Cannulated Drill Guide for Hook Plate Fixation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current bone fracture fixation techniques, such as plates and screws, struggle with securing small terminal fragments near the end of bones, particularly in areas like the distal radius, due to limited space and risk of disrupting the ankle joint, leading to instability and potential dislocation.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a cannulated multiple-barreled drill guide and a cannulated inserter/impactor that uses a guide pin to accurately position and secure hook plates with intra-osseous 'teeth' for optimal fixation, reducing the risk of improper placement and enhancing stability by allowing for precise drilling and impaction of pilot holes before removing the guide pin.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If standard plate and screw fixation is used for small terminal fragments, then the fracture can be secured with available bone area, but inadequate room exists for more than one or two screws and screws cannot be placed through both cortices
Solution Approach 1:
The fixation system is segmented into a plate component and separate hook members that can be independently positioned and secured. The hook members are placed through the plate and engage the bone fragment, allowing fixation without requiring traditional screw placement through both cortices. This segmentation enables adaptation to limited bone areas where standard screw fixation is not feasible.
Solution Approach 2:
The hook members serve as intermediary elements between the plate and the bone fragment. Instead of directly securing the plate to the bone fragment with screws, the hook members mediate the connection by engaging the bone fragment and passing through the plate, providing reliable fixation in areas with limited bone availability.
2Strength
If thick implants are used to provide sufficient material for internal threads, then secure locking of peg to plate is achieved, but irritation and rupture of important tendons and other vital structures may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The plate is designed with varying thicknesses at different locations. Thinner sections are positioned in areas where tendons and vital structures are present to avoid irritation and rupture, while sufficient material thickness is maintained at locations requiring strong locking mechanisms. This local variation in thickness allows the plate to simultaneously achieve secure locking strength and avoid harmful effects on surrounding soft tissues.
3Reliability
If hook plates wrapping around the end of the bone are used, then fixation of small terminal fragment is achieved, but no internal purchase of the fragment is obtained resulting in poor rotational stability
Solution Approach 1:
The fixation system is divided into a plate component and separate hook members. The hook members are inserted through the plate and engage the bone fragment internally, providing internal purchase that prevents rotational movement. This segmentation allows the plate to wrap around the bone end for fragment fixation while the hook members simultaneously provide internal purchase for rotational stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The hook members act as intermediary elements that provide internal purchase of the bone fragment. By engaging the fragment internally and passing through the plate, they mediate between the plate and fragment to achieve both fixation and rotational stability, overcoming the limitation of plates that only wrap around the bone end.
4Manufacturing precision
If multiple separate drilling and positioning steps are performed, then accurate placement of hook plate can be achieved, but procedural time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The drilling guide combines multiple functions into a single device: it simultaneously guides drilling of pilot holes, positioning of the plate, and placement of the hook members. By merging these separate steps into one integrated tool, the system achieves accurate hook plate placement while significantly reducing procedural time compared to performing each step separately.
Solution Approach 2:
The drilling guide is designed as a multi-functional device that performs multiple operations: guiding pilot hole drilling, positioning the plate accurately, and facilitating hook member insertion. This universality allows a single device to accomplish what would otherwise require multiple separate tools and steps, thereby maintaining precision while reducing overall procedural time.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for assisting a surgeon in implanting hook plate-type bone plates includes a cannulated multiple barreled drill guide, a cannulated inserter/impactor, and a cannulated fastener coupling the inserter/impactor to a bone plate. The multiple barreled drill guide facilitates the drilling of at least two parallel holes at the distal end of a bone at the correct position and angle of entry, and includes a body and two drill guide channels coupled to the body in substantially parallel orientation relative to each other, with a guide pin aperture disposed between and substantially parallel to the drill guide tubes. The inserter/impactor likewise includes a central channel accommodating the same guide pin employed to place and align the multiple barreled drill guide.