Reamer Guide System for Accurate Bone Countersink Formation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for arthrodesis, such as wrist bone fusion, face challenges in accurately milling countersinks due to bone movement during the milling process and lack of guidance for proper bone alignment, leading to inaccurately sized fusion plates and difficulties in locating the correct milling site.
Innovation Solution
A reamer guide system with a guide base and positioning aid that uses temporary fixation elements and a locating bore to securely hold bones in place and guide the reamer, ensuring accurate countersink formation and alignment, and a kit that includes a reamer with a bore to receive the locating element for precise targeting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a milling reamer is pushed towards the bones to mill out a part of each bone, then the countersink can be formed for implanting the fusion plate, but the four bones elastically move apart from each other leading to an inaccurately milled countersink
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by inserting temporary fixation elements (K-wires) into the bones before the milling operation. These fixation elements are inserted through the guide base into the bones, pre-stabilizing the bone structure before the reamer is pushed against the bones. This preliminary stabilization prevents the bones from elastically moving apart during milling, thereby maintaining countersink accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide base serves as an intermediary device that connects the reamer to the bones through temporary fixation elements. The guide base with its guide aperture directs the reamer while the temporary fixation elements act as intermediaries that transmit and distribute the milling forces across multiple bones, preventing direct force transmission that would cause bone separation.
2Ease of manufacture
If the countersink is made free hand without the use of guides or other aids, then the procedure is simpler, but it is difficult to find the proper location at which the bones are to be milled by the reamer
Solution Approach 1:
The guide base acts as an intermediary positioning aid that simplifies the milling procedure while ensuring accurate location. The guide base with its guide aperture provides a predetermined path for the reamer, eliminating the need for complex freehand positioning. The guide aperture is configured to receive and direct the reamer along a precise trajectory, ensuring the countersink is formed at the correct location without requiring complex positioning techniques.
3Manufacturing precision
If temporary fixation elements are used to secure the bones, then the bones are held relative to each other during reaming, but additional steps and devices are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple functions into a single integrated guide base device. The guide base combines the positioning function (guide aperture for reamer direction), the fixation function (bores for temporary fixation elements), and the support function (base body positioned against bones) into one unified device. This integration reduces the number of separate components and steps required compared to using separate positioning aids and fixation devices.
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2A~2C
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
A reamer guide system may include a reamer guide that is configured to guide a reamer to at least two bones that are to be reamed to form a countersink. The reamer guide may be configured to temporarily couple to the at least two bones that are to be reamed so as to prevent substantial separation of the at least two bones during the reaming. The reamer guide system may further include a positioning aid that is configured to receive a locating element. The locating element is configured to temporarily couple to a target location adjacent the bones that are to be reamed. The reamer is configured to receive the locating element and advance along the locating element to the target location.