Resilient Plug for Osteolytic Lesion Containment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Osteolysis in bones adjacent to orthopedic implants leads to the formation of unsupportive lesions, often requiring revision surgery and significant hardware to compensate for bone loss, necessitating an improved treatment that conserves and regenerates bone without removing existing implants.
Innovation Solution
A plug system for plugging holes in implants to prevent leakage of osteoregenerative material, combined with a kit including a brush, multi-radius bender, curette, cannula, and syringe for debridement and injection of osteoregenerative material, allowing for bone regeneration without implant removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If revision surgery is performed to treat osteolytic lesions, then the implant can be replaced and bone loss can be addressed, but significant hardware is required and bone is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The plug is inserted into the osteolytic lesion before injecting the osteoregenerative material to prevent leakage. This preliminary action creates a containment structure that allows the regenerative material to be effectively delivered and consolidated, eventually leading to bone regeneration without requiring extensive hardware or bone removal
Solution Approach 2:
The plug transitions from a temporary mechanical barrier to a site for bone regeneration. By changing the state of the lesion from a void to a contained space with regenerative material, the system transforms the harmful osteolytic environment into a beneficial healing zone, eliminating the need for substantial hardware
2Ease of repair
If the old implant is removed to treat osteolysis, then the lesion can be cleaned and treated, but the implant removal itself causes additional bone loss and requires larger revision implant
Solution Approach 1:
The plug extracts and contains the osteoregenerative material within the osteolytic lesion, separating the treatment function from the need to remove the original implant. This allows the lesion to be treated independently through the plug interface without requiring implant removal, thereby preventing additional bone loss
Solution Approach 2:
The plug serves as an intermediary device that provides access to and containment for the osteolytic lesion without requiring removal of the original implant. It mediates between the need to treat the lesion and the desire to preserve the existing implant, enabling treatment while maintaining the implant structure
3Reliability
If substantial hardware is used in revision implant to compensate for bone loss, then fixation can be achieved, but the complexity and size of the implant increases
Solution Approach 1:
The osteoregenerative material and plug system enable the bone to heal and regenerate itself within the contained lesion. This self-service approach eliminates the need for substantial external hardware to compensate for bone loss, as the body's natural regenerative capacity is harnessed and protected by the plug containment structure
Data Source
AI summary
A plug for plugging a hole of a bone or implant body during injection of an osteoregenerative material comprising, generally, a plug body, the plug body configured to plug a hole of the body to prevent osteoregenerative material from leaking through the hole, and a tail, the tail attached to the plug body for use in removing the plug body from the hole. In one embodiment, the plug body has an insertion cavity on a trailing end thereof for use in inserting the plug into a hole of the body. The plug body preferably has a frustoconical configuration. The plug body is preferably made of a resilient material, such as silicon.