Patient-Specific Bone Plate Design for Orthopedic Fixation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current bone plates have a generic shape, leading to suboptimal fit and potential complications during orthopedic procedures, as they cannot be easily repositioned for optimal healing due to the forces required for fixation, resulting in small dislocations and suboptimal healing outcomes.
Innovation Solution
A patient-specific bone plate with customizable features and positioning elements, designed based on pre-operative planning, to ensure precise alignment and fixation of bone fragments, using a combination of patient-specific features, fixation elements, and drilling guides for optimal positioning and stabilization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If generic-shaped bone plates are used, then device complexity is reduced and ease of manufacture is improved, but manufacturing precision and fit quality deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing pre-operative planning and 3D imaging to create patient-specific bone plate designs before surgery. This allows the bone plate geometry to be customized in advance to match the patient's unique anatomy, ensuring optimal fit without compromising manufacturing feasibility through modern additive manufacturing techniques.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements local quality by creating bone plates with patient-specific geometries that vary locally to match the unique contours and characteristics of individual patient anatomy. Each bone plate is customized with specific features such as varying thickness, hole positions, and surface contours tailored to the patient's bone structure, while maintaining manufacturability through digital design and advanced manufacturing processes.
2Strength
If fixation elements are inserted to secure the bone plate, then fixation strength is improved, but fracture dislocation occurs due to insertion forces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by using pre-bent fixation elements that are customized before surgery to match the patient's specific fracture geometry. These pre-configured elements are designed to achieve optimal fixation strength while minimizing insertion forces and avoiding fracture dislocation, as the bending and positioning are performed in advance based on 3D imaging and virtual planning.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements parameter changes by customizing the geometry, material properties, and configuration of fixation elements to match patient-specific requirements. The fixation elements are designed with optimized parameters such as diameter, length, bending angle, and thread configuration to achieve the necessary fixation strength while reducing insertion forces and preventing fracture displacement.
3Manufacturing precision
If patient-specific bone plates with customizable features are used, then manufacturing precision and fit quality are improved, but device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing all design customization and planning before manufacturing and surgery. Patient-specific bone plates are designed using 3D imaging and virtual surgical planning, allowing complex geometries to be optimized and finalized in advance. This pre-planning approach manages device complexity by converting it into a digital design process that can be executed before the actual manufacturing and surgical implantation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements parameter changes by systematically varying bone plate parameters such as thickness, hole positions, contour shapes, and material properties based on patient-specific 3D data. This parametric approach allows complex patient-specific geometries to be generated through controlled modification of design parameters rather than creating entirely unique designs, thereby managing manufacturing complexity while achieving high precision fit.
4Ease of operation
If standard bone plates are used, then ease of operation during surgery is improved, but surgical time is increased due to positioning difficulties
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by creating patient-specific bone plates with pre-configured geometries and features that are customized before surgery based on 3D imaging and virtual planning. This pre-customization ensures that the bone plate fits the patient's anatomy perfectly, eliminating the need for time-consuming intraoperative adjustments and positioning trials, thereby reducing surgical time while maintaining ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements local quality by incorporating patient-specific anatomical features into the bone plate design, such as customized hole positions, contours, and surface geometries that match the patient's unique bone structure. This localized customization ensures optimal fit and alignment during surgery, making the operation easier and faster compared to fitting generic bone plates that require extensive adjustment.
Data Source
AI summary
The orthopedic systems are patient-specific and provided with two types of features for positioning and/or fixing the plate to the bone or bone fragments. A method for generating bone plates comprises: generating a model of the bone defect or envisaged osteotomy based on one or more images of the bone and the surgical plan; designing based on said model a model corresponding to the envisioned repair of said bone defect/envisaged result of the osteotomy; generating a bone plate based on the information above, comprising: one or more patient-specific features corresponding to the surface of a bone fragment in the area close to the defect; and one or more fixation features whose position and/or orientation is such that the fixation elements will enter the bone in areas suitable for fixing the bone plate to each bone fragment.