Clavicle Bending Templates for Bone Plate Shaping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for fixing bone fractures, particularly with clavicle fractures, are inefficient due to the need for trial and error in bending bone plates to match the unique 'S' shape of each patient's clavicle, leading to prolonged surgery times for highly contoured bones.
Innovation Solution
A reference guide tool featuring a series of bone templates with distinct three-dimensional shapes that replicate various clavicles, allowing surgeons to select a template matching the patient's geometry and structurally modify a bone plate to achieve a precise fit, reducing the need for repeated bending and verification.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a surgeon uses trial and error method to bend a bone plate to fit a patient's clavicle, then the bone plate can be customized to match the unique 'S' shape of the patient's clavicle, but the surgery time is significantly prolonged
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-bending the bone plate in the laboratory or manufacturing setting before the surgery. The bone plate is pre-formed to match the patient's specific clavicle geometry obtained from pre-operative imaging, eliminating the need for time-consuming trial and error bending during the actual surgery.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses copying by creating a precise replica or digital model of the patient's specific clavicle geometry from pre-operative imaging data. This copy is then used to guide the pre-bending process, ensuring the bone plate perfectly matches the patient's anatomy without requiring multiple adjustments during surgery.
2Manufacturing precision
If a surgeon performs multiple iterations of bending and verifying fit for highly contoured bones, then the final fit can be accurate, but the surgical complexity and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The complex process of achieving accurate fit is moved to the pre-operative phase where there is no time pressure. The bone plate is pre-bent to the exact specifications needed, and the surgical team simply needs to verify and install the pre-formed plate, dramatically simplifying the intraoperative process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical trial-and-error bending process with computer-aided design and manufacturing techniques. Software algorithms automatically calculate the precise bending needed based on the patient's anatomy, and automated equipment performs the bending, eliminating the need for repeated manual adjustments.
3Productivity
If a standard bone plate is used without customization, then the surgery process is faster and simpler, but the plate does not match the unique geometry of the patient's clavicle
Solution Approach 1:
The customization process is performed in advance during the pre-operative planning phase. This allows the surgical team to work efficiently during the actual surgery with a pre-customized plate, combining the benefits of both customization and surgical efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by customizing only the specific portions of the bone plate that need to match the patient's anatomy, while maintaining standard features where customization is not needed. This selective customization optimizes both fit accuracy and surgical efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
A reference guide tool for conforming a bone plate can include a series of bone templates, each having a distinct three-dimensional shape that replicates portions of various clavicles. Each bone template of the series of bone templates can have a plate engaging surface that is configured to engage a bone plate and provide a reference for the bone plates during structural modification of the bone plate.