Quadriceps Tendon Stripper V-Blade Harvesting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for harvesting a replacement tendon for ACL reconstruction, such as using the patellar or hamstring tendons, result in significant pain, limited graft size, potential disease transmission with cadaver grafts, and difficulty with quadriceps tendon harvesting due to its toughness and the need for large incisions.
Innovation Solution
A minimally invasive cutting implement with a V-shaped blade and adjustable spacers to harvest a quadriceps tendon graft, allowing for precise cutting and reducing postoperative pain and scarring, featuring a handle with measurement indicia and optional serrated or scissor-like mechanisms for efficient tendon extraction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a large incision is made to harvest quadriceps tendon, then the graft size and strength are improved, but the postoperative pain and scarring increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting implement is divided into multiple functional components: a V-shaped blade portion for cutting, a handle portion for operation, and a spacer for controlling incision size. This segmentation allows the device to perform multiple functions (cutting, measuring, limiting incision) simultaneously, enabling minimal incision while obtaining adequate graft tissue.
Solution Approach 2:
The spacer acts as an intermediary element between the blade and the tendon, controlling the depth and width of the incision. By positioning the spacer against the tendon before cutting, it limits the incision size while still allowing sufficient graft harvest, thereby reducing postoperative pain and scarring without compromising graft quality.
2Ease of manufacture
If traditional cutting methods are used on quadriceps tendon, then the tendon can be harvested, but the cutting difficulty increases due to the tendon's toughness
Solution Approach 1:
The blade portion features a V-shaped curved cutting surface rather than a straight edge. This curved geometry concentrates the cutting force along the tendon fibers, making it easier to cut through the tough quadriceps tendon. The V-shape allows the blade to penetrate and split the tendon more efficiently than a conventional straight blade.
Solution Approach 2:
The cutting implement is designed to be used with a back-and-forth sawing motion, which introduces mechanical vibration during the cutting process. This vibration helps break the tough tendon fibers more easily, reducing the force required and the difficulty of cutting through the quadriceps tendon.
3Manufacturing precision
If precise control of incision size is needed, then measurement tools are added, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The measurement function is merged into the handle portion of the device through measurement indicia (markings or scales). This integration allows the surgeon to control incision size using the same device that performs the cutting, eliminating the need for separate measurement tools and keeping the overall device complexity manageable.
Solution Approach 2:
The device is designed to be self-measuring and self-limiting through the combination of measurement indicia on the handle and the spacer. The surgeon can directly read the intended incision size from the markings and the spacer physically limits the maximum incision depth, making the device self-regulating without requiring additional external measurement equipment.
Data Source
AI summary
A cutting implement includes a V-shaped blade portion that defines an aperture through which a quadriceps tendon may pass as a doctor harvests the tendon through a minimally invasive procedure.