Cortical Loop Fixation for Ligament Reconstruction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for repairing and reconstructing injured ligaments and tendons often involve drilling large tunnels in bones, leading to complications such as bone destruction, debris, tunnel widening, and decreased surgical outcomes due to suboptimal anatomical positioning and increased morbidity.
Innovation Solution
The method involves attaching a soft-tissue graft directly to the cortical surface of bones using adjustable length cortical fixation devices, minimizing bone disruption and utilizing novel bone realignment techniques with adjustable-length compression fracture plates and double locking screws to enhance stability and healing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If large tunnels are drilled in bones to reattach ligament grafts or torn tendons, then the ligament can be mechanically connected to the bone, but bone destruction, debris creation, tunnel widening, and surgical morbidity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the harmful tunnel drilling process from the ligament reattachment procedure. Instead of drilling large tunnels through the bone, the system uses cortical fixation devices that attach to the cortical surface, eliminating bone destruction, debris creation, and tunnel widening while maintaining reliable ligament reattachment
Solution Approach 2:
The cortical fixation device serves as an intermediary between the ligament graft and the bone. Rather than directly drilling into the bone to secure the graft, the fixation device mediates the connection by anchoring to the cortical surface and providing a secure attachment point for the ligament, thereby avoiding direct bone trauma
2Strength
If traditional bone fixation plates are used for fractures, then bone fragments can be connected, but the plates have fixed lengths that may not optimize bony contact area or minimize bone length changes
Solution Approach 1:
The bone fixation plate is designed with adjustable length, transforming a static fixed-length plate into a dynamic system that can be adapted to different bone lengths and fracture patterns. This allows optimization of bony contact area and minimization of bone length changes while maintaining fixation strength
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the length parameter of the fixation plate from fixed to variable. The adjustable length allows the plate to be customized for different anatomical situations, optimizing both the bony contact area for healing and the preservation of native bone length
Data Source
AI summary
A system is disclosed for repairing and reconstructing an injured intra-articular, extra-articular ligament or tendon to a bone. The system includes realigning the axis of a bone, and further includes fixing fragments of a bone together. Novel devices, instruments and methods are disclosed, including a cortical loop for engaging a bundle of soft-tissue and capturing the bundle against a bone surface, an anchor for stabilizing a fractured bone, a guide for directing an orthopaedic blade, and a hinged external jig arranged to position and guide the blade. Methods are disclosed for connecting soft-tissue to a bone and for bone alignment.