implant parameters, generating electronic design files, and fabricating customized implants using data from statistical atlases and imaging techniques like MRI, CT, and X-ray images, ensuring precise fit and functionality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If patient-specific abnormal bone models are compared with reconstructed models to optimize implant parameters, then manufacturing precision and fit accuracy are improved, but device complexity and data processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by creating reconstructed bone models that represent ideal anatomy before the actual implantation procedure. These pre-computed models serve as templates for optimizing implant parameters, allowing the system to determine the best fit and orientation in advance, thereby improving manufacturing precision without adding complexity to the surgical procedure itself
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates simplified digital copies (reconstructed models) of the patient's bone anatomy that capture the essential geometric features needed for implant planning. These copied models can be manipulated and compared with implant designs without requiring complex real-time processing of the actual patient anatomy, thus improving fit accuracy while managing system complexity
2Adaptability or versatility
If customized implants are fabricated using statistical atlas data and imaging techniques, then adaptability to individual anatomy is improved, but productivity and manufacturing time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses statistical atlas data that represents a universal database of bone anatomy from multiple patients. This universal data structure can be applied to any individual patient case, allowing the same framework and algorithms to handle diverse anatomical variations. The multi-functional nature of the statistical atlas enables adaptability to individual anatomy while maintaining consistent manufacturing processes that preserve productivity
Solution Approach 2:
The invention optimizes implant parameters by comparing patient-specific models with reconstructed models, automatically adjusting size, shape, and orientation parameters to achieve the best fit. This automated parameter optimization reduces manual customization time and streamlines the manufacturing process, thereby improving adaptability without significantly increasing fabrication time
3Reliability
If complete bone reconstruction is performed for deformed or shattered bones, then reliability of implant placement is improved, but measurement precision requirements and data processing increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces reconstructed bone models as intermediary representations between the patient's actual deformed anatomy and the implant design. These intermediary models fill in missing or deformed portions of the bone by referencing statistical atlas data, providing a complete geometric framework for reliable implant placement without requiring ultra-precise measurement of the damaged bone regions themselves
Data Source
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AI summary
A method of designing one or more bone graft placement guides. The bone graft placement guides are patient-specific and conform to the anatomy of the patient (both donor bone and residual bone to which the donor bone is mounted) to ensure correct placement of the bone graft with respect to the residual bone. In exemplary form, the bone graft placement guide is configured for a mandible bone reconstructive procedure. In order to design the bone graft placement guides, the software utilizes the virtual 3D model of the excised bone applied to the virtual 3D model of the patient's abnormal anatomy to construct a hybrid model. Using this hybrid model, joints are identified where the bone graft will interface with (and hopefully join via bone growth) the adjacent residual bone.At these joints, depending upon various factors, such as surgeon preference, the system identifies bone graft plate locations and, for each plate, one or more guides to facilitate correct placement and securing of the plates to the bone graft and residual bone.