Condylar Implant Assembly with Dilating Bands for Bone Stabilization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical solutions for supporting compromised bone structures, such as those affected by osteoporosis, are prone to destabilization as the bone structure weakens further, necessitating an improved device for stabilization of the condylar head of bones like the humerus and femur.
Innovation Solution
A condylar implant assembly with a tube having slots and a dilating member that expands through these slots to provide support, utilizing a set screw or similar driving device to compress the dilating member and extend bands for stabilization, which can be adjusted and removed as needed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If current surgical solutions (screws, pins, rods, plates, cement) are used to support compromised bone structures, then initial stabilization is achieved, but the devices are prone to destabilization as bone structure weakens further
Solution Approach 1:
The implant assembly incorporates a dilatable member that can be expanded from a compressed state within the insertion tube to an expanded state after insertion into the condylar head. This dynamic transformation allows the implant to adapt to changes in bone structure over time, providing progressive stabilization as the bone weakens further, thereby resolving the contradiction between initial stabilization and long-term stability.
2Ease of operation
If a dilatable member is compressed within an insertion tube for insertion, then minimally invasive insertion is enabled, but the bands cannot provide support until after insertion
Solution Approach 1:
The dilatable member with bands is nested within the insertion tube in a compressed state during insertion, enabling minimally invasive placement. After insertion into the condylar head, the dilatable member is expanded outward through the tube, deploying the bands to provide immediate stabilization support. This nesting principle resolves the contradiction by allowing the device to be inserted in a compact form while still providing full stabilization functionality after deployment.
3Reliability
If bands are extended through slots in the tube to provide support, then stabilization is achieved, but the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The stabilization function is segmented into multiple bands that can be independently extended through slots in the insertion tube. Each band can be extended to provide support at different locations within the condylar head, allowing targeted stabilization without requiring a completely complex overall structure. The segmented design enables effective stabilization while maintaining relative simplicity through modular functionality.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The implant assembly effectively stabilizes the condylar head of bones with compromised structures, providing adjustable support that can be maintained or removed, addressing the instability issues of existing solutions.
Implementation Method 1
The dilating member may have a proximal end, a distal end, a longitudinal axis parallel to the longitudinal length of the tube, and a plurality of bands extending along the longitudinal axis between the proximal end and the distal end, each of the plurality of bands movable through a corresponding one of the two or more slots of the tube when the dilating member is compressed between the driving device and the internal step of the tube
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosure generally relates to condylar implant assemblies and methods for inserting an implant assembly for supporting the condylar head of a bone. More particularly the disclosure relates to an implant assembly for use in support of the condyle of a humerus, femur, or other bones having a condyle comprising spongy bone. In some implementations, the implant assembly may be inserted into the head of the bone and bands of a dilating member of the implant assembly may be expanded through slots in a tube of the implant assembly for supporting the condylar head of the bone.