Patient-Specific Knee Osteotomy Wedge for Tibia Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tools and procedures for knee 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 surgical tool set, including a wedge element and predrilling guide, designed to fit snugly into the tibia bone based on pre-operative plans, ensuring precise alignment and secure fixation with customizable contours and drill guides for accurate hole placement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If existing standard surgical tools are used for knee osteotomy, then the procedure can be performed with standard equipment, but the accuracy and precision of alignment correction is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The surgical tool is divided into multiple segments including a body portion, a wedge element, and a tab element. Each segment serves a specific function: the body provides structural support, the wedge element fits into the osteotomy site to maintain alignment, and the tab element facilitates insertion and removal. This segmentation allows for precise customization while maintaining manufacturing feasibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The wedge element is designed with predetermined geometry based on preoperative planning. The contours, angles, and dimensions are calculated in advance to match the specific patient's anatomy and desired correction parameters. This preliminary design ensures that when the tool is manufactured and used, it provides the exact alignment correction needed without requiring intraoperative adjustments.
2Manufacturing precision
If patient-specific custom tools are manufactured, then accuracy and precision of the procedure is improved, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The tool incorporates patient-specific anatomical features only where necessary for precise fit and function. The wedge element contains custom contours that match the patient's bone geometry at the osteotomy site, while other portions of the tool use standardized forms. This approach achieves the required manufacturing precision for the critical interface while keeping overall manufacturing complexity manageable.
Solution Approach 2:
The design allows for systematic variation of key parameters such as wedge angle, contour curvature, and dimensional proportions based on patient-specific measurements. By establishing a parametric design framework, the tool can be customized for different patients through controlled modification of these parameters rather than complete redesign, thereby improving manufacturing precision while maintaining ease of manufacture.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the wedge element is designed to fit snugly into the wedge opening, then alignment stability is improved, but the complexity of achieving precise fit increases
Solution Approach 1:
The wedge element incorporates curved surfaces and rounded transitions rather than sharp edges and flat planes. The contours are designed with smooth curvature that naturally conforms to the bone surfaces at the osteotomy site. This curvature approach enhances stability by increasing contact area and distributing forces evenly, while the mathematical simplicity of curved surfaces compared to complex irregular geometries actually reduces manufacturing complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A patient-specific tool for performing a knee osteotomy procedure on a patient's tibia bone, the patient's tibia bone having a wedge opening defining a top interior surface and a bottom interior surface, the tool comprising: a body including a wedge element sized and shaped to fit in the wedge opening, the wedge element having at least one bone contacting surface having contours complementary in shape to surface contours of the top and bottom interior surfaces of the patient's tibia bone.