Femoral Neck Support Structure for Load Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current medical devices fail to adequately support and reinforce the femoral neck, particularly in cases of fractures, and pharmaceutical treatments for osteoporosis provide minimal bone density increases with significant side effects.
Innovation Solution
A deployable support structure for the femoral neck that expands from a collapsed position to interact with both cortical and cancellous bone regions, allowing load transfer and reinforcement, which can be deployed through a bore in the Ward's triangle or greater trochanter, and optionally includes a stent and balloon for expansion, with the option to use filler materials like bone cement for additional support.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If pharmaceuticals are used to increase bone density, then bone mass density increases slightly, but serious side effects occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces pharmaceutical treatment with a mechanical device (support structure) that provides physical reinforcement to the femoral neck. The support structure is inserted into the femoral neck and expanded to provide mechanical strength, substituting the chemical/pharmaceutical approach with a mechanical solution that avoids drug-related side effects.
Solution Approach 2:
The support structure changes the mechanical parameters of the femoral neck by providing external reinforcement. The device alters the structural properties (strength, stiffness) of the bone through physical presence and load distribution, rather than attempting to change bone density through pharmaceutical action.
2Strength
If a balloon embodiment is used to support the upper femoral area, then some support is provided, but adequate reinforcement for the femoral neck is not achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The support structure is specifically designed to target the femoral neck region with localized reinforcement. The device can be positioned to provide support at specific locations within the femoral neck, allowing different regions to receive appropriate levels of reinforcement based on their specific structural needs and fracture risks.
Solution Approach 2:
The support structure appears to use composite construction with multiple components (balloon element, stent framework, filler materials) that work together to provide comprehensive reinforcement. The combination of these different structural elements creates a system that offers both immediate mechanical support and potential for long-term bone reinforcement.
3Strength
If the support structure is expanded to interact with cortical bone, then structural reinforcement is achieved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The support structure is divided into distinct functional segments: a balloon component for initial expansion and cavity creation, a stent framework for structural reinforcement, and optional filler materials for additional support. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function while simplifying the overall deployment process through sequential activation.
Solution Approach 2:
The balloon component performs preliminary action by first expanding to create a cavity and compressing the cancellous bone, which then allows the stent framework to be properly positioned and anchored. This preliminary expansion action prepares the site for the subsequent structural reinforcement phase, ensuring proper device positioning and bone-compression before final structural support is established.
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 solution effectively reinforces the femoral neck, transferring loads to the support structure and promoting bone density, potentially reducing the risk of fractures and improving patient outcomes compared to existing methods.
Implementation Method 1
a support structure deployable from a first substantially collapsed position to a second substantially expanded position
Implementation Method 2
allowing at least a portion of the load from the femoral neck bone to be transferred to the support structure
Data Source
AI summary
A method of reinforcing a femoral neck comprises creating a bore proximate to at least one of a Ward's triangle and a greater trochanter, creating at least one cavity in a cancellous bone region of the femoral neck, inserting a substantially collapsed support structure through the bore and into the at least one cavity, expanding the support structure, and allowing at least a portion of the load from the femoral neck bone to be transferred to the support structure. The support structure compresses at least a portion of the cancellous bone upon expansion. A cavity created by the expansion is adapted to receive a filler material such as, but not limited to, bone cement.