Interlocking Particulate Bone Replacement Material
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current bone replacement materials are not shape-stable and cannot be adapted to individual anatomical situations during surgery, limiting their effectiveness in filling and stabilizing bone cavities without requiring chemical curing reactions.
Innovation Solution
A particulate alloplastic bone replacement material comprising particles with deformable pins and connecting elements that interlock or snap into each other, forming a shape-stable, open-pored body suitable for bone growth, produced using 3D printing methods from biocompatible materials.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional bone replacement materials are used, then volume stability is achieved, but shape adaptability is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The bone replacement material is divided into individual particles, each containing multiple pins with connecting elements. These segmented particles can be freely arranged and interlocked to adapt to various cavity shapes while maintaining overall structural stability through the interconnection of pins between particles.
Solution Approach 2:
The pins are designed to be deformable, allowing the particle structure to dynamically adjust during the forming process. The pins can elastically deform to enable interlocking with neighboring particles, then stabilize to maintain the final shape, providing both adaptability and stability.
2Adaptability or versatility
If Trabecular Metal material is used, then porous structure is achieved, but shape customization is lost
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of manufacturing a single complex-shaped implant, the solution segments the implant into multiple simple particles that can be easily manufactured. These particles are then assembled in situ to create the customized shape, separating the manufacturing simplicity from the final shape complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The particles are pre-manufactured with standardized geometries and pin structures that can be easily produced. The customization occurs during assembly when particles are arranged and interlocked to match the specific anatomical requirements, performing the shaping action at the assembly stage rather than the manufacturing stage.
3Stability of the object's composition
If particles are pressed together to form open-pored body, then shape stability is achieved, but mechanical strength may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The pins are pre-designed with connecting elements and deformable characteristics that enable them to perform the interlocking function during particle assembly. This preliminary design ensures that when particles are pressed together, the pins automatically engage and lock, providing both shape stability and mechanical strength through the interlocked structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The bone replacement material creates a composite structure where multiple particles are combined through pin interlocking. This composite architecture distributes mechanical loads across multiple connection points, enhancing overall mechanical strength while maintaining the open-pored structure and shape stability.
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 material allows for the formation of a mechanically stable, osteoconductive bone replacement that can be easily shaped and inserted into cavities of any size, promoting bone growth and integration without chemical curing, enhancing surgical adaptability and patient outcomes.
Implementation Method 1
the pins are deformable elastically such that, upon multiple particles being pressed together, the connecting elements of different particles interlock with and/or snap into each other
Data Source
AI summary
Particulate alloplastic bone replacement material and methods have a multitude of particles, wherein the particles have a core and at least six pins extending from the core, wherein the pins each have at least one connecting element, and wherein the pins are deformable elastically such that, upon multiple particles being pressed together, the connecting elements of different particles interlock with and/or snap into each other and the particles that are interlocked with and/or snapped into each other form an open-pored body of particles that are interlocked with and/or snapped into each other.