Patellar Clamp With Tendon Flanges for Complete Resurfacing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current patellar clamps restrict the surface area available for reaming due to the need for a smaller reamer guide to ensure stability, leading to un-resurfaced bone and potential trauma to tendons during surgical procedures for knee joint repair and replacement.

Innovation Solution

A patellar clamp system with a pair of handles and a reamer guide that includes flanges to engage the quadriceps and patellar tendons, allowing for a larger reamer guide diameter to expose more of the patellar surface for resurfacing in a single operation, reducing the need for repositioning and minimizing tendon trauma.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a smaller reamer guide is used to ensure stability and sufficient purchase on the patella, then the guide can be securely clamped with teeth engaging the patella, but the surface area available for reaming is restricted and peripheral bone remains un-resurfaced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestability of reamer guideVSAvoidsurface area for reaming

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The clamping function is segmented from the reaming function. The reamer guide body provides stability and purchase on the patella through its clamping arms and engagement features, while the flanges extend to engage the tendons separately. This segmentation allows the reamer guide to be larger in diameter without compromising stability, as the tendon engagement provides additional anchoring points.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The engagement mechanism is extended from a single-plane patellar surface engagement to a multi-dimensional engagement that includes the tendons. The flanges project laterally to engage the quadriceps and patellar tendons, adding a new dimension of stability that allows for a larger reamer guide diameter while maintaining sufficient purchase on the patella.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Manufacturing precision

If the surgeon repositions the reamer clamp and reamer to access outer regions of the patella, then complete resurfacing can be achieved, but the teeth on the reamer guide engage the quadriceps and patellar tendons causing trauma

Engineering Contradiction:

Improve completeness of resurfacingVSAvoidtendon trauma

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of using teeth to engage the tendons (harmful approach), the invention uses smooth flanges to engage the tendons (beneficial approach). The flanges are specifically designed with smooth surfaces that contact the tendons during clamping, inverting the traditional engagement mechanism to eliminate trauma while maintaining secure positioning for complete resurfacing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The flanges act as intermediaries between the reamer guide and the tendons. Rather than the teeth directly engaging the tendons causing trauma, the flanges mediate the engagement with their smooth surfaces, distributing the contact pressure and eliminating the harmful concentrated forces from the teeth while still providing stable engagement.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Area of stationary object

If a larger reamer guide is used to expose more patellar surface, then complete resurfacing in a single operation is enabled, but the guide becomes less stable and requires repositioning

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesurface area for reamingVSAvoidstability of reamer guide

Core Design Contradiction:

Area of stationary objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The stability mechanism merges two engagement systems: the traditional patellar surface engagement through the clamping arms and the new tendon engagement through the flanges. This combination of engagement points (patella + tendons) provides enhanced stability that allows the use of a larger diameter reamer guide without compromising reliability, enabling complete resurfacing in a single operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS10076345B2Patellar clamping instrument

Publication Date: 2018.09.18 MICROPORT ORTHOPEDICS HLDG INC

AI summary

A patellar clamp and associated system and method for using the clamp are provided. A patellar clamp includes a pair of handles movably coupled together, a patella support portion connected to the pair of handles and configured to engage a first side of a patella, and a reamer guide configured to engage a second side of the patella. The patella support portion and the reamer guide each include a first pair of flanges configured to engage a first and second tendon associated with the patella. The reamer guide is configured to allow reaming and resurfacing the entire desired posterior articular surface of the patella in a single operation without readjusting the position of the reamer guide.