Pre-contoured TPLO Bone Plate for High Tibial Cuts

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing TPLO bone plates are not optimized for procedures where the cut is made high on the upper tibia, leading to increased surgery time, improper securing of tibia sections, and potential damage to the stifle joint due to improper screw placement and plate bending requirements.

Innovation Solution

A pre-contoured TPLO bone plate with an elongated shaft aligned with the tibia's long axis and a head portion angled to match the rotated cut segment, minimizing inter-operative bending and allowing for proper screw placement without extending into the stifle joint, featuring a transition with concave sidewalls and adjustable notches for varying angles.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a standard TPLO bone plate is used for high cuts on the upper tibia, then the plate can be applied to the bone, but the plate requires bending and shaping which increases surgery time and causes metal fatigue

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveplate adaptability to high cutsVSAvoidsurgery time

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The bone plate is pre-contoured during manufacturing with the head portion angled at 15-40 degrees relative to the shaft portion, and includes pre-formed notches at predetermined locations. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for intraoperative bending and shaping, directly resolving the contradiction by reducing surgery time while maintaining adaptability to high cuts through the pre-configured geometry

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes the geometric parameters of the bone plate by incorporating pre-formed notches at specific locations and angles during manufacturing. These notched configurations allow the plate to be inserted in a predetermined angled orientation without requiring post-manufacturing deformation, thus reducing surgery time while preserving the ability to accommodate high tibial cuts

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Adaptability or versatility

If a standard TPLO bone plate is used for high cuts on the upper tibia, then the plate can be applied to the bone, but the screws may not properly hold the bone plate or may extend into the stifle joint

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveplate adaptability to high cutsVSAvoidscrew fixation reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The bone plate is pre-contoured during manufacturing with the head portion angled at 15-40 degrees relative to the shaft portion, and includes pre-formed notches at predetermined locations. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for intraoperative bending and shaping, directly resolving the contradiction by reducing surgery time while maintaining adaptability to high cuts through the pre-configured geometry

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes the geometric parameters of the bone plate by incorporating pre-formed notches at specific locations and angles during manufacturing. These notched configurations allow the plate to be inserted in a predetermined angled orientation without requiring post-manufacturing deformation, thus reducing surgery time while preserving the ability to accommodate high tibial cuts

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Ease of manufacture

If the TPLO plate head section is not optimized for the rotated cut upper tibia segment, then the plate can be applied, but the head portion does not properly fit the rotated portion of the tibia

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveplate manufacturing simplicityVSAvoidhead portion fit precision

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The bone plate is pre-contoured during manufacturing with the head portion angled at 15-40 degrees relative to the shaft portion, and includes pre-formed notches at predetermined locations. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for intraoperative bending and shaping, directly resolving the contradiction by reducing surgery time while maintaining adaptability to high cuts through the pre-configured geometry

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes the geometric parameters of the bone plate by incorporating pre-formed notches at specific locations and angles during manufacturing. These notched configurations allow the plate to be inserted in a predetermined angled orientation without requiring post-manufacturing deformation, thus reducing surgery time while preserving the ability to accommodate high tibial cuts

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP3285671B1TPLO bone plate

Publication Date: 2024.09.18 MWI VETERINARY SUPPLY CO

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Figure 6A~6B

AI summary

A bone plate is dimensioned for securing the rotated cut segment of an upper tibia to the lower portion of the tibia as part of a tibial leveling osteotomy procedure for an animal. The bone plate includes an elongated shaft, a head portion pre-bent with respect to the elongated shaft, and a transition between the elongated shaft and head portion including opposing concave sidewalls. The elongated shaft has a centerline and the pre-bent head portion has a centerline angled with respect to the centerline of the elongated shaft to dispose the elongated shaft collinear or approximately collinear with respect to the lower portion of the tibia and to better fit the head portion to the rotated cut segment of the upper tibia.