Lever-Locked Trial Neck for Stable Hip Implant Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Hip replacement surgery requires precise alignment and sizing of acetabular cup implants and prosthetics, which is challenging due to factors like neck length and angular orientation, often leading to restricted movement and accelerated wear of bearing surfaces.
Innovation Solution
A trial neck with a locking mechanism featuring a lever and actuation member for secure attachment to a femoral canal implement, allowing fine adjustments and preventing inadvertent decoupling during surgical trials.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a trial neck is attached to a femoral canal implement without a locking mechanism, then the attachment can be easily adjusted and removed, but the trial neck may become inadvertently decoupled during surgical trials, leading to instability and imprecise alignment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical locking systems with a simple lever-based mechanism that uses geometric interlocking and friction. The lever engages with a cam surface on the femoral canal implement, creating a self-locking effect through mechanical geometry rather than complex fasteners or fastening systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The lever mechanism is designed to be actuated by the surgeon's finger directly, without requiring separate tools or complex actuation systems. The lever's movement automatically engages or disengages the locking function through its geometric relationship with the cam surface, making the system self-regulating.
2Reliability
If a lever locking mechanism is added to secure the trial neck, then inadvertent decoupling is prevented and alignment stability is improved, but the device complexity and difficulty of operation increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cam surface is designed with a curved, spherical geometry that allows the lever to engage smoothly. The curved surface provides a progressive engagement path, where the lever naturally seats itself onto the cam surface through rotational movement, reducing the force and complexity required for actuation.
Solution Approach 2:
The lever mechanism incorporates dynamic elements that allow it to adapt to slight variations in positioning. The lever can pivot and self-adjust during engagement, accommodating minor misalignments without requiring precise manual positioning, thereby maintaining ease of operation while ensuring secure attachment.
Data Source
AI summary
A trial neck for hip surgery and a method of attaching a trial neck to a femoral canal implement. The trial neck includes a body portion including a bore for receiving a proximal end of a femoral canal implement. The trial neck also includes an elongate neck extending from the body portion. The trial neck further includes a locking mechanism comprising a lever. The lever has a first end. The lever also has a second end. The lever further has an engagement surface. The second end of the lever is actuable to urge the engagement surface against the proximal end of the femoral canal implement to secure the proximal end of the femoral canal implement within the bore.