Orthopedic Cutting Guides for Precise Foot and Ankle Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical systems and instruments fail to adequately address the unique anatomical properties of the foot and ankle, leading to suboptimal surgical outcomes.
Innovation Solution
An orthopedic instrument system comprising a first and second cutting guide with integral cannulation and windows, along with inserts, designed to facilitate precise surgical cuts by allowing for adjustable positioning and alignment with foot and ankle anatomy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If standard surgical guides are used, then general surgical procedures can be performed, but surgical precision for foot and ankle anatomy is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting guide is designed with specific anatomical features including a medial leg and lateral leg that correspond to the medial and lateral aspects of the talus bone. The guide includes a first cutting surface for cutting the dome of the talus and a second cutting surface for cutting the neck of the talus, allowing different cutting angles and orientations tailored to specific anatomical locations.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide incorporates adjustable positioning mechanisms including openings for receiving positioning elements, a first positionable element that can be positioned in different orientations, and a second positionable element with adjustable angulation. This allows the guide to be dynamically adapted to various anatomical configurations while maintaining precise cutting angles.
2Adaptability or versatility
If customized positioning elements are added to achieve precise alignment, then anatomical adaptability improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting guide is divided into distinct functional segments including a body portion, a medial leg, a lateral leg, a first positionable element, and a second positionable element. Each segment serves a specific function and can be independently positioned or adjusted, allowing complex anatomical adaptation through combination of simpler modular components.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide structure employs nested positioning mechanisms where positioning elements are received within openings in the guide body, and cutting surfaces are integrated within the guide structure. This nesting approach allows multiple functional elements to be compactly integrated without proportionally increasing overall device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
An implant having a first end opposite a shaft from a second end, where the first end, the second end, and the shaft are all integral. The first end includes an opening in an end portion that extends along a longitudinal axis and is in fluid communication with the cannulations of the shaft and the second end. The second end includes a dynamic feature that is actuatable between two positions. The implant also includes an actuator extending from the first opening, along the cannulation of the shaft and into the cannulation of the second end. Manipulation of the actuator can bias the dynamic feature from the first position to the second position.