Pivotal Tibial Resection Guide for Linked Bone Cuts
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current instruments for unicondylar knee replacement procedures face challenges in conforming to differently sized patients and allowing precise cutting of bones, particularly in linked resections needed for proper joint balancing during single or double unicondylar procedures.
Innovation Solution
A tibial resection guide with pivotally connected cutting surfaces and channels, allowing for linked cuts on the lateral and medial sides of the proximal tibia, and a method involving a leg extension and navigation tracker for precise positioning and cutting, accommodating various patient sizes and surgical needs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional fixed resection instruments are used, then the surgical procedure can be performed, but the instruments cannot conform to differently sized patients and cannot allow precise cutting of the bone
Solution Approach 1:
The resection guide incorporates a pivotal connection between the first and second resection guide portions, allowing the guide to dynamically adjust its configuration. This pivotal joint enables the guide to adapt to different patient anatomies while maintaining precise cutting surfaces, resolving the contradiction between fixed precision and adaptive versatility.
Solution Approach 2:
The instrument allows for adjustment of the angle and position between cutting surfaces through the pivotal connection mechanism. By changing the geometric parameters of the guide's configuration, it can accommodate differently sized patients while maintaining precise cutting capabilities, thus resolving the contradiction between fixed precision and adaptability.
2Reliability
If linked resections are performed to balance the joint, then proper joint balancing is achieved, but the instruments are unable to conform to differently sized patients
Solution Approach 1:
The pivotal connection between resection guide portions creates a dynamic system that can be configured for linked resections while adapting to various patient sizes. This allows the instrument to maintain reliable joint balancing through linked cuts while accommodating anatomical variations across different patients.
Solution Approach 2:
The resection guide is designed with universal applicability through its pivotal connection system, allowing it to perform linked resections for joint balancing while adapting to different patient anatomies. The same instrument can serve multiple patient sizes and configurations, achieving both reliability in joint balancing and versatility in patient accommodation.
3Manufacturing precision
If precise cutting surfaces are positioned for linked cuts, then accurate bone resection is achieved, but the instrument structure becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
The resection guide is divided into separate first and second guide portions that can be independently manufactured with precise cutting surfaces. These segments are connected through a pivotal joint, allowing each portion to be precisely manufactured while the overall structure remains manageable and not excessively complex.
Solution Approach 2:
The pivotal connection acts as an intermediary element between the two precisely manufactured guide portions. This intermediary component allows the precise cutting surfaces to be positioned accurately for linked cuts while maintaining a relatively simple overall instrument structure through a straightforward mechanical connection.
Data Source
AI summary
An improved resection guide and method using same are disclosed. The guide is preferably utilized in resecting the tibia during either a single or double unicondylar type procedure. Preferably, the guide allows for linked resection of the tibia while also being capable of conforming to many different patient sizes. This may also allow for a more precise resection to be accomplished.