Foldable Mesh Containment for Bone Graft Retention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Bone grafts often fall away from target sites before being incorporated into healing bone due to the lack of a containment system, hindering effective bone healing and integration.
Innovation Solution
A two-dimensional mesh sheet that can be folded into a three-dimensional graft containment structure, specifically sized and shaped to correspond to the target bone area, allowing for secure placement and fixation of bone graft material within the bone defect.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If bone graft material is placed directly in the target area without a container, then the placement process is simple, but the graft material falls away from the target site before incorporation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a thin mesh sheet as a flexible containment shell that can be folded into a three-dimensional cage structure. This mesh sheet is sufficiently thin to minimize interference with bone healing while providing adequate containment to prevent graft material displacement, directly resolving the contradiction between retention reliability and device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The mesh sheet is designed to be folded from a two-dimensional configuration into a three-dimensional cage structure that conforms to the target bone defect. This dimensional transformation allows the containment structure to adapt to complex bone geometries while maintaining a simple flat storage form, reducing the perceived complexity during implantation.
2Reliability
If a containment structure is used to hold bone graft material, then graft material remains in place, but the structure must be precisely sized and shaped to match the target bone area
Solution Approach 1:
The mesh sheet incorporates fold lines that allow the structure to be dynamically adjusted and shaped during implantation. This dynamic folding capability enables the containment structure to conform to various bone defect geometries without requiring multiple precisely manufactured sizes, thereby reducing manufacturing precision requirements while maintaining reliable graft retention.
Solution Approach 2:
The mesh sheet is divided into multiple panels separated by fold lines, creating a segmented structure that can be independently positioned and shaped. This segmentation allows the containment cage to adapt to different bone geometries through configuration changes rather than requiring custom manufacturing for each case, reducing manufacturing precision demands.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the mesh sheet is folded into a three-dimensional structure during surgery, then the containment structure conforms to the target area, but the folding process adds surgical complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The mesh sheet is pre-marked with fold lines and creases during manufacturing that guide the folding process during surgery. This preliminary preparation of folding guides significantly reduces the complexity of the surgical procedure by providing clear instructions for transforming the flat sheet into a three-dimensional cage, making the process more intuitive and easier to perform.
Solution Approach 2:
The mesh sheet design includes self-aligning features where the fold lines and panel configurations naturally guide the structure into the correct three-dimensional shape during folding. This self-service mechanism reduces the need for complex surgical manipulation and tools, allowing the structure to conform to the target area through straightforward folding actions.
Data Source
AI summary
A bone graft system includes a two-dimensional mesh sheet sized and shaped to, when folded along fold lines, form a three-dimensional graft containment structure configured to be packed with a bone graft material for placement within a target area of a bone, the mesh sheet including a first end flap connected to a remaining portion of the mesh sheet via a first fold line and a second end flap connected to the remaining portion of the mesh sheet via a second fold line, a third fold line extending from the first fold line to the second fold line so that the remaining portion is configured to be wrapped around folded first and second end flaps to form the graft containment structure, the first and second end flaps substantially corresponding to a profile of the target area of the bone.