Orthopaedic Fastener Guide Arms for Bone Plate Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional orthopaedic fixation devices for bone and sternum procedures are complex to use, requiring accurate placement of screws and other fasteners, which complicates the attachment process and slows down the surgical process.
Innovation Solution
The development of implant positioning devices with fastener guides that include guide arms and attachment arms, allowing for the secure positioning and alignment of fasteners, such as screws or pins, relative to orthopaedic fixation plates, facilitating easier and faster attachment to bones or other body parts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional fixation devices with wires or cables are used to pull bone portions together, then the fixation function is achieved, but the device becomes complex to emplace and the surgical process is slowed down
Solution Approach 1:
The device is divided into distinct functional segments: a plate component with fastener holes, fasteners (screws or pins), and an implant positioning device with guide arms. Each segment has a specific function, allowing the complex fixation task to be broken down into simpler, more manageable steps that are easier to perform during surgery.
Solution Approach 2:
The implant positioning device acts as an intermediary tool between the surgeon and the fasteners. The guide arms with fastener guides provide a mediator structure that automatically positions fasteners correctly, eliminating the need for complex manual alignment procedures and reducing surgical complexity.
2Reliability
If plate-type structures are attached to bones with accurate fixation points for screws, then fixation reliability is improved, but the attachment process becomes more time-consuming and complex
Solution Approach 1:
The implant positioning device is pre-configured with guide arms and fastener guides that define the exact positioning of fasteners before the attachment process begins. The guide arms are designed with specific geometries that pre-determine the correct orientation and location of fasteners, eliminating the need for time-consuming measurements and calculations during surgery.
Solution Approach 2:
The fastener guides within the guide arms automatically perform the positioning function as fasteners are inserted. The structural design of the guide arms causes them to self-align with the plate component and bone, providing self-positioning capability that ensures reliable fixation without requiring additional time for manual alignment or verification.
3Manufacturing precision
If fasteners are positioned accurately relative to the plate, then fixation precision is improved, but the positioning process becomes more complex and difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The guide arms serve as intermediary positioning structures that bridge the gap between the plate component and the fasteners. The fastener guides within the guide arms provide a mechanical mediator that automatically translates the insertion motion into precise fastener positioning, achieving high precision without requiring complex positioning procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide arms are designed with specific local features at critical positions: fastener guides with precise geometries at the locations where fasteners need to be positioned. These localized structural features provide the necessary precision only where needed, rather than requiring the entire device to be complex, thereby achieving high positioning precision with minimal overall device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
Implant positioning devices and fastener guides for implant positioning devices are disclosed for assisting in positioning orthopaedic fixation devices (such as bone plates, etc.). A fastener guide may include a body with slits in a first end of the body that form a guide arm proximal to the first end of the body. The guide arm is configured to releasable hold a fastener in the fastener guide. The fastener guide may also be coupled to a bone plate to facilitate ease of alignment and insertion of the fastener into a fastener apertures of the bone plate.