Flexible Pubic Symphysis Implant With Guided Tension Fixation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing implant devices for re-joining a disjoined pubic symphysis suffer from mechanical complications such as screw loosening and plate breakage, necessitating revision surgeries.

Innovation Solution

A novel implant device with a bent body and lateral arms, featuring guiding elements for tensioning elements, allowing secure fixation without damaging bone or tissue, and enabling durable re-joining of the pubic symphysis.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a rigid implant plate with screws is used to fixate the pubic symphysis, then stable fixation is achieved, but mechanical complications occur including screw loosening and plate breakage

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefixation stabilityVSAvoidmechanical complications

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the rigid implant plate with a flexible tensioning band that can adapt to the anatomical structure and movement of the pubic symphysis. The band wraps around the pubic bones and maintains fixation through circumferential tension rather than rigid attachment, eliminating screw loosening and plate breakage while providing stable fixation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Solution Approach 2:

The patent substitutes the mechanical screw-plate fixation system with a soft tissue-based tensioning system. Instead of using rigid mechanical components that can fail, the invention uses a flexible band that distributes forces evenly and accommodates physiological movements, thereby reducing mechanical complications.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If guiding elements are added to the implant device for tensioning elements, then secure fixation without bone or tissue damage is achieved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebone or tissue damageVSAvoidimplant structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces guiding elements as intermediary structures on the implant device that direct the tensioning band along a predetermined path. These guiding elements prevent the band from directly contacting and damaging bone or soft tissue, distributing the tension forces safely while adding minimal structural complexity to the overall device.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS12484941B2Flexible implant for fixating a disjoined pubic symphysis

Publication Date: 2025.12.02 JULIUS MAXIMILIANS UNIV WURZBURG

AI summary

An implant device, in particular to a pubic symphysis implant device, and to an implant system comprising two such implant devices. The implant device of the invention comprises a bent body comprising a curved middle portion and two lateral arms extending away from the middle portion and being mutually joined by the middle portion, and at least one guiding element defining at least one guiding path along which a tensioning element can be guided. A method of fixating together a first bone or bone part and a second bone or bone part, for example for re-joining a disjoined pubic symphysis, using such an implant system, in particular by placing each of the two implant devices on corresponding bones or bone parts and by pulling the two implant devices towards each other by tensioning a tensioning element guided along the at least one guiding path of each of the two implant devices.