Contoured Osteosynthesis Plates With Clamps Instead of Screws
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current osteosynthesis plates are rigid, do not adapt to the bone's contour, require time-consuming surgery for alignment and drilling, cause discomfort, and reduce bone structural strength due to screws.
Innovation Solution
Use pre-shaped metal sheets with undulations and channels, fastened with clamps instead of screws, molded to fit the bone's dimensions and shape, allowing for flexible fixation and movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If rigid plates with screws are used for osteosynthesis, then the bone fracture can be fixed in position, but the bone structural strength is reduced and the patient experiences discomfort
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and removes the screws from the osteosynthesis system, replacing them with clamp mechanisms that attach to the bone surface without penetrating it. This eliminates the harmful effect of screw-induced bone strength reduction while maintaining fracture fixation stability through the clamp and plate assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention employs a flexible plate made of elastomeric or polymeric material that can conform to the bone contour while providing stable fixation. This flexible shell approach replaces the rigid metal plate with a material that adapts to the bone shape, reducing discomfort and maintaining structural integrity without requiring invasive screw fastening.
2Ease of manufacture
If generic plates are manufactured for different bone types, then production is simplified, but the plates do not adapt to the specific contour of each bone
Solution Approach 1:
The invention implements preliminary action by creating a 3D printed prototype of the specific bone before manufacturing the plate. This digital model is then used as a mold to create a customized plate that perfectly fits the patient's bone contour, combining manufacturing efficiency with precise anatomical adaptation.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses 3D printing technology to create a digital copy of the patient's bone anatomy from CT scans or MRI data. This digital replica serves as the foundation for designing and manufacturing a customized plate that precisely matches the unique contour of the patient's bone, enabling both simplified production processes and high adaptability.
3Reliability
If screws are used to fasten the plate to the bone, then the plate can be securely attached, but the surgery time increases due to alignment and drilling requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes the time-consuming screw insertion process entirely by replacing screws with clamp mechanisms that can be rapidly applied and secured to the bone surface. This extraction of the screw fastening step significantly reduces surgery time while maintaining reliable plate attachment through the clamp system.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention employs preliminary action by pre-positioning the plate on a 3D printed bone prototype before surgery, allowing for pre-alignment and pre-planning of the clamp placement locations. This preparation eliminates the need for time-consuming intraoperative alignment and drilling procedures, reducing overall surgery time while ensuring reliable attachment.
4Adaptability or versatility
If curved and contoured plates are manufactured to fit bone shape, then the plate adapts better to the bone contour, but the manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses preliminary action by creating a 3D printed prototype of the bone before manufacturing the contoured plate. This digital model serves as an accurate mold that guides the formation of the customized plate, simplifying the manufacturing process while achieving precise anatomical contour fitting that would otherwise be complex to produce.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention employs 3D printing to create a digital copy of the patient's bone anatomy, which then serves as the basis for manufacturing the contoured plate. This digital copying approach simplifies the manufacturing complexity by using computational design and additive manufacturing techniques, while still achieving precise adaptation to the unique bone contour.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention is a solution for osteosynthesis made with molded metal sheets joined vertically and horizontally, fitted to the shape and dimensions of the fractured bone to keep it immobile and united. For the orthosis, it depicts metal sheets joined with horizontal and vertical movements, molded to the form and dimensions of vertebrae and joints to keep them separated. The sheet metals have wavy shapes, channels and undulations that give consistency and structural strength to bending, tension, shear and bends for joints. It also describes the process for the osteosynthesis with metal sheets and 3D printing, where the surgeon wraps the osteosynthesis or molded orthosis around the bone, vertebrae or joint, fastening it with clamps that tighten and lock with a surgical instrument, without screws. The sheet metals have viewpoint holes to see through during surgery and subsequent control with Roentgen. The clamps are in channels, which have micro-points on the side contacting the bone.