Patient-Specific Knee Alignment Guide for Precision Resection
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Proper alignment of prosthetic components in knee arthroscopy is crucial for longevity and function, as misalignment can lead to increased wear, patient discomfort, and functional limitations, yet existing methods lack patient-specific solutions.
Innovation Solution
A method involving obtaining scan data to create a three-dimensional image of the joint, preparing a patient-specific alignment guide, and using it to secure guide elements for precise resection of the joint surface, allowing for accurate placement of a prosthesis without removing the guide elements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional alignment methods are used, then the surgical procedure can be performed with standard tools, but the alignment precision and patient-specific customization are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The alignment guide is divided into multiple functional components: a guide body for positioning, guide pins for drilling, and a resection guide for cutting. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function with high precision while maintaining overall manageability of the complex system.
Solution Approach 2:
The alignment guide is designed and manufactured before the surgical procedure, incorporating pre-calculated positions for guide pins and resection surfaces based on patient-specific anatomy. This preliminary preparation enables precise alignment during surgery without requiring complex real-time calculations or adjustments.
2Measurement precision
If patient-specific alignment guides are used, then the alignment precision and customization improve, but the preparation time and surgical complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The alignment guide is designed and manufactured before the surgical procedure, incorporating pre-calculated positions for guide pins and resection surfaces based on patient-specific anatomy. This preliminary preparation enables precise alignment during surgery without requiring complex real-time calculations or adjustments.
Solution Approach 2:
The alignment guide creates a physical copy of the patient's joint anatomy through 3D scanning and computer modeling, allowing the surgeon to work with an accurate replica that mirrors the patient's specific geometry. This copying process enables precise measurements and planning without repeatedly measuring the actual patient anatomy during surgery.
3Ease of manufacture
If guide elements are removed with the alignment guide, then the surgical site is cleaner, but the guide elements cannot be reused for positioning the prosthesis
Solution Approach 1:
The alignment guide is divided into multiple functional components: a guide body for positioning, guide pins for drilling, and a resection guide for cutting. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function with high precision while maintaining overall manageability of the complex system.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide pins and resection guide are extracted as separate, removable components from the main alignment guide body. These extracted elements can be removed from the surgical site after use, while the main guide body remains to provide ongoing positioning support for prosthesis placement.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of preparing a knee joint for a prosthesis in a patient includes mating a patient-specific three-dimensional curved inner surface of a femoral alignment guide onto a corresponding three-dimensional femoral joint surface of the patient. The patient-specific three-dimensional curved inner surface is preoperatively configured from medical scans of the knee joint of the patient. First and second holes are drilled into an anterior portion of the femoral joint surface through corresponding first and second guiding apertures of the femoral alignment guide.