Modular Orthopedic Fixation Base Station for Fracture Stabilization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing external fixation devices for bone fractures are cumbersome and limited in versatility, particularly in providing ambulatory or portable solutions for bone stabilization and adjustment during treatment.
Innovation Solution
The development of orthopedic fixation systems comprising a primary fixation device and a base station, which includes frame components like rings, struts, and bone-interface components such as pins and wires, allowing for adjustable stabilization and portability, enabling flexible use in various settings from emergency to surgical environments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If existing external fixation devices are used for bone fracture treatment, then bone stabilization can be achieved, but the devices are cumbersome and limited in versatility
Solution Approach 1:
The external fixation device is divided into separate modular components including a base station, frame members, and bone interface components that can be independently selected and assembled. This segmentation allows the device to be customized for different fracture types and patient needs while reducing the complexity of any single component, directly addressing the contradiction between versatility and cumbersome design.
Solution Approach 2:
The base station is designed as a universal platform that can support multiple types of frame members and bone interface components through standardized coupling mechanisms. This multi-functionality enables a single base station to accommodate various fixation configurations for different bone locations and fracture patterns, enhancing versatility without proportionally increasing overall device complexity.
2Ease of operation
If existing external fixation devices are used for bone fracture treatment, then bone stabilization can be achieved, but portability and ambulatory capability are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The device incorporates adjustable and reconfigurable components that allow dynamic adaptation to different patient needs and activity levels. The modular nature enables the fixation device to be adjusted for optimal stability during healing while maintaining portability, resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
By segmenting the fixation system into a portable base station and interchangeable frame components, the device can be optimized for ambulatory use while maintaining sufficient stabilization reliability through selective assembly of appropriate components for each specific fracture case.
3Stability of the object's composition
If a base station is added to enhance stabilization, then fixation stability improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The base station serves as a multi-functional platform that provides stabilization while accommodating various frame configurations. By consolidating multiple stabilization functions into a single universal base station with standardized interfaces, the design achieves enhanced fixation stability without proportionally increasing overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple stabilization functions and support structures are merged into the base station design, which integrates the coupling mechanisms for various frame members and bone interface components. This merging approach achieves enhanced stability while minimizing the number of separate components, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention provides an orthopedic external fixation system for treatment of lower and upper extremities fractures. The system comprises an elongate base rail supported by a stand structure and a plurality of open rings slidably and removably coupled to the base rail along the base rail length. The ring members are connected to struts that support flag members, which support wires and pins that interact with the fractured bones for fixation of their positions relative to the rings during treatment. The system has means for combining the rings into separate modules that can be moved relative to each other. Through the use of the struts the rings can be bound into an integral system that can be disconnected from the base and the stand structure, while remains in a working position on the injured limb of the patient.