Orthopaedic Cutting Block with Chemically Etched Metal Insert
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current orthopaedic surgical instruments face challenges in providing effective support and guidance for bone cutting tools during joint arthroplasty procedures, particularly in withstanding forces and maintaining sterility between surgical procedures.
Innovation Solution
An orthopaedic cutting block with a metallic bearing insert featuring chemically etched holes, which are partially filled by an injection-molded polymer body, providing structural support and adhesion, and allowing for the use of bone cutting tools while maintaining a substantially metallic guide surface for tool support.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional manufacturing processes (machining, turning, drilling) are used to fabricate orthopaedic surgical instruments, then the instruments can be produced with conventional methods, but the instruments require sterilization between surgical procedures and may not provide sufficient support and guidance for bone cutting tools
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting block combines a metallic bearing insert with a polymer body to create a composite structure. The metallic insert provides durable, sterile support surfaces for bone cutting tools, while the polymer body provides structural support and guidance features. This composite approach resolves the contradiction by integrating materials with complementary properties to achieve both reliability and ease of manufacture.
Solution Approach 2:
The cutting block is divided into distinct functional components: a metallic bearing insert for tool support and a polymer body for structural support and guidance. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function, with the metallic portion providing sterile, durable contact surfaces and the polymer portion providing structural integrity and guidance features.
2Strength
If the entire bearing insert is filled with polymer body, then structural support is maximized, but the guide surface for bone cutting tools is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The polymer body selectively fills only certain regions of the bearing insert, specifically the areas that do not contact the bone cutting tools. The guide surfaces and contact areas remain metallic to provide proper friction and guidance, while the non-critical regions are filled with polymer to enhance structural support. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction by applying different materials where needed.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the cutting block is designed to maintain sterility between procedures, then contamination risk is reduced, but the instrument requires sterilization processes that may affect its structural integrity
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting block is designed as a disposable instrument that can be sterilized between procedures. The metallic bearing insert provides sterilizable surfaces that maintain structural integrity after sterilization, while the polymer body is designed to withstand sterilization processes. This approach resolves the contradiction by using materials and design that allow repeated sterilization without compromising structural integrity, enabling the instrument to be reused rather than disposed of after a single use.
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
Enhances the ability to perform precise cuts on bones by providing a stable and durable interface for cutting tools, improving surgical efficiency and reducing the risk of contamination between procedures.
Implementation Method 1
The body may be molded to the bearing insert such that each of the plurality of chemically etched holes is at least partially filled by a portion of the body
Data Source
AI summary
An orthopaedic surgical instrument comprising an orthopaedic cutting block includes a metallic bearing insert configured to support a bone cutting tool and a body molded to the bearing insert. The bearing insert includes a plurality of chemically etched holes, and the body is molded to the bearing insert such that each of the plurality of chemically etched holes is at least partially filled by a portion of the body. The body of the orthopaedic cutting block may include a bone-facing surface adapted to contact a portion of a patient's bone, and the bearing insert may be positioned to allow a surgeon to perform a cut on the patient's bone using the bearing insert for support. A method of manufacturing an orthopaedic surgical instrument is also disclosed.