Bone Plate Suture Anchoring via Inverted Wire Loops
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional bone plates with suture-receiving holes positioned on the lower surface make it difficult to pass sutures through after the plate is anchored to the bone, as the bone surface impedes access to these holes.
Innovation Solution
The bone plate design features suture-receiving structures such as wire loops, cleats, and oblique holes that project from the upper surface or boundary edge, with wire-receiving troughs on the lower surface to secure the wire in place, allowing easy suture passage and anchoring of tendons or ligaments without interference from the bone surface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If suture-receiving holes are positioned on the lower surface of the bone plate, then the bone plate can be anchored to the bone, but it becomes difficult to pass sutures through after the plate is anchored due to bone surface interference
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of placing suture-receiving holes on the lower surface (bone-facing side) as in conventional designs, the patent inverts the approach by positioning wire loops and suture-receiving structures on the upper surface of the bone plate. This inversion eliminates the bone surface interference problem, allowing easy suture passage while maintaining secure anchoring capability through the wire-receiving troughs on the lower surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from two-dimensional hole structures to three-dimensional wire loops that extend vertically from the upper surface. The wire-receiving troughs on the lower surface create a vertical dimension that guides and secures the wire, transforming the suture-receiving mechanism from a simple hole passage to a multi-dimensional anchoring system that prevents wire dislodgement.
2Ease of operation
If wire loops are used to receive sutures on the upper surface, then suture passage is facilitated, but wire movement must be prevented to ensure secure anchoring
Solution Approach 1:
The wire-receiving troughs act as intermediary structures between the wire loops on the upper surface and the bone plate body. These troughs extend vertically from the upper surface to the lower surface, providing a guiding pathway that secures the wire in place while allowing it to pass through the wire loops. This intermediary structure prevents wire dislodgement without interfering with suture passage through the loops.
Solution Approach 2:
The wire loops function as flexible anchoring elements that can accommodate suture passage while maintaining structural integrity. The loops are formed from wire that is sufficiently flexible to allow suture threading but rigid enough to maintain its shape and prevent collapse, providing a reliable suture-receiving mechanism.
Data Source
AI summary
A bone plate system is designed for use on a bone, which may be a humerus. The system includes an elongated bone plate extending along a longitudinal axis, the bone plate having an upper surface, an opposed bone-facing surface, and a boundary edge of the bone plate; and at least one threaded fastener hole extending from the upper surface to the bone-facing surface. The fastener holes are designed to receive a bone fastener to couple the bone plate to the bone. A plurality of first suture-receiving structures are connected with the bone plate and project from the boundary edge of the bone plate, so that the first suture-receiving structures are spaced from each another along the boundary edge of the bone plate. Each of the first suture-receiving structures comprises a wire loop anchored to the upper surface or to the bone-facing surface of the bone plate.