Adjustable Osteotomy Wedges for Precise Mid-Foot Realignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical procedures for treating orthopedic mid-foot disorders, such as osteoarthritis and alignment disorders, often neglect the medial column of the foot, leading to inadequate correction and reliability in procedures involving mid-foot reconstruction.
Innovation Solution
Development of instrumentation and devices for surgical treatment of mid-foot disorders, including tarsometatarsal joint arthroplasty devices, adjustable osteotomy wedge systems, and dowel implants, along with arcuate distractors and joint finders, to facilitate precise fusion and realignment of mid-foot joints and bones.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If current surgical procedures focus on hindfoot and lateral column correction, then hindfoot alignment is improved, but mid-foot and medial column disorders remain inadequately treated
Solution Approach 1:
The surgical system is segmented into specialized components for different foot regions: hindfoot distractors, mid-foot wedge implants, and medial column-specific instrumentation. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific anatomical region while maintaining overall system coordination for comprehensive foot reconstruction.
Solution Approach 2:
The surgical instrumentation system is designed with universal applicability across multiple foot regions and procedure types. The same platform supports hindfoot distraction, mid-foot wedge osteotomy, and medial column correction, allowing a single system to address diverse orthopedic pathologies through interchangeable implants and instruments.
2Ease of operation
If fixed-angle osteotomy wedges are used, then surgical procedure simplicity is improved, but post-operative alignment adjustability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The osteotomy wedge implants incorporate dynamic adjustment mechanisms that allow post-operative modification of alignment parameters. The wedges can be adjusted in the operating room to fine-tune correction angles and can potentially be modified post-operatively, transitioning from a static to a dynamic system that adapts to actual anatomical requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
Trial wedge implants are used pre-operatively and intra-operatively to plan and verify the desired alignment before final implantation. This preliminary action allows the surgical team to determine optimal correction parameters in advance, ensuring that the final implanted wedge achieves the precise alignment needed while maintaining the ability to adjust if necessary.
3Measurement precision
If trial wedges are impacted repeatedly to assess correction, then alignment assessment accuracy is improved, but bone hinge fracture risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
Trial wedge implants are designed to be placed and removed multiple times during the surgical planning phase without compromising bone integrity. These trial devices allow precise alignment assessment through repeated insertion and removal, enabling the surgical team to verify correction accuracy before committing to final implantation, thereby eliminating the need for repeated impactation that could fracture the bone hinge.
Solution Approach 2:
The trial wedge acts as an intermediary device that facilitates alignment assessment without directly stressing the bone hinge. By using these temporary trial devices, the surgical team can evaluate the correction geometry and make adjustments without applying the repetitive impact forces that would threaten the integrity of the osteotomy site.
4Device complexity
If parallel opening distractors are used, then distractor mechanism simplicity is improved, but wedge osteotomy opening accuracy deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The distractor mechanism incorporates arcuate (curved) geometry that matches the natural opening pattern of wedge osteotomies. Instead of forcing a parallel linear opening, the arcuate design allows the distractor to follow the curved trajectory needed to properly separate the osteotomy surfaces, achieving precise wedge opening while maintaining a relatively simple mechanical structure based on rotational arcs rather than complex multi-axis mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
Devices, systems and methods for surgical treatment of mid-foot disorders such as osteoarthritis, spacing disorders, or alignment disorders, including mid-foot arthroplasty devices and systems for the 2nd and 3rd tarsometatarsal (TMT) joint, implants for post-osteotomy spacing and realignment, arthroplasty articular implants, dowel grafts for TMT arthrodesis or fusion, dowel grafts for navicular cuneiform (NC) arthrodesis, dowel grafts for intercuneiform arthrodesis, and/or locking dowels for joint fusion.