Surgical Staple Bending Instrument for Anatomical Bone Fixation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing surgical techniques face challenges in efficiently securing bones together, particularly in areas like the hands and feet, where surgical staples or fusion bone plates are used to stabilize bones for fusion, but there is a need for instruments that can tailor implants to specific anatomies and facilitate precise implantation.
Innovation Solution
A surgical bending instrument with a body, shaft, handle, and distal force applicator that allows for bending and implanting surgical staples or fusion plates, featuring grips and a driver mechanism to adjust the staple configuration for precise fitting and fixation, utilizing materials with shape memory and superelastic properties.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If surgical staples are used to secure bones together, then bone stability is improved, but the ability to tailor the implant to specific patient anatomy is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The surgical staple is designed with flexible legs that can be dynamically adjusted during implantation. The legs can be bent to different angles and positions using specialized instruments, allowing the staple to adapt to various anatomical configurations while maintaining secure bone fixation once implanted.
Solution Approach 2:
The staple's physical parameters (leg angle, leg length, crown position) can be modified after fabrication but before implantation. This allows customization of the implant geometry to match specific patient anatomy while preserving the stable fixation function once properly configured and implanted.
2Ease of manufacture
If surgical staples are implanted in a fixed configuration, then implantation simplicity is improved, but the precision of fitting to specific bone anatomy deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The staple is pre-formed with a basic configuration including parallel legs and a crown, which simplifies the manufacturing process. However, the design inherently allows for subsequent adjustment of leg angles and positions during the implantation procedure to achieve precise anatomical fitting.
Solution Approach 2:
The staple transitions from a static pre-formed configuration to a dynamically adjustable structure during surgery. Specialized instruments enable precise bending and positioning of the legs to match the specific anatomy, combining manufacturing simplicity with implantation precision.
3Ease of operation
If the surgical staple structure is simplified for easy implantation, then ease of operation is improved, but the ability to accommodate various staple sizes and anatomies deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The staple is divided into distinct functional segments: the crown for bone engagement, the legs for insertion into bone holes, and the connecting structure. This segmentation allows each component to be independently sized and configured to match different anatomical requirements while maintaining overall structural simplicity for ease of implantation.
Solution Approach 2:
The basic staple design serves multiple functions: securing bones together, accommodating different anatomical configurations, and allowing intraoperative adjustment. The parallel leg structure with adjustable angles provides universal applicability across various bone sizes and anatomies while maintaining straightforward implantation procedures.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables secure and anatomically tailored fixation of bones by allowing staples to be distracted and implanted in a parallel configuration, ensuring stable fusion and easy removal, while accommodating various staple sizes and anatomies.
Implementation Method 1
A shaft comprising a threaded portion is rotatably engaged within the threaded hole
Implementation Method 2
the shaft communicates mechanical forces applied at the proximal handle to the driver
Implementation Method 3
utilizing materials with shape memory and superelastic properties
Implementation Method 4
utilizing materials with shape memory and superelastic properties
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus and a method are provided for a surgical bending instrument for bending surgical implants. The surgical bending instrument comprises a body including a longitudinally extending threaded hole. A shaft comprising a threaded portion is rotatably engaged within the threaded hole. A handle is coupled to a proximal end of the shaft, and a distal extension of the shaft comprises a driver. A distal force applicator comprises the driver centered between a first grip and a second grip. In some embodiments, the distal force applicator is configured to retain a surgical staple, such that the surgical staple may be changed to a distracted configuration suitable for implantation at a bone fixation or fusion site of a patient. In some embodiments, the distal force applicator is configured to bend a bone fusion plate so as to tailor the plate to specific anatomy of the patient's bone.