Custom Knee Implant Design via Population Anthropometry
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current knee replacement implants and prostheses are inadequately designed to accommodate the anatomical variations across different races, leading to mismatch issues, subsidence, soft tissue abrasion, and operation failure due to insufficient incorporation of anthropometric characteristics.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the definition of key anatomical centers and axes in the lower limb, generation of geometric parameters, collection of anthropometric data from specific populations, and creation of customized femoral and tibial components using computer-aided design tools to produce implants that match individual anatomical shapes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If implants and prostheses are designed according to few standard sizes, then manufacturing and inventory management are simplified, but anatomical mismatch occurs leading to subsidence and soft tissue abrasion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by collecting anthropometric data from diverse populations and using statistical methods to generate scaled anatomical models with varying geometric parameters. This allows the implant design to adapt to different population characteristics while maintaining a standardized base model, thus resolving the contradiction between manufacturing simplicity and anatomical matching accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal implant design framework that can serve multiple population groups through parametric scaling. The base implant model serves as a universal template that can be adapted to different ethnic and anatomical variations through geometric parameter adjustments, achieving both manufacturing efficiency and broad applicability
2Loss of time
If standard-sized implants are used for all patients, then surgical procedure time is reduced, but anatomical incompatibility leads to operation failure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by pre-calculating and storing geometric parameters for multiple population groups before surgery. The surgeon can quickly select and apply the appropriate scaled model based on patient anthropology without performing complex measurements during surgery, thus reducing surgical time while ensuring anatomical compatibility
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates simplified 2D scaled copies of 3D anatomical models that can be rapidly generated and applied during surgical planning. These copied models preserve the essential geometric characteristics of target populations while being computationally efficient for quick selection and application in the surgical workflow
Data Source
AI summary
The present application discloses a method of producing a knee replacement implant, an implant for knee replacement formed by using the method, and a knee replacement implant. The method includes: defining a hip center, a knee center, an ankle center and a posterior femoral condylar axis of a lower limb; generating femoral geometric parameters and tibial geometric parameters, the femoral geometric parameters and the tibial geometric parameters being measured in relation to the hip center, the knee center, the ankle center and the posterior femoral condylar axis; collecting anthropometric data from a defined population using the femoral geometric parameters and the tibial geometric parameters; and creating a femoral component and/or a tibial component using the collected anthropometric data.