Surgical Nail Proximal Distal Rods Clavicle Alignment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Clavicle fractures are challenging to treat due to the critical structures surrounding the clavicle and the limited bone stock, making it difficult to accurately insert and align surgical nails, especially with the thin medullary canal and limited bone stock.

Innovation Solution

A surgical nail with proximal and distal connecting elements that allow for the verification and correction of the alignment of guide bores, featuring a proximal rod for coupling a proximal aiming guide and a distal rod for coupling a distal aiming guide, enabling accurate insertion and fixation within the bone.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If a surgical nail is inserted into the clavicle without alignment verification capability, then the insertion process is simpler, but the positioning accuracy and alignment precision cannot be ensured

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvealignment precisionVSAvoidnail structure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The surgical nail is divided into multiple functional segments: a proximal rod for proximal aiming guide coupling, a nail body containing locking apertures, and a distal rod for distal aiming guide coupling. This segmentation allows each component to serve its specific function while maintaining overall alignment verification capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Aiming guides are introduced as intermediary devices that couple to the proximal and distal rods of the surgical nail. These aiming guides serve as mediators between the surgeon and the nail, providing visual and mechanical references for accurate alignment and positioning during insertion.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Manufacturing precision

If the medullary canal is thin and bone stock is limited, then the surgical field is more constrained, but accurate positioning becomes even more critical

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinsertion accuracyVSAvoidanatomical constraints

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The surgical nail design incorporates proximal and distal aiming guides that can be attached before insertion. These guides perform preliminary alignment actions, establishing the correct trajectory and positioning before the nail enters the thin medullary canal, thereby ensuring accurate placement in constrained anatomical spaces.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces reliance on manual mechanical positioning with a structured aiming guide system that provides geometric constraints and visual references. This substitution reduces the dependency on surgeon skill alone and provides more reliable accuracy in the presence of limited bone stock and narrow medullary canals.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS8663224B2Surgical nail

Publication Date: 2014.03.04 DEPUY SYNTHES PROD INC

AI summary

A surgical nail for treating a fractured bone includes a nail body extending along a longitudinal axis from a trailing end to a leading end and including a trailing end locking aperture extending transversely through a trailing end portion thereof and a leading end locking aperture extending transversely through a leading end portion thereof; a trailing end connecting element located at the trailing end of the nail body adapted and configured to be coupled to a trailing end aiming guide; and a leading end connecting element at the leading end of the nail body adapted and configured to be coupled to a leading end aiming guide.