Compression Screw With Integral Wire Element For Bone Fragment Alignment

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing compression screws used for bone fractures lack ease of use and often require complex procedures involving pre-drilling and wire elements, leading to potential misalignment and increased risk of foreign body retention during bone fragment compression.

Innovation Solution

A compression screw with a wire element integrally connected via a predetermined breaking point, allowing for unified compression without the need for pre-drilling and enabling guided insertion and removal, reducing mechanical stress and foreign body formation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If a compression screw is used without a wire element, then the device complexity is reduced, but the guidance precision during screwing is deteriorated leading to misalignment risk

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructure complexityVSAvoidguidance precision
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The wire element and compression screw are merged into a single integrated component through integral connection. The wire element serves dual purposes: guiding the compression screw during insertion and acting as a predetermined breaking point for controlled separation. This integration eliminates the need for separate guidance mechanisms while maintaining alignment precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Manufacturing precision

If a cannulated compression screw with wire element is used, then the guidance precision is improved, but the device complexity and procedure complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveguidance precisionVSAvoidstructure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of using a cannulated structure with a separate wire element passed through, the invention merges the wire element directly into the compression screw body through integral connection. This eliminates the cannulated cavity requirement while maintaining the guidance function, thereby reducing structural complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The wire element in the integrated design serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as a guide element during insertion, provides a predetermined breaking point for controlled separation, and enables the compression screw to be used without pre-drilling. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional components.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Manufacturing precision

If pre-drilling and separate wire element insertion are required, then the guidance precision is improved, but the productivity and ease of operation are reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveguidance precisionVSAvoidsurgical efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The wire element is pre-integrated into the compression screw during manufacturing, eliminating the need for separate pre-drilling and wire insertion steps during surgery. The predetermined breaking point is also established in advance, allowing for controlled separation after compression is achieved.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The guidance function and compression function are combined into a single integrated component. The wire element and compression screw form one unified device that can be inserted directly without separate preparation steps, thereby improving surgical efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

4Strength

If the compression screw is designed with different thread pitches for compression, then the compression function is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecompression functionVSAvoidthread design complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Different sections of the compression screw shank are designed with different thread pitches to achieve compression at specific locations. The first area has a first thread with a first pitch, while the second area has a second thread with a second pitch, allowing controlled compression of bone fragments at different zones along the screw.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP1982665B1Compression screw with wire element
Publication Date: 2012.06.13 ZRINSKI AG
  • EP1982665B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP1982665B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP1982665B1 patent drawingFigure 3[A]~3[C]

AI summary

The compression screw (1) has a longitudinal extending aligned shank (2). The shank is divided into two parts. The first part (5) of the shank has a thread (7) and within the wider part (6) a second thread (8) is arranged. The threads have different upward gradients. At end of the screw, in screwing direction a wire element (10) is provided. The wire element is connected as a one-piece with the compression screw.