Patient-Specific Long Bone Prosthesis for Osteonecrosis Risk

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing prostheses for fractured long bones do not adequately account for the unique shape and size variations of individual patient's bone fragments, leading to a risk of osteonecrosis after implantation.

Innovation Solution

A patient-specific prosthesis is designed and manufactured with a stem part that applies mechanical stress tailored to the patient's bone fragments, ensuring appropriate loading and reducing the risk of osteonecrosis by distributing mechanical loads according to the patient's specific needs.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If standard prostheses are used for fractured long bones, then manufacturing complexity is reduced, but the mechanical loading on bone fragments is inadequate leading to osteonecrosis risk

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverisk of osteonecrosisVSAvoidprosthesis customization

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Patient-specific data is collected and prosthesis design is planned before the actual implantation surgery. This preliminary action includes obtaining 3D images of the patient's bone fragments, analyzing their geometry and mechanical properties, and designing custom mounting surfaces and stress distribution patterns that will be implemented when the prosthesis is manufactured and implanted.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The prosthesis is designed with patient-specific features tailored to the unique geometry and mechanical characteristics of that particular patient's bone fragments. Each prosthesis has customized mounting surfaces, stress distribution patterns, and structural properties that locally adapt to the specific patient's anatomical variations and fragment characteristics, rather than using a standardized design for all patients.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Reliability

If patient-specific prostheses are designed and manufactured, then mechanical stress distribution is optimized, but manufacturing time and complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemechanical stress distributionVSAvoidmanufacturing time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

All design decisions, including the selection of mounting surfaces, stress distribution patterns, and structural configurations, are made in advance during the pre-surgical planning phase. This allows complex patient-specific prostheses to be designed and manufactured before surgery without adding time pressure during the actual surgical procedure, as the customization work is completed beforehand.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The prosthesis design incorporates patient-specific parameters such as bone fragment geometry, density variations, and mechanical strength characteristics. These parameters are obtained from patient imaging data and are used to customize the prosthesis design, allowing optimization of stress distribution while avoiding unnecessary time-consuming trial and error during surgery.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Adaptability or versatility

If standard prostheses are used, then ease of manufacture is maintained, but adaptability to individual patient anatomy is insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveanatomical adaptabilityVSAvoidcustomization process

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The prosthesis mounting surfaces and structural features are locally adapted to match the specific anatomy of each patient's bone fragments. This includes customizing surface geometries to conform to irregular fragment shapes, positioning stress distribution patterns to match local bone density variations, and tailoring connection points to accommodate specific fragment configurations, thereby achieving high anatomical adaptability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The adaptation to patient anatomy is accomplished in advance through pre-surgical planning and customization, rather than attempting to achieve adaptability during the manufacturing process or surgical implantation. This allows complex anatomical matching to be performed methodically before production, improving both adaptability and manufacturing efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS12569346B2Patient-specific bone fracture prostheses and methods of making the same

Publication Date: 2026.03.10 HOWMEDICA OSTEONICS CORP

AI summary

Provided is a method for manufacturing a prosthesis for a fractured long bone of a patient. The method includes: providing data representative of the fractured long bone of the patient, the fractured long bone comprising a diaphyseal fragment comprising a medullary cavity; based on the data provided, designing the prosthesis specifically to the patient, wherein the prosthesis comprising a stem part configured to be inserted into the medullary cavity for securing the stem part to the diaphyseal fragment.