Patient-Specific Navigation Instrument for Subchondral Bone Treatment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current treatments for osteoarthritis, such as high tibial osteotomy and total knee arthroplasty, are invasive and have limited durability, failing to provide consistent pain relief and preserving joint function effectively, especially for patients with severe osteoarthritis.

Innovation Solution

The development of instruments and methods for navigating to a target area near a subchondral bone defect using patient-specific anatomical landmarks, allowing for accurate and controlled delivery of injectable materials to treat the defect without the need for fluoroscopy, thereby stabilizing and stimulating bone healing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional surgical treatments (HTO or TKA) are performed, then pain relief is achieved, but the procedures are invasive and have limited durability

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedurability of treatmentVSAvoidinvasiveness of procedure

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces complex mechanical surgical interventions (osteotomy, arthroplasty) with a minimally invasive injection system that delivers therapeutic agents directly to the subchondral bone through a needle guided by patient-specific anatomical landmarks, thereby reducing invasiveness while maintaining treatment effectiveness

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The system utilizes the patient's own anatomical landmarks (patella, tibial tubercle) to guide needle placement, eliminating the need for external imaging guidance systems or complex positioning apparatus, thus simplifying the procedure while ensuring accurate delivery to the target site

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Measurement precision

If fluoroscopy is used to guide injection, then accuracy is improved, but the procedure becomes more complex and requires additional equipment

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccuracy of needle placementVSAvoidequipment requirements

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a physical copy or model of the patient's anatomical surface features (landmarks) and uses this replica as the guidance system for needle placement, replacing the need for fluoroscopy imaging equipment while maintaining accurate positioning through tactile and visual reference to the anatomical model

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

3Reliability

If traditional surgical interventions are performed, then bone defects are treated, but joint function is not effectively preserved

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvejoint function preservationVSAvoidsurgical intervention level

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies treatment locally at the specific subchondral bone defect site through targeted injection, rather than performing global surgical interventions on the entire joint. This localized approach preserves healthy joint tissues while treating only the affected area, maintaining joint function with minimal disruption

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS10561442B2Navigation instruments for subchondral bone treatment

Publication Date: 2020.02.18 ZIMMER KNEE CREATIONS INC

AI summary

An instrument for navigating to a target area near a subchondral defect of a bone and associated methods are disclosed. The instrument can include a body portion having a patient specific surface defining a negative impression of a portion of a skin surface of a patient, and a targeting device coupled to the body portion, the targeting device including a rail and at least one device portal configured to guide a device into a subchondral region of the bone for treatment at the target area.