Shoulder Implant Guide Track Alignment for Acromion Anatomy Variation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Shoulder implant surgery is challenging due to variations in anatomy, leading to alignment difficulties and potential complications such as residual pain and displacement, and existing implants may cause irritation and nonunion fractures.

Innovation Solution

A surgical apparatus with a guide body, adjustable supporting members, and a delivery member is used to align and insert an implant into the acromion bone, ensuring precise positioning and minimizing irritation by using a composition matching the bone.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If metallic implants are used to replace shoulder joint parts, then pain relief and mobility restoration are achieved, but alignment difficulty increases due to anatomical variations

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepain relief and mobility restorationVSAvoidimplant alignment precision

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The surgical guide performs preliminary alignment and positioning of the implant before actual insertion. The guide body with guide track and guide block establishes the correct implant trajectory and orientation in advance, ensuring precise alignment is achieved during surgery without requiring complex real-time adjustments.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The surgical guide acts as an intermediary tool between the surgeon and the metallic implant. It translates the anatomical variations into a standardized guidance system that compensates for individual anatomical differences, enabling precise implant placement despite variations in patient anatomy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If metallic implants are used for shoulder replacement, then joint function is restored, but complications such as residual pain and displacement occur

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveshoulder joint function restorationVSAvoidresidual pain and displacement

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The guide body with guide track and guide block performs preliminary positioning and alignment of the implant before insertion. This advance preparation ensures the implant is placed in the correct location and orientation, preventing displacement and reducing residual pain by eliminating misalignment issues from the outset.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Productivity

If existing implants are used, then shoulder replacement is achieved, but irritation and nonunion fractures occur

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveshoulder replacement efficiencyVSAvoidirritation and nonunion fractures

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The surgical guide replaces the need for complex real-time mechanical adjustments and trial-and-error implant placement with a pre-established guidance system. The guide track and guide block provide a fixed, precise pathway that eliminates the mechanical instability and misalignment causing irritation and nonunion fractures.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The guide body establishes the correct implant trajectory and positioning in advance through the guide track and guide block mechanism. This preliminary action ensures the implant is inserted along the optimal path, preventing irritation of surrounding structures and reducing the risk of nonunion fractures by ensuring proper load distribution.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

4Adaptability or versatility

If adjustable supporting members are used in the surgical apparatus, then adaptability to anatomical variations improves, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveanatomical variation adaptationVSAvoidsurgical apparatus structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The supporting members are designed to be adjustable along the guide track, allowing dynamic adaptation to different anatomical configurations. The guide block can move along the guide track and the supporting members can be positioned at different locations, providing flexibility while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure based on the rail-guide mechanism.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS12472065B1Systems and methods of shoulder implant surgical guide

Publication Date: 2025.11.18 ACROMIO TECH LLC

AI summary

The surgical apparatus can include a guide body including a guide track, a guide block coupled to and movable along the guide track and defining an aperture, a first supporting member comprising one or more first engagement features attachable to an inferior portion of an acromion bone, a second supporting member comprising one or more second engagement features attachable to a first superior portion of the acromion bone, and a third supporting member comprising one or more third engagement features attachable to a second superior portion of the acromion bone. The surgical apparatus can include a delivery member extending through the aperture, the delivery member extending and movable along a delivery member axis extending above the first supporting member where at least one of the first supporting member, the second supporting member, and the third supporting member are adjustable.