Surgical Reduction Tool With Off-Center Insert for Bone Gap Compression
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing surgical methods face challenges in achieving optimal bone-to-bone compression during orthopedic procedures, as gaps between bones or bone fragments often require reduction before final compression with bone plates, which can lead to malunion and potential revision surgeries if not properly addressed.
Innovation Solution
A reduction tool assembly comprising a sleeve and a rotatable insert with an off-center through hole, allowing a K-wire to move along an arced path, is used to nudge bones toward each other, facilitating bony apposition before final compression with a bone plate.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If traditional surgical methods are used to reduce gaps between bones, then bone alignment can be achieved, but the complexity of the surgical procedure increases and the risk of malunion remains
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a reduction tool assembly as an intermediary device between the surgeon and the bone. This tool includes a sleeve that fits over a K-wire and a rotatable insert with an off-center through hole. The insert acts as a mediator that converts rotational motion into linear displacement, allowing precise control over bone gap reduction without increasing overall surgical complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The reduction tool assembly incorporates dynamic elements through the rotatable insert that can be rotated to different angular positions. This dynamic component allows the surgeon to adjust the position of the K-wire relative to the bone plate opening, enabling precise control over the reduction direction and magnitude while maintaining a relatively simple overall device structure
2Measurement precision
If bone gap reduction is performed manually without specialized tools, then the surgical field remains simple, but the ability to achieve precise bony apposition is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The insert features an off-center through hole that is asymmetrically positioned relative to the insert's geometric center. This asymmetric design is crucial because it converts the rotational motion of the insert into a controlled linear displacement of the K-wire along an arced path, enabling precise control over the direction and magnitude of bone gap reduction
Solution Approach 2:
The arced path along which the K-wire moves is a curved trajectory resulting from the rotation of the off-center through hole. This curved motion path allows the K-wire to be gradually displaced in a controlled manner, providing smooth and precise bony apposition rather than abrupt displacement, thereby improving measurement precision while keeping the device relatively simple
3Productivity
If multiple manual steps are used to reduce bone gaps, then the surgical approach remains flexible, but the time required for the procedure increases
Solution Approach 1:
The reduction tool assembly merges multiple functions into a single integrated device. The sleeve and insert combination allows the surgeon to perform gap reduction, K-wire positioning, and bone alignment control in one unified operation rather than requiring multiple separate manual steps, thereby improving productivity while reducing overall procedure time
Data Source
AI summary
Surgical reduction tool assemblies may be used for achieving compression between bone fragments or across joints when performing arthrodesis procedures, bone fracture procedures, etc. The reduction tool assemblies may be used to reduce a gap between bone fragments or between bones of a joint prior to attempting to achieve final compression with a bone plate.