Unicompartmental Knee Arthroplasty With Tibial Post Fixation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing knee surgery procedures, such as total knee arthroplasty, often result in significant bone structure alteration and compromise the natural function of the knee joint, while unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) aims to preserve the cruciate ligaments and expedite recovery, but there is a need for improved implant systems that enhance stability and facilitate long-term biologic osseous ingrowth.
Innovation Solution
The development of a surgical implant system featuring a tray with angled posts and a fastener system that secures the implant to the tibia bone, allowing for both fixed and mobile articular components, enabling relative movement and facilitating biologic osseous ingrowth, along with a surgical jig for precise bone preparation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If total knee arthroplasty is performed, then the knee joint function is restored, but significant bone structure alteration occurs and natural function is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the knee joint replacement into separate compartment-specific implants (unicompartmental or bicompartmental) rather than replacing the entire knee joint. This segmentation allows restoration of function in affected compartments while preserving bone structure in unaffected areas, directly resolving the contradiction between function restoration and bone structure integrity.
2Reliability
If unicompartmental knee arthroplasty is performed, then cruciate ligaments are preserved and recovery is expedited, but implant stability and long-term osseous ingrowth are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a nested fixation system where posts are inserted into bone, trays are attached to the posts, and fasteners secure the entire assembly. This nested structure provides progressive stabilization, ensuring implant stability and promoting long-term osseous ingrowth while maintaining the benefits of ligament preservation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes porous coating on implant surfaces to facilitate biologic osseous ingrowth. This porous structure provides mechanical interlocking between the implant and bone tissue, enhancing implant stability and strength without compromising the ligament preservation benefits of UKA.
3Stability of the object's composition
If fixed bearing configuration is used, then implant stability is maintained, but mobility and adaptability are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent offers both fixed and mobile bearing configurations that can be selected based on patient needs and surgical requirements. The mobile bearing option allows dynamic adaptation to varying joint conditions while maintaining stability through the robust post-tray-fastener construction, resolving the contradiction between stability and adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent designs a universal tray system that can accommodate both fixed and mobile bearing configurations using the same post and fastener components. This multi-functionality allows the implant system to adapt to different clinical scenarios while maintaining consistent stability characteristics, directly addressing the contradiction between stability and versatility.
4Manufacturing precision
If precise bone preparation is performed, then implant positioning is improved, but surgical complexity and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates preliminary positioning features in the surgical jig and implant components that guide bone preparation and implant placement. These pre-designed guides and alignment features simplify the surgical procedure while ensuring precise implant positioning, resolving the contradiction between positioning accuracy and surgical complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A surgical implant includes a tray extending from a first end to a second end along a first plane, the tray including an upper surface and a lower surface, a first post coupled to and extending from the tray away from the first plane and configured to be inserted into a bone portion, the first post including a first opening extending through the first post, a second post coupled to and extending from the tray away from the first plane and configured to be implanted into the bone portion, the second post including a second opening extending through the second post, and a fastener removably coupled to the first post and the second post, the fastener extending from a first fastener end to a second fastener end through the first opening and the second opening.