Bone Plate Aiming Guide for Minimally Invasive Fracture Fixation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bone plating systems for treating fractures, particularly in the distal femur, require large incisions that can lead to excessive soft tissue stripping and wound complications, and there is a need for improved systems that facilitate accurate and minimally invasive surgical approaches.
Innovation Solution
A bone stabilization system comprising a bone plate with a proximal portion, shaft, and distal portion, featuring fixed and polyaxial locking holes, and an aiming guide system with an aiming arm and connection assembly for precise alignment and fixation, allowing for minimally invasive surgery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If full open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) of distal femur plates is used, then fracture fixation is achieved, but incision length increases and soft tissue stripping becomes excessive
Solution Approach 1:
The plate is divided into distinct sections: a proximal portion with a tapered tip for minimally invasive insertion, a shaft with fixation holes, and a distal portion with elevated posterior side for anatomical fitting. This segmentation allows different portions of the plate to serve different functions - the tapered proximal portion enables small incision insertion while the distal portion provides stable fixation
Solution Approach 2:
The tapered tip acts as an intermediary element that facilitates minimally invasive insertion of the plate through small incisions. The tapered geometry allows the plate to be inserted through a small proximal incision and advanced to the distal femur without requiring a large incision spanning the entire femur length
2Object-affected harmful factors
If lateral distal femur plates are inserted with an aiming guide assembly, then minimally invasive approach is achieved, but the guide system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The aiming guide assembly is designed to align with the natural anatomy of the distal femur, with the connection interface positioned at the elevated posterior side of the distal portion. This anatomical alignment creates an equipotential relationship where the guide naturally follows the bone's geometry, simplifying the positioning process and reducing the complexity of achieving proper alignment
Data Source
AI summary
An aiming guide system configured for connection to a bone plate including an aiming arm and a connection assembly. The aiming arm has a rigid body extending from a proximal end to a distal end with a plurality of aiming holes defined through the rigid body between the proximal end and the distal end thereof. The distal end defines an attachment slot through the body. The connection assembly is configured to engage an attachment screw hole of the bone plate and the attachment slot such that the aiming arm is fixed in position relative to the bone plate with each of the aiming holes aligned with a respective hole along the bone plate.