Retrograde Osteochondral Harvest System for Arthroscopic Repair
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical techniques for osteochondral lesion repair often require open procedures, leading to increased morbidity and recovery time, and rely on autograft or allograft osteochondral plugs that come with risks such as pain, arthritic changes, and immunological responses.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for harvesting and delivering bone and cartilage tissue using a rotary cutter and bone port system, allowing for a retrograde approach that can be performed arthroscopically, with the option to use autograft, allograft, or synthetic materials, and shaping the graft to match local topography for precise delivery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If an antegrade approach is used for osteochondral lesion repair, then the cartilage side can be accessed directly, but open procedures are required increasing morbidity and recovery time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the traditional antegrade approach by implementing a retrograde approach, accessing the osteochondral lesion from the bone side rather than the cartilage side. This inversion enables arthroscopic access while still achieving the repair objective, thereby reducing morbidity and recovery time associated with open procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a bone port as an intermediary device that facilitates access to the osteochondral lesion through the bone. This intermediary structure enables the delivery of graft material and instruments through a retrograde arthroscopic approach, avoiding the need for open surgery while maintaining effective access to the lesion.
2Reliability
If autograft osteochondral plugs are used for repair, then the lesion can be filled with patient's own tissue, but there are limitations to size and number of plugs available and risk of morbidity at harvest site
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the necessary bone and cartilage material through a retrograde approach using a trephine and curette, rather than removing large osteochondral plugs from a harvest site. This extraction method obtains sufficient graft material while avoiding the morbidity associated with traditional plug harvest sites.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the bone and cartilage removed during the retrograde approach to access the lesion as the graft material itself. This self-service approach eliminates the need for a separate harvest site, thereby avoiding the morbidity and complications associated with traditional autograft harvesting.
3Quantity of substance
If allograft osteochondral plugs are used for repair, then additional graft material can be obtained, but there is risk of adverse immunological response and disease transmission
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables the surgical site itself to provide sufficient graft material through the retrograde approach, eliminating the need for allografts. The bone and cartilage removed during the retrograde access and lesion preparation serve as the graft material, thereby avoiding immunological responses and disease transmission risks associated with allografts.
4Ease of operation
If existing retrograde approaches are used, then arthroscopic access is possible, but the technique is demanding and rarely used in clinical practice
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal retrograde system that can be applied to various osteochondral lesions through standardized components including a bone port, trephine, curette, and delivery device. This multi-functional system simplifies the previously demanding technique by providing a standardized, reproducible approach that can be used across different clinical scenarios.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent divides the retrograde approach into distinct, manageable segments: creating access through the bone port, removing lesion material with the trephine and curette, preparing the graft material, and delivering it through the bone port. This segmentation of the surgical process into discrete steps reduces the overall complexity and makes the technique more reproducible and easier to learn.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach simplifies and stabilizes the surgical process for osteochondral defect repair, reduces recovery time, and minimizes risks associated with traditional grafts by enabling arthroscopic procedures and using autologous or synthetic materials that integrate well with the surrounding tissue.
Implementation Method 1
an osteochondral cutter configured to cut tissue and receive the tissue material in response to rotation of the osteochondral cutter under pressure against the tissue
Data Source
AI summary
A system for harvesting bone material from a bone may include a rotary cutter defining a rotary cutter longitudinal axis extending between a rotary cutter proximal end and a rotary cutter distal end. The rotary cutter may have a drive shaft configured to receive input torque, and an osteochondral cutter configured to cut the tissue and receive the tissue material in response to rotation of the osteochondral cutter under pressure against the tissue. The system may further include a bone port defining a bone port longitudinal axis extending between a bone port proximal end and a bone port distal end. The bone port may have a bone port cannulation sized to closely fit over the osteochondral cutter. At least one of the bone port proximal end and the bone port distal end may be securable to the tissue. A stratiform tissue graft may be delivered through the bone port.