Flexible Bone Screw Curved Path Insertion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional orthopedic bone plates require extensive surgical exposure, leading to lengthy and painful healing processes and increased risk of infection, as they often need to protrude through the skin for removal.
Innovation Solution
Development of bone screws with a distal portion having a helical thread that can bend to follow a curved path, allowing for stabilization of bone portions without broad exposure, minimizing the risk of infection by avoiding elements that protrude through the skin.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If bone plates are used to stabilize fractures, then bone stabilization is achieved, but extensive surgical exposure is required leading to lengthy and painful healing
Solution Approach 1:
The bone screw is divided into distinct functional segments: a flexible distal threaded portion for navigation and insertion, and a rigid proximal portion for stable fixation. This segmentation allows the device to follow curved bone paths during insertion while providing rigid stabilization once positioned, thereby achieving bone stabilization without requiring extensive surgical exposure or lengthy healing time.
2Strength
If bone plates are implanted to repair fractures, then fracture stabilization is achieved, but the implantation site must be re-exposed for plate removal causing additional healing
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the flexible navigation function from the fixation function by placing it only in the distal threaded portion, which is inserted first to guide the screw along the curved path. The proximal portion then provides the fixation function. This separation allows the device to be inserted through a small incision without requiring broad exposure for removal, as the entire device can be retrieved through the same small access point.
3Strength
If external fixation devices are used, then bone stabilization is achieved, but infection risk increases due to skin protrusion
Solution Approach 1:
The bone screw is inserted through a small incision and nested within the bone structure, with the flexible distal portion navigating the curved intramedullary path and the rigid proximal portion providing stabilization. The entire device remains internal without protruding through the skin, eliminating the infection risk associated with external fixation devices while maintaining effective bone stabilization.
4Strength
If rigid screws are used for bone fixation, then stable support is provided, but they cannot follow curved paths in bone
Solution Approach 1:
The bone screw exhibits local quality differentiation where the distal threaded portion has flexible properties to navigate curved bone paths, while the proximal portion has rigid properties to provide stable fixation. This localized variation in mechanical properties allows the single device to fulfill both adaptability requirements for path following and stability requirements for fixation, resolving the contradiction between rigidity and flexibility.
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 bone screws enable stabilization of bone portions with reduced bending stiffness in the distal portion, allowing them to follow curved paths within the bone, thereby minimizing tissue damage and infection risk while providing solid support and fixation.
Implementation Method 1
The distal threaded portion is operable to bend as it is threaded into a bone to follow a curved path
Data Source
AI summary
There is disclosed a device and method for stabilizing a bone. The device includes a flexible threaded portion operable to thread along a curved path in a bone.