Patient-Specific Knee Osteotomy Plate Wedge Element
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tools and procedures for knee osteotomies, such as high tibial osteotomies, lack accuracy and precision in correcting the alignment of the knee joint, leading to suboptimal pressure distribution between the tibia and femur.
Innovation Solution
A patient-specific fixation plate with a wedge element is designed to securely attach to the bone, featuring a body with a bone interface side and an outward-facing side, and a wedge element that conforms to the shape of the opening in the bone, providing precise support and alignment through proximal and distal abutments spaced via a canal, and manufactured using 3D models of the patient's bone for customized fit and function.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If existing tools and procedures are used for knee osteotomies, then the procedure can be performed, but the accuracy and precision of knee alignment correction is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The fixation plate is divided into distinct functional segments: a body portion for securing to the bone and a separate wedge element for inserting into the opening. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently - the body for stable attachment and the wedge element for precise alignment correction, thereby improving both measurement precision and reliability of the osteotomy procedure
Solution Approach 2:
The wedge element is pre-shaped to conform to the specific contours of the patient's bone opening, determined through preoperative planning. This preliminary customization ensures that when the wedge element is inserted into the opening, it provides immediate and precise alignment correction without requiring intraoperative adjustment, thus improving accuracy and reliability
2Manufacturing precision
If a standardized fixation plate is used, then manufacturing is simpler, but the fit and support precision for individual patient anatomy is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The wedge element's geometric parameters (shape, size, contours) are customized based on patient-specific parameters obtained from 3D imaging and preoperative planning. By changing the parameters according to individual patient anatomy rather than using fixed standardized dimensions, the invention achieves precise conformity to the bone opening while maintaining manufacturability through modern manufacturing techniques
3Strength
If the wedge element is made as a single solid piece, then structural strength is higher, but adaptability to varying opening shapes is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The wedge element exhibits local quality variations where its surface contours are specifically shaped to conform to the local geometry of the patient's bone opening. This localized customization of shape maintains structural integrity through appropriate thickness and material properties while adapting to varying opening contours, thus achieving both strength and adaptability
Data Source
AI summary
A fixation plate for securing an opening formed in a bone is provided. The fixation plate includes: a body securable to the bone, the body having a bone interface side and an outward facing side; and a wedge element extending from the bone interface side of the body for inserting into the opening formed in the bone. The wedge element is shaped to conform to contours of the opening formed in the bone. In some embodiments, the wedge element is provided with an evolutive canal. A corresponding method for designing a patient-specific fixation plate is also provided.