Sterile Cartilage Implant Plug Kit With Precision Instrument Set
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current osteochondral allograft transplantation surgeries lack the precision and simplicity in selecting specifically-sized allograft plugs and corresponding surgical tools, which can affect the accuracy and effectiveness of cartilage repair.
Innovation Solution
A sterile graft plug kit and instrument kit are provided, comprising grafts with varying diameters and lengths, each with a cartilage layer matching the existing cartilage thickness, and instruments like a graft inserter, guidewire, reamer, and size gauge, designed for precise implantation into osteochondral defects.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If multiple specifically-sized allograft plugs and corresponding surgical tools are provided in a kit, then the accuracy and simplicity of osteochondral allograft transplantation surgeries is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The kit is segmented into multiple specifically-sized allograft plugs (different diameters and lengths) and corresponding surgical tools, allowing surgeons to select the precise size needed for each defect. This segmentation enables accurate matching of graft dimensions to osteochondral defects while organizing complexity into manageable, pre-configured size sets.
Solution Approach 2:
The kit provides a universal solution for treating osteochondral defects of various sizes by including multiple graft plug sizes and corresponding instruments in a single comprehensive package. This multi-functional approach allows the same kit to address different defect dimensions without requiring separate tool sets for each size category.
2Reliability
If the cartilage layer thickness is matched to existing cartilage at implant location, then the integration and healing of the graft is improved, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
Each allograft plug is manufactured with a cartilage layer thickness specifically tailored to match the existing cartilage at the intended implant location. This local quality approach ensures that the graft integrates seamlessly with surrounding tissue by providing the precise thickness needed at each specific implant site, rather than using uniform thickness for all grafts.
Solution Approach 2:
The cartilage layer thickness parameter is varied across different graft plugs to match the specific requirements of different implant locations. By changing this critical parameter based on the target site's existing cartilage characteristics, the graft achieves optimal integration and healing while maintaining manufacturing precision through controlled variation.
3Productivity
If surface features are added to the bone portion to encourage bone tissue growth, then the incorporation rate of the graft is accelerated, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The bone portion of each allograft plug incorporates porous surface features that encourage bone tissue ingrowth and accelerate graft incorporation. These porous structures provide a framework for osteoconduction, allowing patient bone tissue to grow into the graft more rapidly while the manufacturing process controls the pore structure to achieve this biological enhancement.
Solution Approach 2:
The surface features on the bone portion are designed to skip or rush through the natural healing process by providing pre-formed pathways and structures that accelerate bone tissue growth into the graft. This reduces the time required for graft incorporation while the manufacturing process efficiently creates these growth-promoting features.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus and a method are provided for performing cartilage graft implant surgeries. The apparatus comprises a graft plug kit comprising one or more grafts configured to treat osteochondral defects in various bone joint locations in a patient's body. Each of the grafts comprises a cartilage layer coupled with a bone portion. The cartilage layer comprises a thickness selected to closely match the thickness of existing cartilage at an implant location. The bone portion comprises surface features configured to encourage the patient's bone tissue to grow into the bone portion, thereby accelerating incorporation of the graft into the patient's bone. An instrument kit comprises a multiplicity of instruments configured for implantation of the grafts into the patient's body, including at least a graft inserter, a guidewire, a reamer, and a size gauge.