Bone Plate Combination Holes for Dynamic Compression
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional bone plate systems for fracture fixation lack efficient mechanisms for dynamic compression, particularly in achieving anatomical reduction and higher hole density, which can lead to poor alignment and longer healing times.
Innovation Solution
The design of bone plates with combination holes that include a locking hole intersected by a compression hole, where the intersecting geometries allow the bone plate to translate from the compression hole toward the locking hole when a compression screw is inserted eccentrically, providing dynamic compression and increased hole density.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional bone plate systems use separate locking holes and compression holes, then the plate can provide both locking and compression functions, but the plate length increases and hole density decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines locking hole and compression hole into a single combination hole structure. The locking hole and compression hole intersect within the same aperture, allowing both locking screws and compression screws to be inserted through the same hole. This merging eliminates the need for separate locking and compression holes, thereby reducing plate length and increasing hole density while maintaining both locking and compression functionalities.
Solution Approach 2:
The combination hole is designed to serve multiple functions: it can accommodate locking screws for plate-bone fixation, compression screws for dynamic compression, and variable-angle locking screws for angled fixation. The intersecting geometry of the locking hole and compression hole within the combination hole enables this multi-functionality, allowing a single hole to replace what would traditionally require multiple separate holes.
2Ease of operation
If conventional bone plate systems use traditional compression holes, then dynamic compression can be achieved, but the hole geometry is complex and alignment precision is difficult to control
Solution Approach 1:
The combination hole is segmented into distinct functional zones: a locking hole portion with cylindrical geometry for locking screw insertion, and a compression hole portion with ramp geometry for compression screw insertion. The intersecting geometry creates distinct regions within the combination hole, allowing each type of screw to be inserted along its optimal path while maintaining precise alignment control through the structured intersection of the two hole geometries.
3Adaptability or versatility
If variable-angle locking screws are used, then angular flexibility is improved, but the complexity of the hole geometry increases
Solution Approach 1:
The variable-angle locking hole geometry is merged with the compression hole geometry within the combination hole structure. The intersection of these two hole geometries creates a unified aperture that accommodates both standard locking screws and variable-angle locking screws, as well as compression screws. This merging reduces the overall number of holes required while providing angular flexibility through the variable-angle locking capability.
Data Source
AI summary
A bone plate includes a plate body defining an interior surface that defines a combination hole that includes intersecting locking and compression holes that each extend between outer and bone-facing surfaces of the plate body. A central axis of the compression hole is spaced from a central axis of the locking hole in an offset direction. A locking surface of the plate body defines the locking hole and at least one locking structure therein. A compression surface of the plate body defines the compression hole. An intersection boundary between the locking and compression surfaces is configured to translate the bone plate in the offset direction during contact between the intersection boundary and a head of a compression screw as it advances within the combination hole along an insertion axis offset from the central axis of the locking hole at an offset distance in a direction having a directional component in the offset direction.