DESIGNED FOR QUADRUPEDS

Technical Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a fully anatomical poly-axial locking distal femur plate that is formed according to bone anatomy, capable of being locked at different angles, and designed to be used in distal femur fractures of animals which occur as one of the consequences of traumatic events including road accidents, falling from height, firearm injuries, etc.

The present invention particularly relates to a fully anatomical multi-directional locking plate system in the field of medicine, which is designed in compliance with the bone structure in order to eliminate painful bone deformities as well as joint deformities in distal femur region, stemming from traumatic arthritis, fractures and similar reasons in quadrupeds and particularly in feline and canine animal groups.

Prior Art

Trauma related fractures are occasionally encountered in various bones of quadrupeds, and of feline and canine animal groups more generally. Causes of these traumas may be listed as road accidents, falling from height, impingement, collision, jams, sprains and firearm injuries. Generally, animals feel severe pain in the respective region due to occurrence of an injury on the surface of the bone, which consequently causes animals to become incapable of meeting their daily needs. Specific prosthetic applications carried out in order to respond to patients' symptoms may eliminate these difficulties. Prostheses are artificial products which

SUBSTITUTE SHEETS (RULE 26) may be used in substitution for any missing organ or tissue in the body. Prostheses used in orthopedic applications may be described as implants placed inside or to the surface of the bone through surgery in order to substitute a diseased joint or a joint which has lost its integrity.

In the state of the art, various prostheses are utilized in order to repair the damage caused by critical bone defects, tumoral or traumatic, and degenerative cases that occur in the distal femur of quadrupeds.

One of the methods utilized in distal femur plate applications in the state of the art is cross pinning method. Said cross pinning method implies trying to fixate the knee joint in the medial and lateral directions thereof towards the direction of the femur shaft by means of two or more fine Kirschner pins, however, mandatorily designated points coincide with medial and lateral collateral ligaments on both surfaces as points of entry. Furthermore, the requirement for using fine and flexible pins dictates performing a splinting procedure subsequent to fixation, wherein said splinting procedure induces joint contracture. Additionally, pin surfaces that remain outside of the bone surface generate granulation tissues as said pin surfaces rub against peripheral tissue of the knee joint. Formation of granulation tissues is a crucial factor that affects joint mobility negatively.

In the state of the art, straight pinning method is utilized in distal femur plate application. In said straight pinning method joint capsule is cut open and pin is inserted to eminentia on the femur joint surface, i.e. into the femur shaft positioned linearly right above the adhesion point of the anterior cruciate ligament. Aforementioned straight pinning method causes discharging of the synovial fluid as the joint capsule is cut open in order to gain access to the pin insertion point. Moreover, due to the fact that the pinning entry point is located in close proximity of the anterior cruciate ligament adhesion point, it fails to absorb tension factors herein, and accordingly results in the occurrence of internal fractures in the form of bone blocks. Additionally, it further causes the disengagement of the anterior cruciate ligament, and the impairment of the joint surface since the entry point is created by puncturing the cartilage tissue.

In the state of the art another method utilized in distal femur plate application is Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) . Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) is a method which involves a threaded rod fixed on the lateral surface, and bead structures arranged on a main rod, allowing screws to be inserted. While inserting screw to distal condyle is possible through lateral plan because of the fact that said rod is omnidirectionally bendable, inserting more than one screw is not possible. Furthermore, as the rod system does not have sufficient carrying and biomechanical direction capacity, tilts and breaks may occur at points where the rod is bent by veterinary physicians.

Nowadays, as it is disclosed above, various surgical treatment methods are employed in proximal femur fractures. However, following thorough searches conducted in the state of the art, no system or patent application was determined pertaining to a system like the inventive fully anatomical poly-axial locking distal femur plate which improves patients' quality of life by ideally simulating (close to reality) motions of the femur bone, and has a design that perfectly imitates the anatomy of the femur bone in the treatment of femur fractures of quadrupeds . Consequently, a fully anatomical plate that can fully comply with the anatomical structure of the femur bone and can increase the movement radius of the animal by proportionately distributing biomechanical and static loads on the bone by means of being locked to the bone at different angles is not available in applications known in the state of the art.

Objects of the Invention

The present invention relates to developing a novel fully anatomical poly-axial locking distal femur plate which ensures the bone union in segmental and non-segmental distal femur fractures of quadrupeds by means of fixing the bone, for the purpose of eliminating problems existing in the state of the art .

The main object of the invention is to minimize the rate of complications including non-union, union delay or avascular necrosis by using a fully anatomical distal femur plate that is compatible with the distal femur of quadrupeds, and to ensure the point load distribution by connecting the inventive fully anatomical distal femur plate to the patient by means of poly-axial locking.

Another object of the present invention is to shorten durations for administration as well as for surgery, thereby making a substantial contribution to shortening of treatment durations.

Yet another object of the present invention is to balance the load distribution by performing a fixing process with four screws at distal femur condyle lateral region, thereby aligning the entirety of loads received in the direction of the knee joint with cortex and performing linear transfer thereof through balanced cortex strength by means of the fully anatomical structure of the present invention. This provides a reduction in loads being received on the screw and/or the plate .

The present invention provides superiority over other surgical treatment methods known in the state of the art by facilitating the implementation of surgical operations for the entirety of segmental or non-segmental fractures occurring in distal femur of quadrupeds, minimizing soft and osseous tissue damage, shortening the durations for surgical operations, reducing infection risks and skin irritation of prosthesis to minimum, and allowing for early functional use of the operated extremity. The present invention further permits the operated joint to perform its motions early, provides enhanced functional results and responds to all complications.

Detailed Description of the Invention

In order to achieve aforementioned objects of the present invention the inventive fully anatomical poly-axial locking distal femur plate and components thereof, designed in compliance with the bone structure of quadrupeds, and to be used in the reconstruction of defects that occur in distal femur bones of quadrupeds for any reason, are illustrated in the annexed Figures, wherein;

FIGURE 1 illustrates the perspective view of the inventive fully anatomical poly-axial locking distal femur plate.

FIGURE 2 illustrates the general view of the inventive fully anatomical poly-axial locking distal femur plate. FIGURE 3 illustrates the general view of the condylar internal rotation area.

Reference Numerals

1. Cranial Condylar Angle

2. Ventral Condylar Angle

3. Condylar Diaphyseal Translation Angle

4. Femur Shaft Angle

5. Poly-axial Locking Holes

6. Patellar Sulcus Attrition Area

7. Condylar Joint Rotation Area

8. Condylar Internal Rotation Area

The present invention is an anatomical, poly-axial locking "Fully Anatomical Poly-axial Locking Distal Femur Plate" which is manufactured from implant materials and is used by being fixed to the dorsum of the distal femur by means of poly-axial screws for the purpose of fixating fractured bones and repairing deformation in segmental fractures of the distal femur, in corrective osteotomy thereof, and in supporting dorsally displaced fractures in quadrupeds.

Femur of quadrupeds along with feline and canine animal groups has an angulated structure. Therefore, values for cranial condylar angle (1), ventral condylar angle (2), condylar diaphyseal translation angle (3), femur shaft angle (4), patellar sulcus attrition area (6), condylar joint rotation area (7), condylar internal rotation area (8) which are located on the femur, are required to be able to create a plate that is in full compliance with the anatomy. Respective laboratory works were conducted on the femurs of aforementioned animal group, and accordingly minimum and maximum measurements pertaining aforementioned angles and areas were determined. The results obtained were optimized by means of both theoretical and practical applications and used in the production of the inventive fully anatomical poly-axial locking distal femur plate. Significant angle and area values of the present invention are as follows; cranial condylar angle

(1) is in a range between 1.1° - 1.5°, ventral condylar angle

(2) is in a range between 1.9° - 2.5°, condylar diaphyseal translation angle (3) is in a range between 1.6° - 2.2°, femur shaft angle (4) is in a range between 4.2° - 5.8°, patellar sulcus attrition area (6) is in a range between 18.7 - 25.3 mm, condylar joint rotation area (7) is in a range between 2.6° - 3.6°, and condylar internal rotation area (8) is in a range between 1.5° - 2.0°. Thus, a fully anatomical contact surface is obtained by means of the present invention which is produced in line with all of aforementioned mean measurement values, and it is locked by means of angulated screws which allow biomechanical load distribution on axial basis instead of performing single plan screwing in bone fixation. It is ensured that bone achieves a speedy recovery, postoperative ailments stemming from plate implantation are prevented, and that motions of the femur bone are simulated in the best way possible by means of distributing biomechanical and static forces evenly on the femur of the patient.

Since the present invention is anatomically shaped, the inventive fully anatomical poly-axial locking distal femur plate fits perfectly to the bone in a fully compatible manner with anatomical curvatures on the dorsal distal femur of the patient, thereby ensuring the anatomy of the patient rapidly returns to its original form.

In Figure 1, cranial condylar angle (1), ventral condylar angle (2) and condylar diaphyseal translation angle (3) which extend along the inventive fully anatomical poly-axial distal femur plate are the inflections that are compatible with the distal femur dorsal bone of the present invention. Fixation is performed by performing the alignment suitable for segmental fractures in distal femur by means of the femur shaft angle (4) .

Poly-axial locking holes (5) situated on the inventive fully anatomical poly-axial locking distal femur plate as illustrated in Figure 2, are designed to be of a specific angular hole structures in order to ensure that passageway of fixated poly-axial screws is compatible with the anteversion of the femoral neck. Poly-axial screws inserted at specific angles through poly-axial locking holes (5) pass through target points and ensure fracture fragment compression and/or fixation. Patellar sulcus attrition area (6), condylar joint rotation area (7), and condylar internal rotation area (8) which are areas of the inventive fully anatomical poly-axial locking distal femur plate that stand in close proximity of the distal femur joint, are produced in a manner to be compatible with the joint slope (Figure 3) .