Wire Stretcher for Kirschner Wire Compression
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bone fracture fixation techniques, such as Kirschner wires, screws, and plate-screws, face challenges in providing adequate compression and stability, especially in small or osteoporotic bones, and require invasive procedures that can damage surrounding tissues and hinder healing.
Innovation Solution
A wire stretcher apparatus that uses a wire retainer to stretch and compress Kirschner wires, providing compression at the fracture line without damaging tissues, allowing for percutaneous techniques and minimizing the need for drilling and screw placement, suitable for small bones and joints.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If Kirschner wires are used for fastening fractured bones, then the bones can be held in position, but compression cannot be provided between fractured bone pieces and the wires may move
Solution Approach 1:
The wire stretcher transforms the static Kirschner wire into a dynamic compression device. By threading the wire through the wire retainer and using the stretcher to gradually tighten it, the system transitions from a simple positioning wire to an active compression mechanism that applies continuous force to hold bone fragments together
Solution Approach 2:
The wire retainer acts as an intermediary component between the Kirschner wire and the bone fragments. It provides a structured interface that allows the wire to be threaded and tensioned, converting the wire's tensile strength into compressive force on the bone fragments while preventing wire movement
2Strength
If screw dimension is increased to increase attachment and compression force, then compression force increases, but there is no space left to locate an additional screw between the pieces
Solution Approach 1:
The wire stretcher system uses thin Kirschner wires that can be replicated multiple times between small bone fragments. Unlike single large screws, multiple thin wires can be inserted through the same bone pieces, providing distributed compression points that increase overall stability without requiring larger individual components
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the dimensional parameters from large-diameter screws to thin-diameter wires, allowing multiple instances to be placed between small bone fragments. The wire retainer and stretcher mechanism compensate for the reduced individual wire strength by enabling precise tensioning and multiple wire placement
3Strength
If screw technique is used with drilling and thread formation, then attachment is provided, but the surgical technique is relatively difficult and causes tissue damage
Solution Approach 1:
The wire stretcher system extracts the complex drilling and thread-forming steps from the surgical procedure. Instead of creating threaded holes in bone, the system uses pre-manufactured Kirschner wires that are simply threaded through the wire retainer and tensioned, eliminating the need for invasive bone modification while maintaining attachment strength
Solution Approach 2:
The wire retainer structure provides self-aligning features that guide the Kirschner wire through the bone fragments without requiring precise drilling. The wire and retainer design inherently positions itself, reducing surgical complexity and tissue trauma compared to controlled drilling and thread formation
4Stability of the object's composition
If plate screw technique is used, then fractured bone pieces are secured to locations, but more tissue surrounding the bone is abraded and incision is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The wire stretcher system extracts the large plate and multiple screws from the surgical field, replacing them with thin Kirschner wires passed through small punctures. This eliminates the need for extensive soft tissue dissection and plate placement while maintaining bone fragment stability through wire tensioning
Solution Approach 2:
The thin Kirschner wires act as flexible fixation elements that can pass through small punctures in the bone and soft tissue, unlike rigid plates that require large incisions. The wires flex with bone movement and heal naturally, minimizing soft tissue disruption while providing adequate stabilization
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The wire stretcher apparatus accelerates fracture healing by providing effective compression and support using thin wires, reducing tissue damage and the risk of new fractures, and is suitable for bones with low bone quality, such as those with osteoporosis, without the need for invasive procedures like drilling or thick fastening elements.
Implementation Method 1
The wire stretcher for Kirschner wire passing through wire retainers... allows the Kirschner wire having been secured formerly to be stretched, and thus provides compression by stretching the wire
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a wire stretcher, which is an apparatus which compresses the portion of the k-wire getting out behind the squeezing apparatus, the k-wire being passed through the wire retainer fitted on the bone surface, by rotating the holding part subsequent to being passed through the wire stretcher, thanks to the k-wire channel therein, and which enables, by rotating the outer body, the inner body with which the compressed k-wire is connected and the mid body to advance together in direction X, thereby stretching the k-wire.