Femur-First Orthopaedic Resection Sequence
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current orthopaedic surgical procedures for joint arthroplasty often require tibial resection before femoral resection, which can be challenging due to anatomical constraints and lack of preoperative imaging in some cases.
Innovation Solution
A method using a surgical navigation system to perform initial measurements and develop a surgical plan for femur-first orthopaedic procedures, allowing for a first resection of the femur followed by later measurements and resections of the tibia, confirming and modifying the surgical plan as necessary.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If tibial resection is performed before femoral resection (conventional approach), then the surgical procedure can be completed following traditional sequence, but measurement accuracy and resurfacing precision are compromised due to anatomical constraints
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional surgical sequence by performing femoral resection before tibial resection. This reversal allows the surgeon to access and measure femoral anatomical landmarks first, when they are most accessible, before the tibia is resected. The navigation system captures femoral measurements in this inverted sequence, enabling more accurate resurfacing while maintaining operational ease.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary femoral measurements and resection before tibial resection, capturing critical femoral anatomical data when access is optimal. The navigation system records these preliminary femoral measurements, which are then used to plan the subsequent tibial resection, ensuring both bones are prepared with maximum precision.
2Manufacturing precision
If femur-first approach is used with surgical navigation system, then resurfacing accuracy is improved, but surgical time may increase due to additional measurements and plan confirmations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the measurement and planning phases into a unified navigation workflow. The surgical navigation system integrates femoral and tibial measurement protocols, allowing the surgeon to perform initial femoral measurements, receive real-time feedback, and adjust the surgical plan in one continuous process rather than separate sequential steps, thereby reducing overall surgical time.
Solution Approach 2:
The navigation system provides real-time feedback during the femur-first approach, allowing the surgeon to verify measurements and adjust the surgical plan immediately. This feedback mechanism prevents errors and rework, actually reducing total surgical time despite the additional measurement steps by ensuring precision on the first attempt.
3Productivity
If conventional tibial-first approach is used, then surgical sequence is simple and quick, but access to certain tibial measurement points is limited by anatomical constraints
Solution Approach 1:
By inverting the conventional sequence to femur-first, the patent eliminates the anatomical constraint problem. The femur is resected and measured while fully accessible, and only after this is the tibia resected and measured. This inversion ensures all critical measurement points on both bones are easily accessible without being blocked by the other bone's position.
Data Source
AI summary
A femur-first orthopaedic surgical procedure may include using a surgical navigation system to perform one or more initial measurements on a femur of a patient, a tibia of the patient, or both and to develop a surgical plan for the orthopaedic surgical procedure based on the one or more initial measurements, performing a first resection of the femur, using the surgical navigation system to perform one or more later measurements of the tibia that were inaccessible prior to the first resection of the femur and to confirm the surgical plan based on the one or more later measurements of the tibia, performing a tibial resection of the tibia based on a planned tibial resection plane of the surgical plan after confirming the surgical plan, and performing additional resections of the femur based on planned femoral resection planes of the surgical plan after confirming the surgical plan.