In-situ Deformable Mini-Bone Plate with Segmented Crowns and Bridges
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional bone plates used in orthopedic surgeries often require removal, deformation, and re-screwing, which is time-consuming and can damage weakened bones, especially in complex fracture geometries, and existing contourable templates made from soft materials like aluminum may fold or kink, failing to securely fix fractured bones.
Innovation Solution
A bone plate with a design comprising elongated strips of repeating units with specific geometric features, such as faceted crowns and bridges, allowing for in-situ deformation through clamping and manipulation to match the natural or desired bone shape, including shortening, lengthening, bending, and twisting, using orthopedic tools during surgery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional bone plates are deformed using common tools such as clamps, then the bone plate can be shaped to match fracture geometry, but the process requires removing and re-screwing which is time-consuming and can damage weakened bones
Solution Approach 1:
The bone plate is divided into multiple repeating units with distinct geometric features (crowns, necks, bridges) that can be independently manipulated. This segmentation allows localized deformation at specific repeating units without affecting the entire plate, enabling efficient shaping while maintaining fixed screw positions.
Solution Approach 2:
The bone plate incorporates geometric features designed to be deformable under surgical forces. The repeating units with crowns, necks, and bridges can dynamically change shape during surgery to match complex fracture geometries, allowing the plate to adapt its form while remaining securely attached to the bone.
2Adaptability or versatility
If conventional bone plates are deformed using common tools, then shaping is possible, but the screwing/unscrewing process has to be repeated which increases the risks of the procedures
Solution Approach 1:
The bone plate is pre-designed with repeating units that have inherent geometric flexibility. This preliminary design allows the plate to be deformed into various configurations after fixation, eliminating the need to unscrew and reposition screws, thereby maintaining procedure reliability while achieving adaptability to complex fracture shapes.
Solution Approach 2:
The plate transitions from a rigid preoperative form to a dynamically adaptable intraoperative form. The geometric features enable the plate to change shape while maintaining secure attachment, allowing surgeons to adapt the plate to complex fracture geometries without compromising the reliability of the fixation.
3Ease of operation
If soft material such as aluminum is used in a template, then the template can be contoured, but attempts at arcing may result in folding or kinking of the template
Solution Approach 1:
The bone plate is segmented into repeating units with crowns, necks, and bridges that prevent folding and kinking during deformation. This segmented structure maintains structural integrity while allowing contouring, as each unit can deform independently without compromising the overall plate stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The repeating units incorporate curved geometric features (crowns and arches) that are designed to accommodate arcing and bending without folding. These pre-formed curved elements allow the plate to achieve the necessary contouring for complex fracture geometries while maintaining structural integrity throughout the deformation process.
Data Source
AI summary
A bone plate provided in the present invention has an elongated strip, and a series of repeating units are provided on the elongated strip. Each repeating unit has two crowns, two necks, and four bridges, wherein the two crowns and the two necks are connected by the four bridges to from a symmetrical ring structure, and wherein a width of the bridge (BW) is greater than a width of the crown (CW), a maximum distance between inner sides of the two crowns (ID) is greater than a width of the neck (NW), a maximum distance between outer sides of two opposite bridges of the four bridges (OD) is greater than a unit length between two adjacent repeating units (UL), and the crown width (CW) is 0.1-1.0 mm, so that the bone plate can be deformed in-situ by a surgeon.