Self-Leveling Patellar Drill Guide for Independent Hole Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Aligning a planar cut on the patella for patellar implants is difficult due to variations in the angle of the natural anatomical features, leading to poorly suited implants and increased operation times and impaired post-operative mechanical function.
Innovation Solution
A drill guide with a rotatable collar and head forming a ball-and-socket joint, allowing the drill guide to lie flat on the patella surface while maintaining independence from the angle of the patella's anatomical landmarks, enabling precise hole drilling and corrective cuts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a drill guide is designed to lie flat on the patella surface, then contact between the drill guide and patella is achieved, but the angle between guide holes and anatomical landmarks becomes dependent on the resection angle
Solution Approach 1:
The drill guide employs a spherical interface between the rotatable element and the head, allowing the rotatable element to pivot freely while maintaining stable contact with the patella surface. This spherical geometry decouples the contact function from the drilling angle, enabling the guide holes to maintain their fixed angle relative to anatomical landmarks regardless of the patella's resection angle.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotatable element can pivot independently relative to the head, allowing the drill guide to adapt to various patella surface angles while keeping the drilling angle constant. This dynamic capability enables the system to maintain manufacturing precision across different operational conditions without sacrificing ease of contact.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the angle of the planar cut varies to match anatomical features, then adaptability to patient anatomy is improved, but the suitability of standard implants deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The spherical interface allows the drill guide to accommodate any resection angle while maintaining a fixed drilling angle, enabling surgeons to adapt the cut angle to patient anatomy without compromising implant alignment. The ball-and-socket joint absorbs the angular variation, keeping the guide holes at the correct angle for standard implants.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotatable element dynamically adjusts to match the patella's resection angle, allowing the system to maintain both adaptability to patient anatomy and precision for standard implant alignment. The rotation mechanism enables the guide to follow the surface while keeping the drilling angle constant.
3Manufacturing precision
If corrective resections are performed after drilling holes, then implant suitability can be improved, but operation time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The drill guide ensures that holes are drilled at the correct angle relative to anatomical landmarks before implantation, eliminating the need for subsequent corrective resections. By establishing the proper drilling angle upfront through the fixed guide holes, the procedure avoids time-consuming corrective steps while ensuring implant suitability.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotatable element provides visual feedback about the angle of the flat surface relative to anatomical landmarks, allowing surgeons to verify correct alignment before drilling. This feedback mechanism prevents incorrect hole drilling and eliminates the need for corrective resections, reducing overall operation time.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables accurate alignment of holes and surfaces for patellar implants, reducing operation time and improving mechanical function by allowing for independent adjustment of drilling angles relative to anatomical landmarks.
Implementation Method 1
The rotatable element may be a collar with an inner surface that corresponds in shape to a portion of a sphere, and the head of the drill guide may include a bearing end having an outer surface that defines a portion of a sphere. The collar may therefore receive the bearing end to form a ball and socket joint.
Data Source
AI summary
A patella drill guide includes a head having a convexly curved outer surface. Cylindrical channels extend through the head. The drill guide also includes collar having an inner surface that defines a concavity corresponding in shape to the convexly curved outer surface. The inner surface of the collar is fitted to the outer surface of the head to define an articular joint.