Hallux Valgus Osteosynthesis Guide for Precise Wire Placement

The patent introduces a surgical guide as an intermediary device that mediates between the surgeon's freehand operation and the bone structure. The guide includes a guide body with a guiding portion that interfaces with a targeting wire already positioned in the bone, and a targeting arm with openings that guide the insertion of guiding wires and implants. This intermediary structure provides precise positioning while maintaining surgical flexibility.

The patent replaces the purely manual mechanical control (freehand technique) with a hybrid system that incorporates a pre-positioned targeting wire as a mechanical reference. The surgical guide translates the positioning information from the targeting wire into precise guidance for subsequent wire and implant insertion, substituting the need for continuous manual adjustment with a stable mechanical reference system.

The patent applies preliminary action by requiring the insertion of a targeting wire into the bone before the main surgical procedure. This targeting wire is positioned in advance to establish the desired orientation and position. The surgical guide then utilizes this pre-positioned wire to guide all subsequent operations, eliminating the need for repeated adjustments and X-ray verification during the actual bone cutting and implant insertion phases.

The surgical guide provides visual feedback through its structure - the guide body and targeting arm are designed to clearly indicate when properly positioned relative to the targeting wire. The guide's geometry provides inherent feedback about the correct orientation for guiding wire and implant insertion, reducing reliance on continuous X-ray imaging for verification.

The patent substitutes repeated radiographic imaging with a mechanical guidance system. The surgical guide's physical structure - including the guide body aligned with the targeting wire and the targeting arm with precisely positioned openings - provides continuous mechanical verification of correct positioning. The guide's design ensures that when properly positioned, the openings automatically align with the intended implant trajectory, eliminating the need for X-ray verification during the procedure.

The surgical guide performs self-verification through its own structure. The guide body with its guiding portion that engages the targeting wire, and the targeting arm with its openings, create a self-checking system. When the guide is correctly positioned on the targeting wire, the geometry of the openings automatically indicates correct alignment for wire and implant insertion, providing self-service positioning verification without external imaging.

The surgical guide acts as an intermediary that compensates for imperfect bone surfaces and reduction. The guide body with its guiding portion interfaces with the targeting wire to establish a stable reference framework. The targeting arm then uses this reference to provide precise guidance for guiding wire and implant insertion, ensuring accurate positioning even when the underlying bone surfaces are not perfectly congruent or the reduction is not ideal.

The patent replaces reliance on perfect bone-to-bone mechanical contact with a mechanical reference system based on the targeting wire and surgical guide. Instead of depending on the congruency of bone surfaces for accurate implant positioning, the system uses the pre-positioned targeting wire as a stable mechanical reference that the surgical guide locks onto, providing consistent guidance regardless of bone surface quality or reduction accuracy.