Lateral Unicondylar Knee Prosthesis Implantation Method
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing knee replacement surgeries, including total and partial knee replacements, face challenges such as lack of adaptability to individual patient anatomy, significant damage to only one side of the joint, and longer recovery times due to invasive procedures.
Innovation Solution
A method for implanting a lateral unicondylar knee prosthesis involving steps like bending the knee, making incisions, resecting bone portions, attaching prosthetic components, and inserting a mobile bearing member, with anatomical positioning and cementless or cemented attachment options using materials like titanium and cobalt chrome alloys, to preserve healthy joint parts and facilitate natural movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If total knee replacement surgery is performed to replace damaged cartilage, then the joint function is restored, but the recovery time is extended and healthy joint parts are damaged
Solution Approach 1:
The knee replacement is segmented into only the damaged lateral condyle portion rather than replacing the entire knee joint. The prosthesis includes a lateral femoral condyle prosthetic component and a tibial prosthetic component with mobile bearing member, replacing only the affected lateral articulating portion while preserving the medial condyle and other healthy structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The damaged lateral condyle cartilage and bone surface are resected and removed, and the mobile bearing member is extracted as a separate movable component between the femoral and tibial prosthetic components. This extraction approach removes only the damaged portions while maintaining the natural knee structure where possible.
2Reliability
If traditional knee replacement methods are used, then joint replacement is achieved, but adaptability to individual patient anatomy is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The prosthesis components are designed with specific anatomical features that match the local geometry of the lateral condyle. The lateral femoral condyle prosthetic component includes a resected surface that conforms to the patient's specific anatomy, and the mobile bearing member adapts to the individual's joint space and articulation characteristics.
Solution Approach 2:
The mobile bearing member is designed to move dynamically within the tibial prosthetic component, allowing adaptation to varying patient anatomy and movement patterns. The bearing can translate and rotate to accommodate individual differences in femoral-tibial articulation while maintaining proper joint mechanics.
3Reliability
If invasive surgical procedures are used for knee replacement, then damaged joint surfaces are replaced, but the procedure complexity and invasiveness increase
Solution Approach 1:
The surgical procedure is segmented into focused steps targeting only the lateral condyle: making an incision, resecting the lateral tibial plateau and lateral femoral condyle, attaching the tibial prosthetic component with mobile bearing, and attaching the lateral femoral condyle prosthetic component. This segmentation avoids the complexity of total knee replacement while achieving effective replacement of damaged surfaces.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of implanting a lateral unicondylar knee prosthesis in a lateral articulating portion of a femur having a lateral condyle for engagement with a tibia, the method including the steps of: bending a patients knee such that the knee is not in full extension; making an incision through the skin, muscle, and other soft tissue until the damaged bone surfaces are exposed; resecting an end portion of the lateral tibia; resecting an end portion of the lateral femoral condyle; attaching a tibial prosthetic component to the resected end portion of the tibia; attaching a lateral femoral condyle prosthetic component to the resected end portion of the lateral femoral condyle; determining the thickness of a mobile bearing member with the knee in full extension; and inserting the mobile bearing member between the tibial prosthetic component and the femoral prosthetic component.