Bone Screw Blocking Element Wedge Design for Soft Tissue Insertion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bone screw systems face challenges in placement when soft tissue is present, as they often require insertion through the bone plate from above, which can be obstructed by soft tissue, limiting their applicability.
Innovation Solution
The design of a bone screw with a blocking element featuring a circumferential outside surface that widens in a wedge-shaped manner and a cannula for guiding, allowing insertion from below, along with a bone plate having dual receiving regions for variable-angle fixation in both directions, enabling insertion through the bone plate from either surface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If bone screws are inserted through the bone plate from above, then the insertion path is clear and straightforward, but soft tissue obstructs the placement when present
Solution Approach 1:
The bone screw is designed to be insertable from below the bone plate by inverting the traditional insertion approach. The blocking element at the distal end engages with the bone plate from the opposite side, allowing the screw to be driven upward through the bone rather than downward through the plate, thereby avoiding soft tissue obstruction.
Solution Approach 2:
The bone plate is designed with dual receiving regions that accept blocking elements from opposite directions (above and below the plate). This dimensional versatility allows surgeons to choose the insertion direction based on soft tissue location, transforming a single-direction limitation into a multi-directional solution.
2Device complexity
If a bone screw system is designed for insertion from above through the bone plate, then the design is simple and straightforward, but it limits applicability when soft tissue is present
Solution Approach 1:
The bone screw system achieves multi-functionality by enabling insertion from both above and below the bone plate. The blocking element and receiving region design allows the same screw and plate combination to adapt to different surgical scenarios, eliminating the need for separate designs for different insertion directions.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple bone plates are used to cover different insertion directions, then all surgical scenarios are covered, but the number of implants and device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The bone plate design merges the functionality of multiple direction-specific plates into a single universal plate. By incorporating receiving regions that accept blocking elements from opposite directions, the design consolidates what would traditionally require separate plates into one versatile implant, reducing the total number of implants needed.
Data Source
AI summary
A bone screw comprising a first end having an engagement contour for engaging with a tool to facilitate insertion or removal of the bone screw, and a blocking element is arranged at a second end thereof. The blocking element is provided with a circumferential outside surface which comprises at least one clamping surface which—when viewed in an azimuth plane perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the bone screw—widens outwardly in a wedge-shaped manner away from the longitudinal axis. The bone plate includes at least one opening which is at least partially delimited by an inside wall having an inner contour for receiving and fixing the blocking element of the bone screw. At least one bone screw and at least one bone plate together form a surgical set.