Eccentric Bone Fixation Caps for Joint Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current bone and joint fixation technologies face challenges in effectively addressing pain and inflammation due to cartilage degeneration, nerve impingement, and spinal misalignment, particularly in providing stable and minimally invasive solutions for facet joints and other joints.
Innovation Solution
Development of eccentrically shaped caps with beveled teeth and adjustable bevel surfaces for facet joint fixation, combined with guided instrumentation for precise placement and compression, using materials like PEEK and titanium alloys, and surface treatments for bone integration, allowing for various implantation methods including percutaneous and minimally invasive procedures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If standard fixation technologies are used, then joint stability can be achieved, but they cause irritation to surrounding tissues and fail to address pain and inflammation effectively
Solution Approach 1:
The cap is provided with a porous outer surface that promotes bone ingrowth and integration, reducing tissue irritation while maintaining joint stability. The porous structure allows bone tissue to penetrate and anchor the implant securely.
Solution Approach 2:
The implant utilizes composite material construction combining PEEK or titanium alloy with porous surface treatments, achieving both mechanical strength for stability and biocompatible surface properties that reduce tissue irritation and promote bone integration.
2Reliability
If traditional fixation methods are applied, then bone fusion can be achieved, but the procedures are invasive and cause significant patient discomfort
Solution Approach 1:
The cap is inserted into a hollow cylindrical fastener, creating a nested structure that allows for minimally invasive percutaneous placement. The nested design enables precise positioning while reducing surgical trauma and patient discomfort.
Solution Approach 2:
The hollow cylindrical fastener acts as an intermediary device that guides and positions the cap during minimally invasive insertion, enabling accurate placement through small incisions while protecting surrounding tissues.
3Ease of operation
If fixed orientation implants are used, then placement simplicity is maintained, but adaptability to various joint configurations and load distributions is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The cap and fastener assembly provides adjustable orientation capabilities, allowing the implant to be positioned at various angles and orientations to match specific joint configurations and optimize load distribution, while maintaining relatively simple placement procedures.
4Reliability
If surface treatments for bone integration are applied, then bone growth is facilitated, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The porous outer surface is integrated into the cap manufacturing process using established techniques for PEEK or titanium alloy, enabling bone ingrowth promotion while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through standardized porous coating or sintering processes.
Data Source
AI summary
Eccentrically shaped bone fixation implants interact with bone fragments or joints to compress the bone fragments or joint bones together. The eccentrically shaped bone fixation implants can have longer and shorter portions along an axis and a plurality of teeth with opposing beveled surfaces in different configurations to vary both the direction and amplitude of the compressive forces applied to the bone fragments or joint bones. Instrumentation for implanting and orienting the eccentrically shaped bone fixation implants are also disclosed herein.