Segmented Bone Plate Guide Assembly for Osteotomy Precision
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical instrumentation for bone osteotomies, such as ulnar shortening procedures, faces challenges in precision, complexity, and biomechanical inefficiency due to the need for thick bone plates and multiple screws, which can lead to complications like non-unions, malunions, and stress shielding, especially when trying to cut through bones without interference from plate components.
Innovation Solution
A method and system involving a bone plate with a guide assembly and a bone part moving assembly that allows controlled repositioning and fixation of bone sections without requiring guiding components through the plate, enabling precise alignment and fixation of bone sections along the plate's length, with the option for integral or separate guide assemblies and through openings for fasteners.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a thick bone plate is used to prevent interference with cutting components, then the plate can provide structural support, but it causes stress shielding and requires removal later
Solution Approach 1:
The bone plate is segmented into multiple thin plates rather than using a single thick plate. This allows the cutting component to pass through the gaps between plates while still providing adequate structural support, eliminating stress shielding caused by excessive plate thickness.
Solution Approach 2:
A guide assembly acts as an intermediary between the bone plate and the cutting component. The guide assembly provides the necessary structural support and guidance for the cutting component, allowing the bone plate to be thinner without compromising strength or causing stress shielding.
2Stability of the object's composition
If multiple screws are used to secure the bone plate, then fixation stability is improved, but thread purchase is compromised due to repeated insertion and removal
Solution Approach 1:
Holes for screws are pre-drilled through the bone plate and guide assembly before the procedure. This eliminates the need to repeatedly insert and remove screws through the same holes, preserving thread purchase while maintaining fixation stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide assembly includes built-in alignment features and positioning mechanisms that automatically ensure proper screw placement and alignment, eliminating the need for multiple adjustment iterations and repeated screw insertion/removal.
3Manufacturing precision
If guiding components are extended through the bone plate to control bone section movement, then alignment precision is improved, but the plate becomes thicker and more complex
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of extending guiding components through the thickness of the bone plate (one dimension), the guide assembly is positioned adjacent to the bone plate, using lateral spacing to achieve guiding functionality without increasing plate thickness.
Solution Approach 2:
The guiding function is separated from the bone plate itself, with the guide assembly acting as a distinct component. This segmentation allows the bone plate to remain thin while the guide assembly provides the necessary alignment precision through its own structural design.
4Measurement precision
If the guide is physically screwed into the bone multiple times, then positioning accuracy is improved, but procedure time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The guide assembly is pre-positioned and secured to the bone plate before the cutting procedure begins. This preliminary positioning eliminates the need for repeated attachment and detachment during the procedure, maintaining positioning accuracy while reducing overall procedure time.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide assembly is combined with the bone plate as an integrated unit, secured in a single operation. This merging eliminates the need for separate attachment steps multiple times, reducing procedure time while maintaining the positioning accuracy provided by the guide assembly.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and apparatus for changing a configuration of a bone. The method includes the steps of: fixing a first part of a bone plate to the bone at a first location; securing a guide assembly in an operative position in relationship to the bone; engaging a bone part moving assembly with the bone at a second bone location spaced from the first bone location; cutting the bone to define first and second bone sections and so that the bone part moving assembly engages the second bone section and the first bone location is on the first bone section; relatively repositioning the first and second bone sections into a desired relationship and thereby causing a part of the bone part moving assembly to move guidingly, together with the second bone section, in a controlled path; and fixing the first and second bone sections in the desired relationship. The first and second bone sections can be controllably relatively moved lengthwise of the bone plate without requiring guided movement of any component that extends through the bone plate and into the bone.