Intramedullary Nail Aiming Guide Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing intramedullary devices for bone fractures are susceptible to implant failure and face challenges in alignment of fixation screws, leading to instability and potential complications during fracture healing.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising an intramedullary nail with nail openings, a bone plate with plate openings, and an aiming guide with targeting openings, allowing for precise alignment and extension of stabilizing fasteners through the nail and plate openings to secure the fracture, facilitating stable fixation without the need for fluoroscopy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional intramedullary devices are used for bone fracture fixation, then the procedure can be performed with simpler equipment, but alignment of fixation screws becomes difficult and implant failure risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
An aiming guide is introduced as an intermediary device between the surgeon and the intramedullary nail. The aiming guide includes targeting openings that align with nail openings, providing a visual and mechanical guide for screw insertion. This intermediary tool enables precise alignment without requiring complex imaging equipment or fluoroscopy, resolving the contradiction between alignment precision and device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The aiming guide is positioned and aligned with the intramedullary nail before screw insertion. The targeting openings are pre-aligned with the nail openings, establishing the correct trajectory and orientation in advance. This preliminary alignment action eliminates the need for complex real-time adjustment during screw insertion, improving measurement precision while keeping the overall device complexity manageable.
2Reliability
If fixation screws are extended through intramedullary nails without proper alignment tools, then the procedure is faster, but implant failure and instability occur
Solution Approach 1:
The aiming guide serves as a mediator that ensures reliable fixation by providing aligned targeting openings. These openings guide the fixation screws through the correct path, ensuring proper engagement with the intramedullary nail and bone. This simple mechanical guide achieves reliable fixation without requiring time-consuming fluoroscopy or complex alignment procedures, maintaining procedure efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The aiming guide is designed to self-align with the intramedullary nail through its geometric configuration. The targeting openings are positioned to automatically correspond with the nail openings when the aiming guide is correctly positioned on the bone. This self-aligning feature eliminates the need for complex adjustment procedures, ensuring reliable fixation while maintaining procedural efficiency.
3Measurement precision
If fluoroscopy is used to align fixation screws with intramedullary nails, then alignment accuracy improves, but radiation exposure and procedure complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The aiming guide acts as a physical intermediary that provides alignment guidance through its targeting openings, which are mechanically aligned with the intramedullary nail openings. This mechanical guidance system replaces the need for fluoroscopy, achieving accurate screw alignment without radiation exposure. The aiming guide translates the complex three-dimensional alignment problem into a simple visual and mechanical alignment task.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the fluoroscopy-based optical/mechanical alignment system with a purely mechanical alignment system using the aiming guide. The targeting openings and nail openings are geometrically configured to align automatically when the aiming guide is positioned on the bone. This mechanical substitution eliminates radiation exposure while maintaining alignment accuracy, as the geometric relationships are built into the device design rather than requiring real-time imaging.
Data Source
AI summary
An intramedullary nail includes one or more nail openings extending therethrough. The intramedullary nail is implantable within a medullary canal of the bone. A bone plate is configured to engage an outer surface of the bone. The bone plate includes one or more plate openings extending therethrough. The plate openings are spaced about the bone plate such that the bone plate is positionable to axially align the plate openings with the nail openings when the intramedullary nail is implanted within the medullary canal of the bone. An aiming guide includes one or more targeting openings. The targeting openings are spaced about the aiming guide such that the aiming guide is positionable to axially align the targeting openings with the plate openings and the nail openings for extending one or more stabilizing fasteners therethrough when the intramedullary nail is implanted within the medullary canal of the bone.