Motivation
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Injuries to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), a tough, fibrous connective tissue which governs knee movement, are amongst the most disruptive setbacks an athlete can face. A technique, Lemaire LET (lateral extra-articular tenodesis), has been used in addition to an ACL reconstruction to reduce excess rotation in the knee. Ideal drilling angles and depths for tunnels for Lemaire LET procedures are still currently being explored (Zhu et al.). Both traditional ACL repairs (ACLRs) and ACLRs with LET require tunnels, which can intersect and cause the surgery to fail. Our goal is to create a guide to prevent tunnel intersection. Dr. Ben Saks, one of our interviewees and an orthopedic surgeon, noted that LET is a popular topic within the field of orthopedic surgery. More is being published on this type of procedure and the procedure will likely become more common. There are many ACL guides already on the market and being used in operating rooms, but none for LET. Therefore, there is both a need and an opportunity for innovation for drill guides specifically for LET tunnels.
Broader Impacts
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Health: Our main priority is to serve the needs of those involved with ACL reconstructive surgery, including surgeons, nurses, and patients.
Safety: Current Lemaire LET surgeries run the risk of tunnel conflict with traditional ACLR. We aim to prevent tunnel conflict to improve the success rate of Lemaire LET.
Welfare: ACL reconstruction surgery is one of the most common major operations that inhibit athletes. By improving the speed and success rate of ACLR, fewer athletes will be prevented from doing what they love.
Global: Guide tools for Lemaire LET make the procedure easier to learn and more widely accepted. We aim to make Lemaire LET available to more people globally.
Cultural: Drill guides for Lemaire LET would improve work environment efficiency for surgeons and increase efficacy of the procedure. Higher success rates improve the trust that patients have in medical professionals, and decreased time commitment for both parties reduce stress surrounding the procedure.
Social: ACLR is more likely to be performed if the risk of complications is reduced. Our tool will be useful for students who are practicing to become orthopedic surgeons as it will allow them to feel more comfortable when using the tool in a real life surgery situation [6].
Environmental: By reducing required surgical time, resources are more available for environmental considerations.
Economic: An upfront LET procedure can reduce the costs of services from complications that the consumer or athlete would otherwise have to spend in more surgical treatment following reinjury.
This is an overview. For more detailed information, click the link above.
Our market selection process thus far has incorporated ranked-choice voting systems, market expert interviews, and literature review.