Wedge Spacer Osteotomy Guide Knee Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical methods for correcting knee alignment, such as high tibial osteotomy, often require additional procedures like tissue repair or replacement, and there is a need for a more efficient method to realign the knee joint without these interventions, especially for young arthritis patients.
Innovation Solution
A high tibial osteotomy system comprising a wedge-shaped spacer and osteotomy guide that allows for precise angular correction of the knee joint by creating an osteotomy and inserting a wedge-shaped spacer with angled surfaces to correct alignment in multiple planes, facilitating bone growth and stabilization with bioresorbable materials and fixation plates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If traditional high tibial osteotomy is performed with bone wedge removal or creation, then knee alignment can be corrected, but the procedure becomes more complex and requires additional bone grafting procedures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a wedge-shaped spacer as an intermediary device that fits into the osteotomy gap to maintain the corrected alignment. This spacer acts as a mediator between the two bone segments, holding them in the desired angular relationship while bone healing occurs, thereby simplifying the overall procedure by eliminating the need for complex bone grafting techniques.
Solution Approach 2:
The wedge-shaped spacer is designed as a temporary, disposable device that serves its purpose during the bone healing period and is then removed. This approach avoids the complexity of permanent implants and the need for secondary removal surgeries, while providing precise alignment control during the critical healing phase.
2Reliability
If bone grafting is performed to aid healing in opening high tibial osteotomy, then bone healing is promoted, but the surgical procedure time and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The wedge-shaped spacer is designed with self-contained features that promote bone healing without requiring additional bone grafting materials or procedures. The spacer's geometry and surface characteristics are engineered to facilitate natural bone growth into the osteotomy site, allowing the bone to heal using its own resources rather than requiring external grafts from other parts of the patient's body.
3Stability of the object's composition
If multiple fixation devices are used to stabilize the osteotomy, then alignment stability is improved, but the invasiveness and complexity of the procedure increase
Solution Approach 1:
The wedge-shaped spacer provides localized stability precisely where it is needed - at the osteotomy interface. By concentrating the stabilization function in this specific location rather than using multiple distributed fixation devices, the design achieves adequate stability with minimal intrusion into surrounding healthy bone and soft tissue structures.
Data Source
AI summary
An osteotomy system, typically for tibial alignment correction, includes a wedge implant and an osteotomy guide. The wedge implant is generally U-shaped and its upper and lower surfaces may be inclined with respect to one another in two orthogonal planes to correct respective misalignments. The osteotomy guide controls cutting of the osteotomy opening and the drilling of a hole defining the apex of the osteotomy, forming a bony hinge about which the osteotomy may be opened.