Bone Plate Apertures with Relief Notches for Angular Screw Insertion

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Solution Overview

Problem

Traditional orthopedic bone plates face challenges in securely aligning and fixing bone fragments due to their rigid design with fixed threaded holes, limiting the ability to accommodate unique bone fragment orientations and leading to potential damage from high tensile stresses.

Innovation Solution

The orthopedic bone plate system features complex locking screw apertures with relief notches, allowing the locking screw to alter its angular orientation by 'jumping' threads, increasing the range of possible insertion angles and providing a more secure compression fit between the bone plate and bone fragments.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If traditional bone plates with fixed threaded holes are used, then the bone plate structure is simple and rigid, but the ability to accommodate different bone fragment orientations is limited

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveability to accommodate bone fragment orientationsVSAvoidbone plate structure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The bone plate aperture is segmented into multiple thread columns (first, second, third thread columns) separated by relief notches, allowing the locking screw to engage with different thread columns at various angles. This segmentation enables the bone plate to accommodate multiple bone fragment orientations while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The bone plate design transitions from fixed, static threaded holes to a dynamic system where the locking screw can shift between different thread columns. The relief notches enable the screw to jump between thread columns, providing angular adjustment capability while the bone plate itself remains structurally simple and rigid.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Reliability

If locking screws are used to secure bone fragments, then the bone fragments are firmly fixed, but high tensile stresses are created that could damage fragile bone fragments

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebone fragment fixation stabilityVSAvoidtensile stress damage to bone fragments

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The bone plate applies compression locally at the aperture region where the locking screw engages with multiple thread columns. This localized compression helps distribute and reduce tensile stresses on the fragile bone fragments while maintaining firm fixation through the multi-column thread engagement.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Adaptability or versatility

If the locking screw is inserted at a fixed angle through pre-defined threaded holes, then the manufacturing is simple, but only bone fragments directly under the threaded aperture can be secured

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelocking screw insertion angle rangeVSAvoidbone plate manufacturing simplicity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The aperture is divided into multiple thread columns with relief notches between them, allowing the locking screw to engage with different columns at various angles. This segmentation provides angular versatility while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through a systematic thread column arrangement rather than complex curved paths.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The thread columns are pre-configured in the bone plate at different angular positions, allowing the surgeon to select the appropriate thread column based on the bone fragment orientation. This preliminary arrangement of thread columns provides angular adaptability without requiring complex real-time adjustments or custom manufacturing for each case.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS8337535B2Bone plate assembly

Publication Date: 2012.12.25 VIANT AS&O HLDG LLC

AI summary

The present invention relates to a bone plate designed to secure locking screws inserted into the plate at various angles. The interior wall surface of the plate apertures include a series of protruding threaded ridges interspaced by relief notches. The threaded ridges and intermediate relief notches of the bone plate in combination with the threaded ridges and intermediate relief notches of the locking screw head allow the locking screw to bypass or “jump” threads of the bone plate. Thus, the locking screw can be inserted into the bone plate at a first angle and part-way through its advancement along the threads of the bone plate that angle can be changed. The second angle can either be greater than the first with respect to an orientation perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the bone plate, or less than. This gives the physician a great amount of flexibility during a surgical procedure.