Plantar Bone Plate Inversion for Tarsometatarsal Joint Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bone plates for arthrodesis of the tarsometatarsal I joint, particularly those positioned dorsally, face challenges with limited soft tissue coverage and high bending loads, leading to instability and potential opening of the joint gap under weight-bearing conditions.
Innovation Solution
An anatomically customized plantar bone plate with a distal longitudinal portion, a transverse proximal portion, and a central bent portion, featuring stable-angle bores for bone screws, including a plantar bore and a medially inclined bore, enhances mechanical stability and simplifies implantation by allowing medial fixation and favorable force distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a dorsal bone plate is used for arthrodesis of the tarsometatarsal I joint, then angularly stable fixation is achieved, but soft tissue coverage is limited and bending loads increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional dorsal positioning of the bone plate by placing it on the plantar surface of the foot. This inversion maintains the angular stability benefits while significantly improving soft tissue coverage and reducing bending loads, as the plantar surface provides better soft tissue envelope and more favorable mechanical leverage.
2Reliability
If a dorsal bone plate is used for arthrodesis of the tarsometatarsal I joint, then fixation is achieved, but high bending loads cause joint gap opening under weight-bearing conditions
Solution Approach 1:
By inverting the bone plate position from dorsal to plantar, the patent fundamentally changes the mechanical load distribution. The plantar positioning creates more favorable bending moment arms and reduces the bending loads that cause joint gap opening, while maintaining fixation stability through appropriately positioned screw holes.
3Reliability
If conventional bone plates are used, then fixation is achieved, but implantation is difficult in certain anatomical scenarios
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating specifically positioned screw holes in the proximal and distal plate portions that are optimized for the plantar anatomy. The proximal screw holes are positioned to engage with the metatarsal bones while the distal screw holes engage with the cuneiform bones, providing localized fixation points that facilitate easier and more reliable implantation in plantar arthrodesis scenarios.
Data Source
AI summary
An anatomically customized plantar bone plate and system for an angularly stable fixation for the arthrodesis of the tarsometatarsal I joint. The bone plate has a distal plate portion which extends in the longitudinal direction and in which a distal bore is formed for receiving a bone screw at a stable angle, a proximal plate portion which extends transverse to the longitudinal direction, and a central plate portion which extends between the distal and the proximal plate portions and which is made with a curved plate portion with at least one bending zone for the purpose of anatomical customization. A plantar bore for receiving a bone screw to be fixed to the sole of the foot at a stable angle and a bore that is medially inclined for receiving a bone screw to be fixed in a medially inclined manner at a stable angle are arranged in the proximal plate portion adjacently to each other transverse to the longitudinal direction.