Expandable Intramedullary Nail Locking Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional intramedullary nails require additional incisions for bicortical bone screws to achieve locking, leading to increased infection risk, difficulty in aiming, and a more invasive procedure, which is time-consuming and error-prone.
Innovation Solution
The development of expandable intramedullary systems with integrated distal and proximal locking mechanisms that allow for secure anchoring of the intramedullary nail within the long bone without additional incisions, utilizing expandable distal and proximal anchors that can be deployed mechanically to prevent axial rotation and translation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional bicortical bone screws are used for locking the intramedullary nail, then reliable locking is achieved, but additional incisions are required which increase infection risk and procedural invasiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the locking function and the anchor function into a single integrated expandable component. The expandable anchor is inserted through the same incision as the intramedullary nail and then expanded within the bone to provide locking without requiring separate incisions for bicortical screws, thereby maintaining reliability while reducing infection risk
Solution Approach 2:
The expandable anchor acts as an intermediary between the intramedullary nail and the bone cortex. Instead of directly inserting screws through separate incisions, the expandable anchor is deployed from within the nail through a single incision, serving as a mediator that achieves secure fixation while minimizing external access points
2Reliability
If traditional bicortical bone screws are used for locking, then secure fixation is achieved, but the procedure becomes more time-consuming and error-prone due to difficulty in aiming
Solution Approach 1:
By merging the aiming and locking functions into a single integrated process, the expandable anchor eliminates the separate aiming step required for bicortical screws. The anchor is guided through the nail along the same trajectory, and expansion occurs automatically or with minimal adjustment, streamlining the procedure and reducing time consumption
Solution Approach 2:
The expandable anchor system is self-aligning and self-adjusting. Once inserted through the nail, the anchor automatically positions itself within the bone and can be expanded to engage the cortical bone without requiring precise manual aiming or complex alignment procedures, thereby improving procedural efficiency
3Object-affected harmful factors
If expandable anchors are used to provide integrated locking, then additional incisions are eliminated reducing infection risk, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The expandable anchor is segmented into multiple expandable elements or struts that can be collapsed for insertion and then expanded to engage the bone. This segmentation allows the complex locking function to be achieved through a modular structure that remains compact during insertion but provides robust fixation when expanded
Solution Approach 2:
The anchor transitions from a static, simple structure during insertion to a dynamic, expanded configuration for locking. This dynamic transformation allows the device to maintain simplicity during the critical insertion phase (reducing incision requirements) while providing complex locking functionality once deployed within the bone
4Reliability
If expandable fixation members are deployed radially from the intramedullary nail, then secure anchoring is achieved preventing axial rotation and translation, but the nail structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The expandable fixation members are nested within the intramedullary nail structure during insertion. The fixation members are contained within the nail body in a collapsed state, allowing the nail to maintain a simple, compact structure during insertion. Once positioned, the fixation members are deployed radially outward from the nail to engage the cortical bone, providing stable anchoring without permanently increasing the nail's external complexity
Data Source
AI summary
Intramedullary systems, expandable intramedullary nails, expandable anchors, and methods of using the same. The intramedullary system may include an expandable intramedullary nail configured to extend into an intramedullary canal of a long bone and/or one or more expandable anchors configured to extend at an angle transverse to the intramedullary nail. The intramedullary nails and/or anchors may include one or more integrated expansion mechanisms that allow for insertion in a contracted configuration and expansion into a deployed configuration to lock the relative position and prevent axial rotation and translation of the system.