Patient-Specific Shoulder Arthroplasty Instruments

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current instruments for total shoulder joint implantation, such as shoulder hemiarthroplasty and reverse total shoulder arthroplasty, face high revision rates due to poor positioning of components, leading to complications like glenoid component loosening and instability, necessitating improved alignment and placement techniques.

Innovation Solution

Patient-specific instruments are created using CT or MRI data to generate custom tools that conform to individual joint surfaces, allowing precise alignment and preparation for standard or reverse shoulder implant components, including a glenoid component instrument with a patient-specific conformal surface and a humeral cutting block with a saw slot for accurate bone resection.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If standard conventional instruments are used for shoulder arthroplasty, then the device complexity is low and ease of manufacture is high, but the manufacturing precision and positioning accuracy of implant components deteriorate, leading to high revision rates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepositioning accuracy of implant componentsVSAvoidcomplexity of surgical instrumentation

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Patient-specific instruments are created before surgery based on pre-operative imaging data (CT or MRI). These custom instruments incorporate patient-specific anatomical surface conformations that are manufactured in advance, allowing precise positioning during surgery without requiring complex intraoperative alignment procedures.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patient-specific instruments include surfaces that are exact geometric copies or inverses of the patient's actual joint surfaces. By copying the unique anatomical geometry of each patient's glenoid and humeral head, the instruments achieve precise alignment and positioning that standard instruments cannot provide.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

2Measurement precision

If patient-specific instruments are created using CT or MRI data and custom manufacturing, then the positioning accuracy and alignment precision improve, but the device complexity and manufacturing complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvealignment precision of surgical cutsVSAvoidease of creating custom instruments

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

All measurements, planning, and instrument design are completed before surgery using pre-operative imaging. The alignment precision is determined in advance through digital planning software, and custom instruments are manufactured beforehand, eliminating the need for complex intraoperative measurement and alignment procedures.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The invention replaces complex mechanical alignment procedures with a digital planning and navigation system. CT or MRI data is processed through software to create precise 3D models, and virtual trial reductions determine optimal component positioning. This digital approach substitutes for traditional mechanical alignment methods.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS9579106B2Shoulder arthroplasty instrumentation

Publication Date: 2017.02.28 NEW YORK SOC FOR THE RUPTURED & CRIPPLED MAINTAINING THE HOSPITAL FOR SPECIAL SURGERY

AI summary

Patient specific shoulder component implant instruments are described for hemi and total, normal and reverse shoulder arthroplasty.