Modular Intramedullary Nail with Coupling Module
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional intramedullary nails face challenges in accommodating varying bone dimensions, leading to difficulties in reserve management and structural weaknesses, as well as limited curvature and unchangeable diameter, which can result in inadequate fitting and potential tissue damage during insertion.
Innovation Solution
A modular intramedullary nail system comprising long rods with coupling portions and modules, such as through holes and C-shaped hooks or rings, allowing for adjustable length and cross-sectional shape to match the medullary cavity, enhancing structural strength and ease of insertion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional intramedullary nails with constant dimensions are used, then structural strength is maintained, but hospitals must prepare and store nails in various sizes for patients with different builds, leading to difficulty in reserve management
Solution Approach 1:
The intramedullary nail is divided into multiple modular segments that can be connected in series. Each segment has standardized dimensions and coupling structures, allowing the nail to be assembled in different lengths and configurations to match various bone sizes. This segmentation enables a single standardized component design to replace multiple fixed-size nails, simplifying inventory management while maintaining adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The nail system transitions from static fixed-size components to a dynamic modular assembly where segments can be selectively combined. The coupling structures allow for variable length and curvature configurations, enabling the same set of modular components to adapt to different patient anatomies and fracture patterns, thereby resolving the contradiction between adaptability and inventory complexity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If intramedullary nails with connectors are used to achieve variable length, then the nails can be adjusted during operation, but the connectors become structural weaknesses when inserted inside the medullary cavity
Solution Approach 1:
The nail is segmented into multiple sections with coupling structures at the interfaces. These coupling structures are designed with interlocking mechanisms and reinforcement features that distribute stresses across the connection points, preventing the connectors from becoming weak points. The segmented design allows variable length configuration while maintaining structural integrity through engineered joint details.
Solution Approach 2:
The coupling structures utilize composite construction combining different material properties or structural features to enhance connection strength. This may include hybrid material compositions or multi-layer structural designs at the joint interfaces that provide both flexibility for assembly and high strength for load-bearing, thereby resolving the contradiction between adjustability and structural reliability.
3Ease of manufacture
If straight cylinder form is used for intramedullary nails, then manufacturing is simplified, but the curvature is limited and the nail may not perfectly fit the medullary cavity
Solution Approach 1:
The nail is divided into multiple straight segments that can be connected at various angles. Each individual segment maintains simple cylindrical geometry for easy manufacturing, while the assembled configuration can create the required curvature to match the medullary cavity. The coupling structures enable angular adjustments between segments, allowing the formation of customized curved paths without complicating the manufacturing of individual components.
4Manufacturing precision
If fixed diameter intramedullary nails are used, then manufacturing precision is maintained, but the diameter cannot be adjusted to match varying medullary cavity sizes
Solution Approach 1:
The nail system uses modular segments with standardized, precisely manufactured dimensions. Each segment maintains consistent diameter and tolerance specifications for manufacturing precision, while the ability to select and combine different numbers and types of segments provides adaptability to various medullary cavity sizes. The standardized coupling interfaces ensure precise alignment and consistent overall dimensions regardless of the final assembled length or configuration.
Data Source
AI summary
A supporting instrument with a modular intramedullary nail includes a plurality of intramedullary nails and a coupling module. Each intramedullary nail is in a form of a long rod and has a coupling portion arranged between two ends of the intramedullary nail and an abutting surface along a longitudinal face of the intramedullary nail. The coupling module is mounted to the coupling portions of the plurality of intramedullary nails for the abutting surfaces of the plurality of intramedullary nails to abut against each other and for assembling the plurality of intramedullary nails.