Bone Plate Flange for Fracture Reduction and Fixation

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for treating bone fractures, such as casts and traditional surgical nails, screws, and plates, are cumbersome, often fail to provide adequate internal fixation, leading to pain, deformity, and prolonged disability, especially in complex fractures like distal radius fractures.

Innovation Solution

A bone plate system comprising a primary and secondary bone plate with a flange member that can be coupled together to stabilize and align fractured bone fragments, allowing for precise reduction and fixation of bone fractures, even in challenging anatomical locations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If traditional surgical nails, screws, plates, and wires are used for bone fracture treatment, then internal fixation is provided, but the devices are hard to apply, not easily manipulated for reducing and fixing bone in correct alignment, and not suited for reducing displaced fragments

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of application and manipulationVSAvoidadequacy of internal fixation

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The bone plate is divided into multiple segments including a proximal segment, distal segment, and intercalating portion that can be independently manipulated. The flange member is separable from the elongate body, allowing the flange to be inserted into the bone fragment while the plate body is positioned along the bone shaft, enabling step-by-step reduction and fixation of displaced fragments

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The bone plate system allows dynamic manipulation during surgery - the flange member can be flexibly positioned and secured at different locations along the bone fragment, and the intercalating portion can be adjusted to accommodate varying fracture patterns, enabling the surgeon to adapt the fixation approach to specific anatomical requirements

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Reliability

If casts are used for bone fracture treatment, then immobilization is provided, but the casts are big, bulky and usually only allow a small degree of motion of associated joints

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveadequacy of immobilizationVSAvoidmobility of associated joints

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The internal fixation function is extracted from the external cast system and integrated directly into the bone plate. The plate provides structural support and immobilization of the fracture site while allowing the cast to be removed entirely, eliminating the bulk and joint restriction problems of traditional casts

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The bone plate acts as an intermediary between the fracture site and the surrounding bone structure, providing precise internal fixation that eliminates the need for bulky external casts while maintaining adequate immobilization and allowing normal joint motion

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS8608783B2Bone plate with flange member and methods of use thereof

Publication Date: 2013.12.17 UPEX HLDG

AI summary

Aspects of the present disclosure include a bone plate and/or a bone plate system. The bone plate includes an elongate body, which elongate body includes a top and a bottom surface as well as a distal portion, a proximal portion, and an intercalating portion disposed between the distal and proximal portions. The elongate body also includes a flange member, which flange member is configured for contacting a bone portion, e.g., a fractured bone portion, so as to aid in the stabilization and correct anatomical reduction thereof.