Interlocking Bone Implant Components
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bone implants require multiple fasteners and extensive bone removal, leading to increased foreign objects in the patient and potential damage to healthy bone.
Innovation Solution
Designing patient-specific interlocking implant components that fit into negative non-planar features in the remaining cortical bone, eliminating the need for traditional fasteners by using deformable press fit or snap fit features.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional fasteners (screws, adhesives) are used to secure implants to bone, then the implant can be firmly fixed, but the alignment process is complex and additional foreign objects are introduced to the patient
Solution Approach 1:
The implant components are designed with integrated interlocking features directly formed as part of the implant structure itself, eliminating the need for separate fasteners. The protrusions and recesses are monolithic features that lock components together through direct mechanical engagement, combining the functions of the implant body and fastening mechanism into a single integrated structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent removes traditional fasteners (screws, adhesives, wires) from the system entirely. By extracting these separate fastening elements and replacing them with self-contained interlocking features on the implant components themselves, the design eliminates the complexity of fastener alignment and reduces the number of foreign objects introduced to the patient.
2Device complexity
If implants extend deep into cancellous bone to avoid fasteners, then fewer foreign objects are introduced, but even more bone must be removed for revision procedures
Solution Approach 1:
The interlocking features are pre-formed as integral parts of the implant components before insertion. The protrusions and recesses are manufactured into the implant structure in advance, allowing the components to lock together through predetermined mechanical paths without requiring deep extension into cancellous bone or complex intraoperative bone modification for revision procedures.
3Reliability
If multiple fasteners are used to secure the implant, then fixation stability is improved, but the number of foreign objects in the patient increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fastening function is merged into the implant component structure itself through integrated interlocking features. Instead of using multiple separate fasteners, the implant components incorporate protrusions and recesses that directly engage with each other and with the bone, consolidating the fastening mechanism into the implant body and reducing the total count of foreign objects.
Solution Approach 2:
Traditional fasteners are completely extracted from the system and replaced by self-contained interlocking features. This elimination of separate fastening elements reduces the quantity of foreign objects introduced to the patient while maintaining fixation stability through the engineered mechanical interlocking of implant components with each other and with the bone structure.
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
This solution allows for efficient bone replacement with minimal healthy bone loss, reducing the number of foreign objects in the patient and enhancing the stability of the implant without the need for additional fasteners.
Implementation Method 1
The protrusions may be received in the pathways in a press fit manner
Implementation Method 2
These features could be interlocked with deformable press fit or snap fit features similar to those used in plastic component assemblies
Data Source
AI summary
A method for treating a bone includes cutting away a portion of the bone, including cutting non-planar features into the bone for engagement by implant components. The method further includes fitting the multiple implant components to the bone, with at least some of the multiple implant components engaging the non-planar features cut into the bone. The implant components interlock such that later added implant components secure earlier added implant components in place on the bone.