Joint Defect Targeting Instrument with Alignment Guide
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical treatments for joint pain associated with osteoarthritis, such as high tibial osteotomy and total knee arthroplasty, are invasive, have limited durability, and do not consistently provide reliable pain relief, while existing surgical access devices are cumbersome and time-consuming, making precise targeting of bone defects challenging.
Innovation Solution
The development of instruments and implants that enable precise and controlled delivery of devices to target sites within joints, including a positioning instrument with alignment guides and device portals for accurate placement, and implantable devices with features like fins and channels for bone engagement and cement introduction, facilitating subchondral treatment and bone repair.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional surgical treatments like high tibial osteotomy and total knee arthroplasty are performed, then joint pain relief is achieved, but the procedures are invasive with limited durability and do not consistently provide reliable pain relief
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and treats only the specific subchondral bone defect area rather than performing comprehensive joint replacement. The device is inserted percutaneously to deliver treatment precisely to the subchondral region, avoiding the invasiveness of traditional joint replacement while addressing the root cause of pain
Solution Approach 2:
The treatment is localized to the specific subchondral bone defect area rather than treating the entire joint. The device targets and treats only the affected subchondral region, providing localized therapy that preserves healthy joint tissue while addressing the specific source of pain
2Measurement precision
If existing surgical access devices are used, then surgical intervention can be performed, but the devices are cumbersome and time-consuming, making precise targeting of bone defects challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The surgical system is segmented into separate functional components: a positioning instrument with alignment guide for precise targeting, and a separate treatment device for delivering therapy. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function, achieving precise bone defect targeting while simplifying the overall surgical process
Solution Approach 2:
The alignment guide serves as an intermediary tool that facilitates precise positioning of the treatment device. It provides a reference framework that enables accurate targeting of the subchondral bone defect without requiring complex surgical instrumentation or extensive surgical skill
Data Source
AI summary
Instruments and associated methods are disclosed for treating joints, and particularly bone tissue. One of these instruments may be a positioning instrument for controlled delivery of a device to a target site of the bone tissue being treated. The positioning instrument may comprise an alignment guide having a device portal for insertion of a device therethrough. The positioning instrument may have an indicator probe having an extended arm, and a handle portion for maneuvering the positioning instrument. Another instrument may be a device for placement through the device portal of the alignment guide and to the target site. The device may comprise an implant insertion tool, an injection catheter, a cavity creation tool such as a bone drill, for example, or the device may be an implantable device.