Hinged Knee Spacer Prevents Dislocation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing constrained spacer devices for knee joints, particularly in cases of infection or secondary prosthesis substitution, face challenges in providing stability and mobility while maintaining the articular space and preventing tissue atrophy.
Innovation Solution
A pre-formed, constrained spacer device with a hinged design where the femoral and tibial components are articulated and fixed to the bones, allowing rotational and translational movement but preventing separation, ensuring stability and mobility by using a protrusion and intercondylar space mechanism for constraint and a closure element for secure fixation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a constrained spacer device is used to provide stability and prevent tissue atrophy, then joint stability is improved, but patient mobility is restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The spacer device incorporates a hinged connection between femoral and tibial components that allows dynamic movement within constrained ranges. The hinge mechanism permits controlled rotation and translation, enabling patient mobility while maintaining joint stability through the constrained articulation path that prevents dislocation and excessive movement.
2Reliability
If a pre-formed constrained spacer device is used to treat infection and maintain articular space, then treatment effectiveness is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The spacer device is divided into separate femoral and tibial components that can be assembled together. This segmentation allows for simplified manufacturing of individual components while achieving the complex constrained functionality when assembled. The modular design facilitates easier sterilization, handling, and implantation procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
A hinge mechanism serves as an intermediary element connecting the femoral and tibial components. This hinge provides the constrained articulation functionality without requiring complex internal mechanisms within each component, thereby reducing overall device complexity while maintaining treatment effectiveness.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the femoral and tibial components are constrained to each other to ensure stability, then joint stability is improved, but ease of assembly and removal decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge connection creates a dynamic but constrained relationship between components, allowing controlled movement while maintaining stability. This design enables the components to be assembled and disassembled through simple hinge operations rather than requiring complex locking mechanisms, improving ease of assembly and removal while preserving joint stability during use.
Data Source
AI summary
Spacer device for the knee joint comprising a tibial component, adapted to be fixed to one end of the tibial bone in proximity to the knee joint, and a femoral component, adapted to be fixed to one end of the femoral bone in proximity to the knee joint, wherein the tibial component is adapted to come into contact and be articulated with the femoral component, wherein the tibial component includes a protrusion adapted to be inserted in an opening present in the femoral component; method for the assembly of the spacer device.