Bone Plate Synchronized Thread for Screw Loosening
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Solution Overview
Problem
Bone screws often loosen during bone fracture healing, leading to complications, as existing solutions lack effective guidance and secure locking mechanisms when applied with bone plates.
Innovation Solution
A bone plate with a synchronized thread system, including a guiding portion and a blocking portion, and a targeting device that allows for guided insertion and secure locking of bone screws, ensuring proper orientation and prevention of unintended loosening.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a bone screw is fixed with a bone plate, then the bone fracture can be stabilized, but the bone screw may untighten or become loose during healing
Solution Approach 1:
The through opening is divided into two distinct portions: a guiding portion with a guiding thread for initial screw insertion and alignment, and a blocking portion with a blocking thread for final locking. This segmentation allows the screw to first be guided into position and then locked securely, preventing loosening while maintaining stabilization.
Solution Approach 2:
The blocking portion acts as an intermediary mechanism between the guiding portion and the screw head. The blocking thread engages with the screw head to prevent untightening, while the guiding thread ensures proper initial alignment. This intermediary blocking portion resolves the contradiction by providing both guidance and reliable locking.
2Reliability
If additional fixation plates or locking mechanisms are applied, then screw loosening is prevented, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The guiding and blocking functions are merged into a single through opening structure within the bone plate. The guiding portion and blocking portion are integrated into one component, eliminating the need for separate fixation plates or additional locking mechanisms. This merging achieves reliable screw locking while minimizing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The through opening serves multiple functions: the guiding portion provides guidance and alignment during screw insertion, while the blocking portion provides locking. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate guiding devices and locking mechanisms, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining reliability.
3Ease of operation
If a through opening is provided for screw insertion, then screw application is enabled, but precise guidance and blocking are difficult to achieve simultaneously
Solution Approach 1:
Different portions of the through opening are given different local qualities: the guiding portion has a guiding thread optimized for alignment and guidance, while the blocking portion has a blocking thread optimized for securing the screw head. This local differentiation enables both easy insertion and precise alignment/blocking to be achieved simultaneously within the same through opening.
Data Source
AI summary
A bone fixation system includes a bone plate and a bone screw having a threaded head. The inner surface of the bone plate is adapted for facing a bone surface on which the plate is mounted. The outer surface of the bone plate faces away from the bone surface. A through opening extends from the inner surface to the outer surface of the plate wherein the through opening comprises a guiding portion and a blocking portion. The guiding portion of the opening is provided with a guiding thread for guiding a thread of a shaft of the bone screw. The blocking portion is provided with a blocking thread for blocking a thread of the head of the bone screw. The blocking thread has a larger diameter than the guiding thread and the guiding portion is located closer to the inner bone plate surface than the blocking portion.