Orthopedic Arthrodesis Devices for Mid-Foot Joint Fusion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical procedures for orthopedic mid-foot disorders, particularly those involving the medial column of the foot, are underdeveloped and lack reliable methods for correction, leading to inadequate treatment of conditions like flatfoot reconstruction and joint fusion.
Innovation Solution
The development of instrumentation and methods for mid-foot joint fusion, arthrodesis, and arthroplasty, including biocompatible wedge implants, dowel grafts, and arcuate distractors, which facilitate precise realignment and fusion of joints in the foot and other transverse or vertically-oriented joints, such as the tarsometatarsal, navicular cuneiform, and subtalar joints.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional surgical procedures are used for mid-foot disorders, then the treatment is simple and easy to perform, but the treatment effectiveness is inadequate and reliability is low
Solution Approach 1:
The surgical system is divided into multiple specialized instruments including joint finders for identifying target joints, wedge implants for spacing and alignment, dowel grafts for fusion, and arcuate distractors for distraction osteotomy. Each instrument performs a specific function in the surgical sequence, transforming a complex procedure into manageable segmented steps that improve reliability while organizing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The joint finder instrument is used preliminarily to identify and mark the target joint location before any fusion or implantation procedures. This preliminary action ensures accurate joint identification and planning, improving the reliability of subsequent fusion procedures by establishing correct anatomical landmarks and alignment parameters in advance.
2Reliability
If mid-foot correction procedures are performed, then treatment effectiveness for flatfoot reconstruction improves, but the difficulty of detection and measurement increases
Solution Approach 1:
The joint finder instrument serves as an intermediary tool that facilitates the detection and measurement of target joints. It includes features such as guide channels, measurement markings, and alignment references that mediate between the surgeon's needs and the complex anatomical structures, making joint identification and alignment measurement more straightforward while improving correction effectiveness.
3Reliability
If precise realignment and fusion procedures are implemented, then bone healing and fusion success improve, but the device complexity and surgical time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges multiple functions into integrated instrument designs. For example, the joint finder combines joint identification, measurement, and guide functions in a single instrument. The wedge implant system combines spacing, alignment, and fusion support functions. This merging reduces the number of separate steps and instrument changes required, thereby reducing surgical time while maintaining precise realignment and high fusion success rates.
Data Source
AI summary
Devices, systems and methods for surgical treatment of mid-foot disorders such as osteoarthritis, spacing disorders, or alignment disorders, including mid-foot arthroplasty devices and systems for the 2nd and 3rd tarsometatarsal (TMT) joint, implants for post-osteotomy spacing and+ realignment, arthroplasty articular implants, dowel grafts for TMT arthrodesis or fusion, dowel grafts for navicular cuneiform (NC) arthrodesis, dowel grafts for intercuneiform arthrodesis, and/or locking dowels for joint fusion.