Dual-Thread Bone Screw for Thin-Bone Augmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current bone augmentation methods, such as autologous bone grafts and synthetic bone substitutes, are cumbersome, risky, and lack an ideal solution for providing sufficient bone volume and stability, especially in challenging environments like thin-walled bone structures, and often result in incomplete restorations or structural issues.
Innovation Solution
A screw with a specially designed screw head and shaft, featuring a convex shape and two threaded segments, including a self-tapping thread, that lifts the periosteum to create a space for bone regeneration while minimizing tissue injury, combined with a threaded nut for additional support, facilitates bone augmentation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If autologous bone graft is used to increase bone volume, then bone regeneration potential is improved, but surgical complexity and risk increase due to requiring two surgeries
Solution Approach 1:
The bone grafting process is segmented into two functional components: the screw provides mechanical stabilization while the particulate bone material provides regeneration potential. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently and applied in a single surgical procedure rather than requiring sequential surgeries.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges the functions of mechanical stabilization (screw) and bone regeneration (particulate material) into a single integrated system. The screw is designed to simultaneously provide structural support and facilitate bone growth through its specific thread geometry and surface characteristics, eliminating the need for separate surgical stages.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If synthetic bone substitute materials are used to increase bone volume, then surgical risk is reduced, but biological potential for bone regeneration is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses a composite approach combining synthetic screw material (providing mechanical strength and low surgical risk) with particulate bone material (providing biological regeneration potential). The screw surface is specifically designed to facilitate integration with the particulate material, creating a composite structure that achieves both safety and regenerative efficacy.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the screw have different properties: the thread geometry provides mechanical anchorage, the surface characteristics facilitate material integration, and the overall structure provides mechanical support. This local differentiation of properties allows the single device to address multiple requirements simultaneously.
3Ease of manufacture
If particulate bone substitute material is used instead of bone blocks, then integration and absorption are improved, but volume stability and mechanical support are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The screw acts as an intermediary structure that provides the mechanical framework and volume stability normally provided by bone blocks, while allowing particulate material to be used for integration and absorption. The screw's threaded design and surface characteristics mediate between the need for structural support and the need for material integration.
Solution Approach 2:
The system utilizes the porous nature of particulate bone material to its advantage, allowing for better integration and absorption while the screw provides the structural framework. The particulate material's porous structure facilitates cellular infiltration and vascularization, while the screw maintains overall volume stability.
4Adaptability or versatility
If bone augmentation is performed in thin-walled bone structures, then treatment of challenging environments is enabled, but mechanical stability and load-bearing capacity are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The screw design incorporates specific parameter optimizations including thread pitch, diameter, and depth that are tailored for thin-walled bone structures. These parameter changes allow the screw to achieve adequate anchorage and mechanical stability in challenging environments where bone thickness is limited, enabling treatment of previously difficult cases.
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
The screw design promotes bone growth by creating a safe space for osteoblast migration and provides stable anchorage, even in thin bones, with minimal tissue damage and easy removal, ensuring effective bone augmentation.
Implementation Method 1
in a second threaded segment, arranged on the screw shaft between the screw head and the first threaded segment, the thread is designed as a self-tapping thread
Implementation Method 2
the screw design promotes bone growth by creating a safe space for osteoblast migration
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4b
AI summary
A screw (1) for use in the modification of a human or animal bone (42), in particular for therapeutic use in the field of plastic or dental surgery, should be particularly suitable for carrying out bone augmentation measures even in difficult environments and should enable bone augmentation reliably in a particularly simple and in particular also particularly well tolerated manner.According to the invention, the screw (1) comprises a screw shaft (2) provided with a thread (10) in a threaded area (8), a substantially convex screw head (6) is arranged at the first shaft end (4), and the threaded area (8) comprises at least two threaded segments (12, 14), wherein in a first, distal threaded segment (12) positioned in the area of the end (20) of the screw shaft (2) opposite the screw head (6) the thread (16) is designed as a threaded screw, and wherein in a second threaded segment (14) arranged on the screw shaft (2) between the screw head (6) and the first threaded segment (12) the thread (18) is designed as a self-tapping thread (18).