Expandable Bone Fixation Device Anchoring Force
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fixation systems for broken bones, such as compression fractures of vertebrae, face issues with fixation screw backout and reduced anchoring force, leading to potential failure and additional bone damage.
Innovation Solution
An expandable attachment device with a radially expandable section and an unexpandable section, which can be used as a substitute for fixation screws, providing enhanced anchoring force and minimizing the risk of backout.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If fixation screws are used in existing fixation systems, then the screws can be inserted into bone to provide fixation, but the screws may backout or loosen causing reduction of fixation and potential failure
Solution Approach 1:
The fixation device incorporates an expandable section that transitions from a compressed low-profile configuration during insertion to an expanded configuration after insertion. This dynamic transformation allows the device to adapt its dimensions to achieve secure fixation while minimizing initial insertion trauma and maximizing final stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The device changes its radial dimension parameter by expanding the expandable section after insertion into the bone. This parameter change from a compressed to an expanded state increases the anchoring force and prevents backout, directly addressing the screw position stability issue while maintaining fixation reliability.
2Force
If fixation screws are used under heavy loads, then the screws can provide initial fixation, but the bones may fail and the screws can be ripped from the bone resulting in complete failure
Solution Approach 1:
The expandable section dynamically increases the device's radial dimension after insertion, creating greater friction and mechanical interlocking with the bone tissue. This dynamic adaptation allows the device to distribute heavy loads more effectively across a larger surface area, preventing bone failure and screw extraction.
Solution Approach 2:
The device transitions from a one-dimensional linear insertion to a three-dimensional expanded configuration within the bone. By utilizing the radial dimension, the device creates a larger anchoring surface area that resists extraction forces and distributes mechanical loads more effectively, thereby increasing both anchoring force and overall fixation strength.
3Reliability
If a radially expandable section is added to the fixation device, then the anchoring force is enhanced and backout is reduced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fixation device is segmented into three distinct sections: an unexpandable first section, an expandable middle section, and an unexpandable second section. This segmentation allows the complex expandable functionality to be isolated to a specific portion of the device, simplifying the overall design and manufacturing while maintaining the reliability benefits of expansion.
Solution Approach 2:
The expandable section serves multiple functions: it provides structural support, enhances anchoring force through expansion, and prevents screw backout. By consolidating these multiple functions into a single component, the device reduces overall complexity compared to using separate components for each function.
Data Source
AI summary
An attachment device with a radially expandable section is disclosed. The attachment device can have helical threads, for example, to facilitate screwing the attachment device into a bone. Methods of using the same are also disclosed. The attachment device can be positioned to radially expand the expandable section in cancellous bone substantially surrounded by cortical bone.