Surgical Thread Tensioner With Knot Groove for Bone Cerclage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing surgical thread cerclage techniques require a large wound or maneuvering space to effectively tension a surgical thread, leading to potential tissue damage and the need for a metal snag to prevent untying, which causes pain and injury.
Innovation Solution
A device for tensioning a surgical thread with an elongated body and maneuvering member, utilizing a screw and nut-screw mechanism to space apart or approach the body and member, allowing for effective knot tightening in a minimally invasive manner using a biocompatible fabric thread.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a metal surgical thread is used for cerclage, then the thread can be twisted and stabilized, but a metal snag protrudes from the bone causing pain and injury to surrounding soft tissues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter of the surgical thread from metal to biocompatible fabric, which fundamentally alters the interaction with surrounding tissues. The fabric material eliminates the harmful metal snag effect while maintaining cerclage functionality through knotting mechanisms
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a softer biocompatible fabric thread is used instead of metal, then tissue injury is reduced, but the thread cannot be twisted and must be knotted requiring a larger wound for maneuvering
Solution Approach 1:
The device nests the thread tensioning mechanism within a compact structure that fits through minimal wounds. The elongated body with coupling portions and maneuvering member creates a nested configuration where the thread loop is contained and manipulated within a small spatial footprint, eliminating the need for large wound openings
3Ease of operation
If a large wound is made to allow thread tensioning and knotting, then the surgical thread can be properly tensioned, but the invasiveness of the procedure increases and tissue damage worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The device transitions the tensioning operation from a two-dimensional surface maneuver (requiring large wound opening) to a three-dimensional internal operation. The elongated body is inserted through the wound and performs tensioning within the internal space, utilizing the third dimension (depth) to resolve the spatial conflict between maneuverability and minimal invasion
4Ease of operation
If a passer instrument is used to pass the thread about the fractured bone, then the thread can be positioned, but the instrument must be removed and complex tensioning instruments inserted requiring significant maneuvering space
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the positioning and tensioning functions into a single integrated device. The elongated body with coupling portions both positions the thread loop about the bone and tensions it simultaneously, eliminating the need for separate passer instruments and complex tensioning devices that require significant maneuvering space
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 efficient cerclage with a knot that reduces tissue damage and eliminates the need for a metal snag, ensuring a stable and safe cerclage without requiring a large wound.
Implementation Method 1
The elongated body is connected to the maneuvering member by means of a screw and nut-screw mechanism configured to mutually space apart or approach the elongated body and the maneuvering member
Data Source
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AI summary
A device (1) for tensioning a surgical thread comprising: - an elongated body (10) having a tip portion (11) adapted to be arranged in contact with a knot (101) of a surgical thread (100) wound about a patient's bone (B), and - a maneuvering member (20) connected to the elongated body (10) by means of a screw and nut-screw mechanism (30) configured to mutually space apart or approach said elongated body (10) and said maneuvering member (20), said maneuvering member (20) having respective coupling portions (21) for coupling opposite ends (102) of the surgical thread (100) wound and knotted about the bone (B). The opposite ends (102) of the surgical thread (100) can be reversibly constrained to the respective coupling portions (21) in a use configuration of the device (1). The elongated body (10) and the maneuvering member (20) can be mutually spaced apart along a movement axis (X) in order to tension the opposite ends (102) so as to tighten the surgical thread (100) about the bone (B). The tip portion (11) has a groove (12) shaped to receive at least partially the knot (101) in the use configuration of the device (1). The groove (12) extends perpendicularly to the movement axis (X) to open onto opposite sides of the elongated body (10) at respective return portions (14) along which the opposite ends (102) can be returned toward the coupling portions (21), so that the opposite ends (102) of the surgical thread (100) can be arranged tangentially to the bone (B) over a first stretch between the return portions (14) inside the groove (12), and transversely to the bone (B) along respective second stretches, having a greater length than the first stretch, between the return portions (14) and the coupling portions (21).