Subchondral Bone Treatment for Joint Pain Relief
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current treatments for joint pain, particularly due to osteoarthritis, often fail to provide consistent and reliable pain relief, especially when preservation of the joint is desired, as they focus on bone-on-bone contact or inadequate cartilage cushioning, which poorly correlates with pain severity, leading to recurring pain after surgical interventions.
Innovation Solution
A subchondral treatment method that stabilizes and reinforces the subchondral region of the joint using injectable materials like bone morphogenic protein (BMP), stem cells, or platelet-rich plasma (PRP), along with implantable devices and instruments that allow for the dispersion of these materials into the subchondral region to alter stress distribution and promote healing, addressing pain at its source rather than just the articular surface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional treatments focus on bone-on-bone contact or inadequate cartilage cushioning, then joint pain relief is attempted, but pain relief is inconsistent and unreliable, leading to recurring pain after surgical interventions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the treatment focus from the articular surface (cartilage) and directs it to the subchondral bone region, where the actual pain source lies. By removing the conventional assumption that cartilage damage is the primary pain generator and instead targeting the subchondral bone, the treatment achieves more reliable pain relief without recurring pain.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of treating the cartilage surface as the primary target for pain relief, the patent inverts the approach by treating the subchondral bone region. This inversion of the traditional treatment paradigm leads to consistent pain relief by addressing the actual source of pain rather than the presumed source.
2Strength
If mechanical fixation devices such as screws, plates, staples, rods, and sutures are used to repair damaged bone, then bone stabilization is achieved, but the treatment does not address the underlying subchondral bone stress distribution issues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by targeting the specific subchondral bone region with injectable materials that have different properties than conventional fixation devices. The subchondral bone receives targeted treatment with materials that restore normal physiologic stress distribution, providing both stabilization and pain relief consistency in the specific area where pain originates.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces injectable materials (BMP, stem cells, PRP) as intermediaries between the mechanical fixation devices and the subchondral bone. These intermediaries restore normal stress distribution in the subchondral bone, bridging the gap between mechanical stabilization and physiological healing to achieve reliable pain relief.
3Ease of operation
If non-surgical treatments such as weight loss, activity modification, and medications are initially administered, then mild to moderate pain is managed, but severe pain or bone injury requires surgical intervention
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary action by addressing the subchondral bone stress distribution issue early in the treatment process through injectable materials, rather than waiting for severe bone injury to occur. This preliminary treatment of the subchondral bone can prevent the progression from mild to severe pain, reducing the need for complex surgical interventions later.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for the treatment of a joint are provided. These systems and methods may also include a subchondral treatment of bone of the same joint. These joint treatment methods may be non-surgical or surgical. Also provided are devices and instruments associated with the methods.