Bone Plate Screw Guide for Preloaded Fastener Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
The alignment and engagement of bone fasteners with bone plates in bone fixation processes, particularly during minimally invasive surgeries and with self-drilling screws, often result in issues such as burr generation, improper engagement, and inadequate securement, leading to complications like malunion or non-union of fractured bones.
Innovation Solution
A bone plating assembly featuring a guide body with a coupling mechanism that aligns and retains bone fasteners in a pre-loaded position, using a retention mechanism to ensure proper alignment and securement without relying on plate hole threads, and allowing manual counter-torque during insertion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a self-drilling screw is used to eliminate pre-drilling steps, then the number of process steps is reduced, but the difficulty of aligning and engaging the fastener with the plate hole increases
Solution Approach 1:
A guide body is introduced as an intermediary device between the self-drilling screw and the plate hole. The guide body includes a channel that receives the screw and a coupling mechanism that attaches to the plate, serving as a mediator to facilitate proper alignment without requiring pre-drilling
Solution Approach 2:
The guide body is prepared in advance with a channel positioned and oriented to match the intended screw trajectory. By pre-positioning the guide body on the plate before screw insertion, the alignment problem is solved beforehand, allowing straightforward screw engagement
2Device complexity
If manual alignment is performed without a guide mechanism, then the device complexity is reduced, but the manufacturing precision of fastener alignment deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The guide body acts as a precision intermediary that translates simple attachment actions into precise alignment outcomes. The channel within the guide body provides the precise geometric constraint needed for accurate screw positioning relative to the plate hole
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces complex manual alignment procedures with a simple mechanical coupling system. The coupling mechanism between the guide body and plate, combined with the channel geometry, automatically ensures precise alignment without requiring skilled manual manipulation
3Reliability
If the guide body uses a retention mechanism to hold the fastener, then the reliability of fastener retention is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The retention mechanism is designed to automatically engage and hold the fastener in place through the channel geometry itself. The channel walls or internal features of the guide body provide retention without requiring separate active retention components, making the system self-retaining
Solution Approach 2:
The retention function is merged with the channel structure of the guide body. Rather than being a separate mechanism, the retention capability is integrated into the channel design, combining alignment and retention functions in a single structural element
Data Source
AI summary
A screw guide for connecting to a bone plate includes a body having proximal and distal ends spaced from each other along a direction. The distal end has a coupling mechanism for coupling to the bone plate at an orientation. The body defines at least one channel that extends along a central axis and is configured to receive a bone fastener therein in a pre-loaded position. The coupling mechanism is configured such that the central axis substantially aligns with a central axis of a fastener hole of the bone plate when coupled to the bone plate at the orientation. The body has a retention mechanism at least partially located within the at least one channel and configured to apply a retention force to the bone fastener for retaining the bone fastener within the channel in the pre-loaded position.