Patient-Specific Bone Graft Cage for Orbital Reconstruction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bone grafts for the orbital region often require manual folding and bending by surgeons, which can be challenging, especially for deep anatomical structures, leading to potential complications such as double vision, sunken eyes, and even loss of sight.
Innovation Solution
A patient-specific-bone-graft cage is developed based on a computer model that matches the contour of the damaged orbital region, featuring a plurality of apertures for bone graft material and a flexible membrane that can be implanted to reconstruct complex anatomical structures with reduced need for surgical modification.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional mesh bone grafts are used, then the surgical procedure is simpler in terms of implant preparation, but the surgeon must manually fold and bend the meshes intraoperatively which is difficult for deep anatomical structures and significantly depends on surgeon experience
Solution Approach 1:
The cage is pre-formed outside the body based on a 3D computer model of the patient's orbital cavity, allowing complex anatomical structures to be reproduced with high precision before implantation. This eliminates the need for intraoperative manual folding and bending, which is difficult for deep anatomical structures and depends on surgeon experience.
Solution Approach 2:
A 3D computer model of the patient's orbital cavity is created to accurately replicate the specific anatomical geometry. This digital copy guides the manufacturing of the custom-fitted cage, ensuring precise reproduction of complex anatomical structures that would be difficult to achieve through manual manipulation.
2Ease of operation
If pre-formed meshes created by mirroring healthy side are used, then modifications by surgeon are reduced, but anatomical asymmetries between healthy and damaged sides cannot be accounted for
Solution Approach 1:
The cage is designed with locally adapted geometry that accounts for anatomical asymmetries between the healthy and damaged sides. Rather than using a symmetric mirrored design, the 3D computer model captures the specific local variations in the patient's orbital cavity, allowing the cage to conform precisely to the actual anatomical landscape.
Solution Approach 2:
The 3D computer model is created in advance to capture the specific anatomical geometry of the patient's orbital cavity, including any asymmetries. This preliminary digital planning allows the cage to be manufactured with the correct adaptability to the patient's unique anatomy, eliminating the need for intraoperative modifications.
3Device complexity
If bone graft material is placed in through holes of mesh implants, then the implant structure is simpler, but the bone graft material may be undesirably displaced during or after implantation
Solution Approach 1:
The cage is constructed as a continuous thin-walled structure that forms enclosed or partially enclosed spaces for receiving bone graft material. This shell-like structure provides containment and stability for the graft material, preventing displacement while maintaining structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The bone graft material is nested within the enclosed spaces of the cage structure. The cage acts as a container that holds the graft material in place, providing stability and preventing displacement during and after implantation, while the overall cage structure remains relatively simple.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of forming a patient-specific-bone-graft cage based on a patient-specific bone graft cage computer model that is based on a contour of a surface of the bone defining a void, and/or a patient-specific-bone-graft cage that includes a plurality of apertures, that terminate at a location between a front surface and a back surface of the patient-specific-bone-graft cage, for receipt of bone graft material. The patient-specific-bone-graft cage can construct an essential portion (including complex thin anatomical structures) of or substantially the entirety of the mid-face region (e.g., to fill a void in a damaged orbital region), which enables an improved structure reproduction and simplification for the surgeon. For example, the patient-specific-bone-graft cage may be formed based on the contour of the periphery defining the void in the damaged region, and require less modification by a surgeon compared to graft cages formed only by mirroring techniques or normalized models.