Prosthetic Joint Deflector for Soft Tissue Protection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Prosthetic joints with sharp edges at the implant site can irritate or injure surrounding soft tissue, such as ligaments, due to variations in natural bone configuration, leading to potential serious injury during articulation.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating deflectors, such as protuberances with smooth convex surfaces, adjacent to the sharp edges of prosthetic joint components to divert soft tissue away from contact with these edges during articulation, ensuring the sharp edges remain effective for seating without causing tissue irritation or injury.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If sharp peripheral edges are provided on the seating area of prosthetic joint components, then precise engagement with prepared bone is achieved, but soft tissue irritation and injury occur during articulation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveseating precisionVSAvoidsoft tissue irritation

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The prosthetic joint component is segmented into distinct functional zones: a sharp peripheral edge for bone engagement and a separate deflector portion for soft tissue protection. This segmentation allows each zone to perform its specific function without compromising the other, resolving the contradiction between seating precision and soft tissue safety

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The deflector acts as an intermediary element between the sharp peripheral edge and the soft tissue. It intercepts and redirects soft tissue away from the sharp edge, preventing direct contact while maintaining the sharp edge's effectiveness for bone engagement, thus eliminating soft tissue irritation without sacrificing seating precision

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If prosthetic joint components are designed with smooth convex surfaces, then soft tissue contact is minimized, but articulation ease and comfort are improved

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesoft tissue contactVSAvoidarticulation ease

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The deflector is designed with a smooth convex curved surface that naturally guides soft tissue away from the sharp edge through its geometry. This curved surface provides a gentle redirecting action that minimizes soft tissue contact while maintaining smooth articulation motion, improving both soft tissue protection and articulation ease simultaneously

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

Data Source

PatentUS7628817B1Soft tissue deflection at a prosthetic joint

Publication Date: 2009.12.08 HOWMEDICA OSTEONICS CORP

AI summary

Where a prosthetic joint component part has a relatively sharp edge which potentially can contact and thereby irritate or injure soft tissue juxtaposed with the component part at an implant site during articulation of the prosthetic joint, such as a posterior cruciate ligament juxtaposed with a component part of a prosthetic knee, the component part is provided with a deflector located, configured, dimensioned and directed for deflecting the soft tissue away from contact with the sharp edge during articulation of the prosthetic joint.