Convertible Patient-Specific Knee Guide
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current patient-specific guides for orthopedic surgery are limited in their ability to accommodate intraoperative changes in surgical plans without requiring separate guides for each procedure, leading to inefficiencies, increased costs, and potential complications.
Innovation Solution
Development of convertible patient-specific guides that can be used for both total and partial arthroplasty procedures, allowing surgeons to switch between surgical plans intraoperatively by utilizing a single guide with adjustable components and frangible sections, enabling alignment guidance for both procedures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If separate patient-specific guides are used for each surgical procedure, then each procedure has precise alignment guidance, but the number of guides required increases and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patient-specific guide is designed with universal functionality to perform multiple surgical procedures. The guide includes a body with a patient-specific three-dimensional undersurface that can mate with the patient's joint surface, and multiple guiding formations that can guide different arthroplasty procedures (total arthroplasty, partial arthroplasty, unicondylar arthroplasty) from a single guide structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide incorporates frangible sections that can be broken or removed to convert the guide between different procedural configurations. These frangible sections allow the guide to be segmented into different functional states, enabling conversion from a total arthroplasty guide configuration to a partial arthroplasty guide configuration by breaking specific frangible barriers.
2Quantity of substance
If a single guide is used for multiple procedures, then the number of guides is reduced, but the guide must accommodate multiple procedural configurations
Solution Approach 1:
The guide incorporates frangible sections that can be broken or removed to convert the guide between different procedural configurations. These frangible sections allow the guide to be segmented into different functional states, enabling conversion from a total arthroplasty guide configuration to a partial arthroplasty guide configuration by breaking specific frangible barriers.
Solution Approach 2:
The patient-specific guide is designed with universal functionality to perform multiple surgical procedures. The guide includes a body with a patient-specific three-dimensional undersurface that can mate with the patient's joint surface, and multiple guiding formations that can guide different arthroplasty procedures (total arthroplasty, partial arthroplasty, unicondylar arthroplasty) from a single guide structure.
3Manufacturing precision
If separate guides are used for total and partial arthroplasty, then each guide is optimized for its specific procedure, but intraoperative conversion between procedures becomes complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The guide incorporates frangible sections that can be broken or removed to convert the guide between different procedural configurations. These frangible sections allow the guide to be segmented into different functional states, enabling conversion from a total arthroplasty guide configuration to a partial arthroplasty guide configuration by breaking specific frangible barriers.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide is pre-configured with multiple guiding formations and frangible sections that are prepared in advance to accommodate different procedural needs. The frangible sections are pre-positioned to allow quick conversion between procedures by simple breaking actions, eliminating the need for complex intraoperative adjustments or guide exchanges.
4Manufacturing precision
If multiple patient-specific guides are manufactured for different procedures, then each procedure has dedicated guidance, but the cost of guide manufacturing and inventory increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patient-specific guide is designed with universal functionality to perform multiple surgical procedures. The guide includes a body with a patient-specific three-dimensional undersurface that can mate with the patient's joint surface, and multiple guiding formations that can guide different arthroplasty procedures (total arthroplasty, partial arthroplasty, unicondylar arthroplasty) from a single guide structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide combines multiple guiding formations and functional elements into a single integrated structure. By merging the capabilities of what would traditionally require separate guides into one unified device, the invention reduces manufacturing costs and eliminates the need for multiple guide inventories while maintaining procedure-specific guidance accuracy.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of intraoperatively selecting between a partial knee arthroplasty and total knee arthroplasty includes mounting a patient-specific three-dimensional surface of a convertible patient-specific guide in a unique position mating to a corresponding surface of a distal femoral bone. The convertible patient-specific guide includes an anterior portion and a distal portion a patellofemoral guide. One of a total knee arthroplasty and a partial knee arthroplasty is selected intraoperatively. If total knee arthroplasty is selected, first and second covers are removed from corresponding first and second distal guiding bore. First and second distal pins through the first and second distal guiding bores are registered on the bone. If partial knee arthroplasty is selected, the anterior portion is severed and removed along a frangible groove and the distal portion is used as a patellofemoral guide.