Patient-Specific Tibial Guide Mount for Precise Resection Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for total joint replacement surgeries, such as total knee, hip, or ankle replacement, lack the ability to generate patient-specific prostheses, surgical instruments, guides, and fixtures accurately, leading to potential misalignment and complications.
Innovation Solution
A method is developed to create anatomically accurate digital models of bones using CT or MRI scans, which are then used to manufacture custom surgical instruments, guides, and fixtures. These custom-made guides include a bone engagement portion with a complementary surface topography and a receptacle pocket for a resection guide, allowing for precise alignment and positioning during surgery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional cutting guides with intramedullary stems and multiple pins are used, then the mechanical axis can be determined and cutting guides can be aligned, but the procedure becomes complex and time-consuming with multiple alignment steps
Solution Approach 1:
The surgical system is divided into separate functional components: patient-specific guides that incorporate pre-determined mechanical axis information, and cutting instruments that interface with these guides. This segmentation eliminates the need for complex intraoperative alignment mechanisms while maintaining measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanical axis determination and guide design are performed preoperatively using imaging data and computer algorithms. This preliminary action transfers the complexity from the operating room to the planning phase, allowing simple fixtures to be used during surgery while achieving precise alignment.
2Manufacturing precision
If manual alignment of cutting guides with respect to femoral shaft axis is performed, then the prosthesis can be oriented correctly, but the procedure requires significant surgeon skill and time
Solution Approach 1:
The preoperative imaging data and planned prosthesis orientation are copied into the patient-specific guide design. The guide acts as a physical replica of the virtual plan, transferring the desired orientation directly to the surgical field without requiring manual alignment skills.
Solution Approach 2:
The manual mechanical alignment process is replaced by a pre-engineered mechanical system embedded in the patient-specific guide. The guide's internal geometry and interface features automatically enforce the correct orientation, substituting surgeon skill with pre-calculated mechanical constraints.
3Manufacturing precision
If multiple fixtures and alignment devices are used during surgery, then accurate bone resections can be achieved, but the number of components and procedural steps increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple functional elements (mechanical axis determination, guide alignment references, and cutting guide interfaces) are merged into a single patient-specific guide component. This consolidation maintains bone resection accuracy while eliminating the need for multiple separate fixtures and alignment steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The patient-specific guide serves multiple functions simultaneously: it establishes the mechanical axis, provides alignment references, and interfaces with cutting instruments. This multi-functionality replaces what would traditionally require several separate devices, improving surgical efficiency without compromising precision.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of producing a customized tibial resection guide locator comprising: mapping a contoured surface of the proximal tibia onto a digital model of a resection guide locator to create a digital model of a customized resection guide locator; and manufacturing the customized resection guide locator to include: a complementary surface of the proximal tibia, a wall having a shape that is complementary to an outer profile of a tibial resection guide such that a pocket is defined that is configured to receive the tibial resection guide therein.