Dual Pocket Compression Plate Oblique Screw Fixation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current orthopedic fixation methods lack effective compression and stability at bone interfaces, particularly in surgeries for bone fractures, dislocations, and deformities, such as flat foot corrections, where traditional screws may not provide sufficient multi-planar fixation and risk hardware collision.
Innovation Solution
An orthopedic plate with obliquely extending screws and dual compression structures that allow for targeted inter-fragmentary fixation, combining the benefits of screw/pin fusion methods with plate stabilization, providing enhanced compression and stability through angled screw placement and a low-profile design, reducing the risk of hardware interference.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional screws are used for bone fixation, then the fixation method is simple, but compression and stability at bone interfaces are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple fixation functions into a single plate structure that integrates traditional screw holes with dual compression pockets, merging the functions of stabilization and compression into one device rather than using separate components
Solution Approach 2:
The plate is segmented into distinct functional zones: traditional screw holes for general fixation and dual compression pockets for targeted compression, allowing each segment to perform its specific function optimally
2Reliability
If oblique screws are inserted outside of a plate for compression, then compression can be achieved, but hardware collision risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The plate acts as an intermediary structure that houses the compression screws within its own body through dedicated pockets, mediating between the need for compression and the risk of hardware collision by providing a protected pathway for screw insertion
Solution Approach 2:
The compression screws are nested within the plate structure itself, with the screws housed inside the plate's compression pockets rather than being external, eliminating the collision risk between separate hardware components
3Reliability
If multiple compression screws are used for targeted fixation, then inter-fragmentary fixation is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The dual compression pockets serve multiple functions: they provide targeted compression at specific locations, house the compression screws, and guide screw insertion angles, making the structure multi-functional rather than requiring additional separate components
Data Source
AI summary
An orthopedic plate has a first end and a second end each including a locking screw hole that receives a locking screw and spaced from that hole is a closed compression housing that extends from the bone-facing side of the plate and which receives a compression screw that forms an angle of from about 10° to about 70° with a longitudinal axis of the plate. The first and second compression housings are offset from each other and have opposing openings that face toward each other so as to allow the screws projecting therethrough to have crossing directions.