Bone Tendon Clamping Instrument for Precise ACL Graft Trimming
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical techniques for ACL reconstruction lack a precise method to trim the bone tendon portion of a graft to fit correctly into a bone tunnel, often resulting in incorrect sizing due to manual trimming with a bone saw.
Innovation Solution
A bone clamping instrument with pivotally connected jaws forming a U-shaped trapezoidal receptacle is used to securely hold the bone tendon portion, providing a level cutting surface for precise trimming with a bone saw to match the depth of the receptacle, ensuring proper fit into the bone tunnel.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If manual trimming with a bone saw is used, then the surgeon has flexibility in operation, but the trimming precision is insufficient resulting in incorrect sizing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a bone clamp as an intermediary device between the surgeon and the bone tendon portion. The clamp provides a structured receptacle with predetermined dimensions that guides the bone saw cutting process, ensuring the trimmed bone tendon fits precisely into the bone tunnel while maintaining surgical flexibility
Solution Approach 2:
The bone clamp is designed with a receptacle having predetermined width and depth dimensions that match the bone tunnel specifications. By pre-establishing these dimensional constraints in the clamping device, the surgeon can achieve precise trimming without complex measurement procedures during the actual cutting operation
2Measurement precision
If hand trimming without instrument aid is performed, then the operation is simple, but the sizing accuracy is incorrect leading to improper fit
Solution Approach 1:
The bone clamp serves as a mediating instrument that translates the surgeon's simple clamping action into precise dimensional control. The receptacle structure provides built-in measurement references, eliminating the need for complex measurement procedures while ensuring accurate sizing of the bone tendon portion
Solution Approach 2:
The bone clamp's receptacle is designed with self-aligning features where the bone tendon portion naturally positions itself within the predetermined dimensional constraints. The structure itself provides the measurement reference, allowing the surgeon to achieve accurate sizing through simple insertion and clamping without additional measurement steps
Data Source
AI summary
An instrument for clamping and trimming the bone tendon portion of a graft to a desired size, comprising a pair of elongated handles each having jaws at one end; the handles being hinged together at a pivot point allowing the jaws to open and close in a scissor arrangement, the jaws defining a generally U-shaped trapezoidal receptacle when the jaws are closed about the bone tendon portion of the graft to be trimmed and the jaws comprising respective upper guide surfaces along their upper edges whereby, when a bone tendon portion is positioned in the U-shaped trapezoidal receptacle, the upper guide surfaces function as a guide for a blade of a saw to trim any excess portion of the bone tendon portion protruding above the upper guide surfaces.