Interpositional Orthopedic Implant for Pain Relief Without Fusion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional orthopedic pain management techniques, such as joint fusion and implantable devices, often result in invasive procedures, limited range of motion, and long-term complications like bone erosion, failing to effectively alleviate pain and restore joint stability and function.
Innovation Solution
An implantable interpositional orthopedic pain management device with a saddle-shaped structure, made of materials similar to cortical bone, is designed to fit between joint bones, preventing direct contact and maintaining joint motion by using peripheral protrusions to secure the device in place, thus alleviating pain and restoring joint stability without invasive procedures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional implantable devices are used for orthopedic pain management, then pain relief is achieved, but bone erosion and long-term complications occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an interpositional device as an intermediary structure placed between the articulating bones of a joint. This device serves as a mediator that prevents direct bone-to-bone contact, thereby eliminating the harmful friction and stress that cause bone erosion while maintaining pain relief through the distraction and stabilization effects.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent specifies that the interpositional device is made from materials with properties matching cortical bone, creating homogeneity in the material composition. This homogeneity ensures that the device integrates seamlessly with the surrounding bone tissue, preventing the foreign body reaction and erosion that occur with heterogeneous materials, while maintaining mechanical compatibility and load-bearing capabilities.
2Reliability
If joint fusion is performed to alleviate pain, then pain relief is achieved, but range of motion is eliminated or severely limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the joint into distinct functional zones: the interpositional device occupies the central articulation space to provide distraction and pain relief, while the peripheral protrusions engage with the bone surfaces to maintain stability. This segmentation allows the joint to maintain motion capabilities through the peripheral structures while the central device provides pain management, avoiding the complete fusion approach.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a dynamic joint configuration where the interpositional device can move and articulate with the surrounding bones while maintaining distraction. The peripheral protrusions provide dynamic engagement that adapts to joint motion, allowing the joint to maintain range of motion while achieving pain relief through the continuous distraction effect of the interpositional structure.
3Reliability
If conventional implantable devices are placed in joints, then pain relief is achieved, but connective tissue and ligaments are cut and do not restore easily
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the pain relief function from the surrounding soft tissues and ligaments and concentrates it within the interpositional device. By removing the need for extensive soft tissue manipulation during implantation and using a device that provides distraction without requiring ligament repair, the procedure eliminates the difficult tissue restoration step while maintaining effective pain relief.
Solution Approach 2:
The interpositional device is designed to be self-sustaining, providing pain relief through its own structural distraction and stabilization capabilities without requiring extensive soft tissue integration or repair. The peripheral protrusions provide self-securing engagement with the bone surfaces, eliminating the need for complex soft tissue reconstruction and enabling easier recovery.
4Stability of the object's composition
If substantial bone alterations are performed for implant placement, then implant stability is achieved, but joint stability and function are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by concentrating the stability-providing features (peripheral protrusions) at specific locations where they engage with the bone surfaces, rather than requiring widespread bone alterations. The interpositional device has a localized engagement mechanism that provides sufficient stability without compromising the overall joint structure or requiring extensive bone modification.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques for implantable orthopedic pain management devices are disclosed, including incising an opening in a synovial capsule substantially surrounding a joint, using a first tool to form an enlarged opening in the synovial capsule, determining whether to modify the joint, the joint being modified using a second tool if a bone structure coupled to one or more bones is found within the joint and the bone structure is configured to limit articulation of the one or more bones when an implantable device is inserted into the synovial capsule and the joint, and inserting the implantable device into the synovial capsule through the enlarged opening, the implantable device being inserted into the joint using a third tool.