Guided K-Wire Locking Tube for Stable Fracture Fixation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional K-wire fixation in fracture surgery is time-consuming, requires high surgical expertise, unstable, risks injury to surrounding tissues, interferes with bone plate placement, and obstructs intramedullary nail insertion, leading to unreliable stability during fluoroscopic evaluation and implant placement.
Innovation Solution
A guided locking device comprising a guiding locking tube and a locking member that constricts to securely clamp K-wires, allowing rapid and precise temporary fixation, minimizing tissue injury, and ensuring compatibility with intramedullary procedures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional K-wires are inserted from one side of the fracture, then temporary fixation is achieved, but considerable time and surgical expertise are required and fracture displacement often occurs during insertion
Solution Approach 1:
The guiding locking tube is pre-positioned on the bone surface with locking members ready to receive K-wires. The tube pre-defines the optimal trajectory and depth, eliminating the need for time-consuming manual K-wire insertion and fluoroscopic guidance adjustments. Multiple K-wires can be rapidly inserted through the pre-positioned tube simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The guiding locking tube acts as an intermediary device between the bone surface and the K-wires. It provides a guided pathway that ensures accurate K-wire placement while the locking members secure the wires in position, combining the benefits of pre-positioning with secure fixation.
2Reliability
If multiple K-wires are inserted to secure fracture fragments, then temporary fixation is achieved, but additional forces are exerted on the fracture site making it difficult to maintain anatomical reduction
Solution Approach 1:
The fixation force is distributed across multiple locking members that are independently adjustable. Each locking member can be tightened to apply localized compression forces at specific points along the K-wire, distributing the overall fixation load more evenly across the fracture site rather than concentrating forces at a single insertion point.
3Reliability
If K-wires are inserted to achieve temporary fixation, then fracture stabilization is attempted, but the stability achieved is relatively unreliable and external forces may readily cause redisplacement
Solution Approach 1:
The invention combines multiple K-wires into a unified fixation system within a single guiding locking tube. The locking members secure all K-wires simultaneously, creating a combined fixation structure that resists external forces more effectively than individual K-wires could achieve alone. The tube itself provides additional structural support.
4Reliability
If K-wires are passed through the medullary cavity for fixation, then temporary stabilization is achieved, but they may obstruct subsequent placement of an intramedullary nail
Solution Approach 1:
The locking members are designed to be dynamically adjustable and removable. They can be loosened or completely removed from the guiding locking tube to clear the medullary cavity for intramedullary nail insertion, while still maintaining fracture stability through the tube structure alone during the nail placement procedure.
5Reliability
If conventional K-wire insertion techniques are used, then temporary fixation is achieved, but the insertion carries a risk of injury to surrounding vessels and nerves
Solution Approach 1:
The guiding locking tube is pre-positioned on the bone surface with its trajectory carefully planned to avoid surrounding vessels and nerves. This pre-positioning allows the surgeon to visualize and adjust the insertion path before actually inserting K-wires, eliminating the risk of accidental injury that occurs during blind or fluoroscopically-guided manual insertion.
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 guided locking device provides rapid, reliable temporary fixation, reduces surgical risk, maintains fracture stability, and facilitates secure implant placement, enhancing surgical efficiency and reducing the risk of redisplacement.
Implementation Method 1
The locking member is configured to drive the wall of the locking end inwardly to achieve constriction
Data Source
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AI summary
Disclosed is a guided locking device and a fracture fixation system incorporating the same. The guided locking device comprises a guiding locking tube and a locking member. The guiding locking tube includes a locking end and a connecting end, and is provided with at least one elongated slot on its wall, the slot being in communication with the internal lumen and extending through the locking end. The locking member is configured to cause inward constriction of the tube wall at the locking end. The fracture fixation system comprises a bone plate, a Kirschner wire (K-wire), and the aforementioned guided locking device. The bone plate is provided with a fixation through-hole, to which the connecting end of the guiding locking tube is fixedly attached, such that the tube is arranged perpendicularly relative to the bone plate. The K-wire is received within the lumen of the guiding locking tube, and the locking member constricts the locking end inwardly to securely clamp the K-wire in position. This system reduces the risk of fracture displacement during K-wire fixation, avoids interference between the K-wire and the bone plate, and shortens the required intramedullary insertion length, thereby enabling unlimited application in intramedullary nail-assisted fracture fixation. The overall stability is superior to conventional multi-wire fixation techniques.