Flexible Bone Repair Plate with Porous Structure for Curved Surfaces

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing bone repair implants are too rigid to accommodate the deformation needed for effective repair of curved bone portions, such as trochanters, and lack sufficient fixation to bone surfaces.

Innovation Solution

A bone repair device comprising a plate with a partial loop and a flexible structure attached to the plate, allowing for flexible wrapping around bone portions and securement using cerclage wires, with the flexible structure being porous to promote bone ingrowth.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If rigid bone repair implants are used, then structural strength is improved, but adaptability to curved bone surfaces deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural strengthVSAvoidadaptability to curved bone surfaces

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The implant is divided into multiple segments including a plate portion and a flexible structure portion. The plate provides rigid structural support while the flexible structure segments can deform to accommodate curved bone surfaces like trochanters, resolving the contradiction between strength and adaptability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The flexible structure portion is designed to be dynamically deformable, allowing it to bend and conform to the curved geometry of bone surfaces during implantation and healing, while the plate portion maintains static structural integrity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Stability of the object's composition

If rigid bone repair implants are used, then structural stability is improved, but fixation to bone surfaces deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural stabilityVSAvoidfixation to bone surfaces

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The flexible structure is designed with porous characteristics that promote bone ingrowth and biological fixation to bone surfaces. This porous structure enhances reliability of fixation while the overall device composition maintains structural stability through the plate portion.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #31Porous materials

3Adaptability or versatility

If flexible structures are used, then adaptability to bone surfaces is improved, but structural strength deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveflexibility for deformationVSAvoidstructural strength

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The implant merges a rigid plate portion with a flexible structure portion into a single integrated device. The plate provides the necessary structural strength while the flexible structure provides adaptability, combining the benefits of both rigid and flexible components to resolve the strength-flexibility contradiction.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS20250160911A1Flexible Construct for Femoral Reconstruction

Publication Date: 2025.05.22 HOWMEDICA OSTEONICS CORP

AI summary

A bone repair device includes a plate having a pathway and a flexible structure. The plate includes opposing top and bottom surfaces and a first side extending between the top and the bottom surfaces. The flexible structure is directly attached to and extends from the first side of the plate. In operation, the bone repair device is placed around and over a plurality of bone parts. The plate is secured to the plurality of bone parts with a cable inserted through the pathway and wrapped around the bone parts.