Self-Cutting Bone Screw Tip for Stable Angled Insertion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bone screws face challenges in accurately inserting at chosen entry points, often requiring additional instruments and risking turning or skiving out of the entry point, especially in shorter screw lengths, which compromises fixation potential.
Innovation Solution
The bone screw design features an elongate shank with a conical distal tip and cutting edges along the distal facing surface, allowing it to cut its own path into bone at various angles without additional instruments, ensuring secure fixation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a self-tapping bone screw is used to create its own thread path, then the need for separate drilling and tapping operations is eliminated, but the risk of buckling or bending during insertion increases
Solution Approach 1:
The screw tip is segmented into multiple cutting edges (at least two) arranged circumferentially around the central axis. This segmentation allows the tip to cut bone effectively while distributing cutting forces, preventing buckling or bending during insertion.
Solution Approach 2:
The screw features localized cutting edges at the tip region while the shaft maintains thread structures. This local differentiation allows the tip to perform cutting function without compromising the overall structural integrity and stability of the screw body during insertion.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the distal facing surface is made flat to reduce insertion trauma, then soft tissue damage is minimized, but the ability to cut bone effectively is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The distal facing surface is segmented into multiple cutting edges (at least two) positioned at different angular locations. This segmentation enables effective bone cutting while the overall flat surface configuration minimizes soft tissue trauma during insertion.
Solution Approach 2:
The cutting edges are localized to specific regions of the distal facing surface, concentrating bone-cutting capability where needed while maintaining a generally flat surface that reduces soft tissue damage. The cutting edges can be positioned to optimize both cutting performance and tissue preservation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The design enables efficient insertion and secure anchoring of bone screws in bone, minimizing torque and downward force requirements, even at extreme angles, while maintaining fixation integrity.
Implementation Method 1
The cutting edges can be configured to cut bone as the bone screw is rotated into bone, thereby forming a path for the threads
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 1C~1D
Figure 1E~1F
AI summary
Various bone screws configured to be implanted into bone and methods of use are provided. In an exemplary embodiment, a bone screw (100) is provided with an elongate shank (102) having at least two threads (130) thereon, and having a distal facing surface (115) with at least two cutting edges (122). The cutting edges can be configured to cut bone as the bone screw is rotated into bone, thereby forming a path for the threads.