Tibia-Calcaneus Truss for Canine Cruciate Ligament Stabilization

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current surgical methods for treating cruciate ligament ruptures in dogs are often ineffective, leading to degenerative arthritis and joint instability, with high complication rates and unsatisfactory long-term results, particularly due to the destabilizing force of gastrocnemius muscles.

Innovation Solution

A surgical implant in the form of a truss that fixes the hock joint in extension, reducing the pull of gastrocnemius muscles on the femur, thereby stabilizing the knee even if the cranial cruciate ligament is torn, using a minimally invasive approach with titanium or titanium alloy components for secure fixation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional surgical methods (extra-capsular suture or geometry-modifying techniques) are used to treat CrCL rupture, then joint stability is attempted to be improved, but long-term performance deteriorates with high rates of degenerative arthritis and joint failure

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelong-term joint stabilityVSAvoidsurgical outcome quality

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and eliminates the harmful gastrocnemius muscle force from the system by fixing the hock joint in extension, which removes the destabilizing influence on the femur while preserving the beneficial hamstring muscle function for stifle stability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of attempting to replace or reinforce the CrCL directly (conventional approaches), the patent inverts the approach by addressing the root cause of instability through hock fixation, which indirectly stabilizes the stifle joint

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Ease of operation

If gastrocnemius muscles are allowed to exert their normal pull on the femur, then natural muscle function is maintained, but caudal dislocation of femoral condyles occurs causing joint instability

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemuscle function preservationVSAvoidfemoral condyle position

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by differentiating the function of different muscle groups: preserving hamstring function for stifle stability while eliminating gastrocnemius force through hock fixation, allowing each muscle to exert its beneficial effect without harmful side effects

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Stability of the object's composition

If conventional hock arthrodesis methods are used to fix the hock joint, then joint stability is achieved, but surgical complexity and complication rates increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehock joint fixationVSAvoidsurgical procedure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the surgical approach into a simple hock fixation procedure using a truss implant, separating the hock stabilization function from the stifle treatment, which simplifies the overall surgical complexity compared to conventional combined approaches

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS20240099821A1Tibia-calcaneus truss

Publication Date: 2024.03.28 KYON

AI summary

The present invention provides an implant in a form of a truss, spanning the distance from diaphysis of the tibia to the tip of the calcaneus, thus fixing the ankle (hock) joint in extension. Gastrocnemius muscles are thus at close to their shortest length and their force capacity is greatly reduced, preventing the caudal luxation of the distal femur even if the cranial cruciate ligament is torn.