Fracture Alignment Instrument with Movable Tines
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Solution Overview
Problem
Periprosthetic fractures around joint replacement surgeries pose challenges due to inadequate bone fixation, leading to potential failure of the prosthetic joint and requiring additional surgical procedures for proper healing.
Innovation Solution
An instrument comprising a connector with movably connected tines and a plate carrier that aligns with an intramedullary rod, allowing for precise positioning and fixation of bone plates adjacent to the fractured bone, ensuring proper alignment and stabilization of the fracture.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional fracture fixation methods are used, then the surgical procedure is simpler, but the fracture fixation is inadequate and healing is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The instrument is divided into distinct functional modules: a connector that interfaces with the intramedullary rod, movable tines for bone alignment, and plate carriers for plate positioning. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function efficiently while maintaining overall system reliability for fracture fixation.
Solution Approach 2:
The instrument features nested components where plate carriers are positioned within the instrument body, and tines can be retracted or extended as needed. The connector houses the mechanism for controlling tine movement, creating a compact nested structure that provides complex functionality without excessive external complexity.
2Manufacturing precision
If bone plates are positioned without precise alignment tools, then the procedure is faster, but the alignment is inaccurate causing abnormal stresses on the prosthetic joint
Solution Approach 1:
The instrument pre-positions the bone plate in the correct alignment relative to the intramedullary rod and fractured bone before the actual fixation occurs. The plate carrier holds the plate in predetermined alignment, and the tines are positioned to align the fracture surfaces, ensuring precision is established before final securing.
Solution Approach 2:
The instrument acts as an intermediary device between the intramedullary rod and the bone plate, providing a mechanical linkage that ensures accurate alignment. The connector serves as the intermediary that transfers positioning information from the rod to the plate carrier, eliminating the need for time-consuming manual alignment measurements.
3Reliability
If the fracture is not properly aligned and stabilized, then fewer surgical steps are required, but the fracture heals incorrectly causing pain and potential TKR failure
Solution Approach 1:
The instrument incorporates movable tines that can be adjusted during the procedure to accommodate variations in fracture geometry and bone anatomy. The plate carrier can be positioned at different locations along the instrument, and the entire assembly can be adjusted to achieve optimal fracture alignment before final fixation, providing dynamic adaptability without complicating the overall procedure.
Data Source
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AI summary
An instrument and method of using the instrument for setting a fracture in a bone and applying a bone plate to the fractured bone. The instrument includes a connector for connecting the instrument to the intramedullary rod. At least two tines are movably connected to the connector and configured to orient the fractured bone with respect to the rod. Each tine has a distal end configured to contact the bone. At feast one plate carrier is configured to receive the bone plate. The at least one plate carrier is movably connected to the connector and configured to move relative to the connector and the tines to position the bone plate adjacent the bone in a predetermined alignment with the intramedullary rod.