Intramedullary Plate Fixation with Alignment Fixture
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current intramedullary plate fixation procedures for bone fractures require large incisions and complex screw placement, complicating the fixation process and leaving prominent hardware, which is not ideal for minimally invasive techniques.
Innovation Solution
An intramedullary locking system with alignment fixtures and self-tapping fasteners that allow for minimal incisions, using interlocking plates and fasteners with alignment channels to securely fixate fractured bones with minimal invasive procedures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If intramedullary plate fixation is used to provide low profile fixation and ideal mechanical resistance, then mechanical strength and bone healing are improved, but incision size and surgical complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The intramedullary plate is divided into multiple segments with individual bore geometries for different fixation methods (screws, nails, interlocking rods). This segmentation allows the plate to provide ideal mechanical resistance through multiple fixation options while enabling minimally invasive insertion through a single low-profile intramedullary canal placement
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from external periosteal plate fixation to internal intramedullary plate fixation, moving the fixation device from the external surface dimension to the internal canal dimension. This provides the lowest possible profile while maintaining ideal mechanical resistance through the bone's central structural support
2Shape
If intramedullary plates are installed inside the intramedullary canal to minimize prominent hardware, then cosmetic appearance and patient comfort are improved, but visibility and fixation precision deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs radiopaque markers and contrast-enhanced imaging techniques to make the intramedullary plate and its bore geometries visible during surgical insertion, despite the plate being positioned inside the intramedullary canal where it would otherwise be invisible to the naked eye
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses imaging intermediaries (fluoroscopy, CT guidance, or radiopaque markers) as mediators to bridge the gap between the invisible intramedullary plate and the surgeon's ability to detect and measure bore alignment and plate position during the fixation procedure
3Reliability
If large incisions are made to install fixation plates and screws for reliable bone fracture healing, then bone fracture healing reliability is improved, but scarring and tissue damage increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the fixation plate from the external periosteal position and places it inside the intramedullary canal, removing the need for large incisions and extensive soft tissue dissection while maintaining reliable bone fracture healing through internal structural support
Solution Approach 2:
The intramedullary plate utilizes the bone's own intramedullary canal as the installation pathway and structural support framework, eliminating the need for external soft tissue disruption. The plate self-anchors within the canal using its bore geometries to engage with the bone's internal architecture, providing reliable fixation without large incisions
Data Source
AI summary
The system and method for intramedullary plate fixation of the preferred embodiments include a first intramedullary plate of a first geometry with a plurality of bores, a second intramedullary plate of a second geometry with a plurality of bores, a plurality of fasteners that fasten the first and second intramedullary plates to bone, and an alignment fixture held outside of the body that indicate the location of the bores of the first and second intramedullary plates and through which the fasteners are aligned with the bores of the first and second intramedullary plates, allowing the surgeon to make incisions in the patients body in known locations of the bores, and thus allowing for a minimally invasive intramedullary plate installation and fixation procedure.