Cut Guide Attachment for Tibial Prosthesis Angled Resections

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing provisional knee prosthesis systems fail to provide insight into knee joint kinematics for angled bone cuts and require a high number of components for proper configuration, lacking real-time force or pressure data for balance testing.

Innovation Solution

A tibial prosthesis system with shim components that provide spacing adjustment and integrated sensors for real-time balance testing, including cut guides for angled resections, allowing for reduced component usage and improved kinematic insight.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If existing provisional systems are used, then knee joint kinematics can be tested, but insight into angled bone cuts is not provided

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveknee joint kinematic insightVSAvoidapplication to angled bone cuts
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The cut guide attachment is positioned on the provisional tibial component before the angled bone cut is made, allowing the surgeon to visualize and plan the angled resection in advance. The attachment includes visual indicators that show the expected post-cut geometry, enabling preliminary assessment of kinematic outcomes before the actual bone cutting occurs.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The cut guide attachment serves as an intermediary tool between the provisional prosthesis and the final bone cut. It translates the intended angled resection into a physical guide that can be directly applied to the tibia, bridging the gap between planning and execution, and providing real-time visual feedback on the cut's expected outcome.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Manufacturing precision

If a high number of provisional components are stacked, then appropriate configuration can be achieved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprosthesis configuration accuracyVSAvoidnumber of components
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The cut guide attachment is designed to be universally applicable to different provisional tibial components and can accommodate various bone cut angles. Instead of requiring multiple specialized components for different configurations, a single multi-functional attachment system provides guidance for angled resections across different prosthesis setups, reducing overall component count while maintaining precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The attachment combines multiple functions into a single integrated component: it provides cut angle guidance, visualizes the expected resection geometry, and attaches directly to the provisional prosthesis. This merging of guidance, visualization, and attachment functions eliminates the need for separate tools for each function, reducing device complexity while maintaining configuration accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Measurement precision

If existing provisional systems are used, then knee joint balance can be assessed, but real-time force or pressure data is not provided

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebalance testing accuracyVSAvoidreal-time force data
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The attachment incorporates sensors that detect forces and pressures during knee joint loading and provide real-time feedback to the surgeon. This feedback mechanism allows continuous monitoring of balance changes during the surgical process, enabling dynamic adjustment of the provisional prosthesis configuration based on actual force data rather than relying solely on pre-operative planning or static assessment.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP2918235B1Cut guide attachment for use in tibial prosthesis systems
Publication Date: 2017.01.04 ZIMMER INC
  • EP2918235B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2918235B1 patent drawingFigure 2A~2B
  • EP2918235B1 patent drawingFigure 2C~2D

AI summary

Tibial prosthesis systems for implantation or use in a knee joint are disclosed. A tibial prosthesis system (340) for implantation on a resected tibia can include a bearing component (342), a base component (344), and a shim component (346). The insertion of the shim component can provide spacing adjustment between the bearing and base components. The shim component can have a generally uniform height or thickness, or a variable height. A cut guide attachment (1300), removably attachable to the prosthesis system, can be used to facilitate further resection of the tibia and create one or more additional resection surfaces on the tibia at an angle relative to the first resection surface. Multiple cut guide attachments can be available to the user to provide various resection angles. The cut guide attachment can include a modular design. The cut guide attachment can be configured to adjust the angle of the subsequent resection in at least one direction.