Staple-Plate Interlock for Stable Hard Tissue Fixation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current techniques for fixing plates to hard tissue, such as bone, can be improved by incorporating staples in addition to or instead of screws for enhanced stability and security.
Innovation Solution
A hard tissue fixation system utilizing a plate with holes and a staple-plate interlocking device, where the staple transitions from an insertion configuration to an interlocked configuration through a translation sliding motion, engaging with complementary surface portions to inhibit movement and secure the plate to the tissue.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If screws are used to fix plates to bone, then the plate can be attached to the bone, but the fixation may loosen over time and lack sufficient stability
Solution Approach 1:
The fixation system is divided into two distinct components: a staple for initial secure attachment and screws for additional stabilization. The staple penetrates the bone and plate together to create immediate mechanical interlocking, while screws provide supplementary fixation. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function optimally, with the staple providing reliable initial fixation and screws adding long-term stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges two different fixation mechanisms (staples and screws) into a single integrated system. The staple and screws work together synergistically, with the staple providing primary attachment and the screws providing additional security. This combination addresses the limitations of using either method alone, creating a more reliable and stable fixation that prevents loosening over time.
2Ease of manufacture
If traditional screw fixation is used, then the plate can be attached to bone, but the procedure requires precise alignment and drilling which increases surgical complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The staple is pre-formed with its legs and body configuration before surgery. During the procedure, the staple is simply inserted through the plate into the bone without requiring complex alignment or drilling operations. This preliminary preparation of the staple device simplifies the surgical procedure, as it eliminates the need for precise pre-drilling and complex alignment that traditional screw fixation requires.
3Reliability
If staples are added to the fixation system, then stability and security are enhanced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The staple is designed to perform multiple functions within a single component: it provides mechanical interlocking with the bone, attaches the plate to the bone, and creates immediate stable fixation. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional complex components, as the staple itself handles multiple fixation requirements that would otherwise require separate devices.
Data Source
AI summary
A hard tissue fixation staple-plate interlocking device can include a recess in a staple body or a plate. The device can also include a locking part of the other of the staple body or plate. The device can be reconfigurable between an insertion configuration and an interlocked configuration. In the insertion configuration, the locking part can slide into the recess in a translation sliding motion that is parallel to a sliding motion of the legs of the staple, as the legs of the staple slide through the holes in the plate. In the interlocked configuration, the locking part can be at least partially in the recess, and recess surface portions can engage part surface portions and inhibit movement of the staple and plate out of the interlocked configuration. Also, multiple staples and screws can be interlocked with the plate, with staples being at non-parallel angles to each other.