Support device for intervertebral fusion cage

Abstract

The present application provides a support device for an intervertebral fusion cage, comprising a main body and a plurality of support portions formed on at least one end of the main body along the length direction of the main body, the support portion comprising a plurality of struts formed on the main body in a manner of extending from the main body like a tree, one end of the strut being fixed to the main body and the other end having a support surface, the support surfaces of the respective struts being coplanar. In this case, the main body can support the intervertebral fusion cage through the struts of the support portion formed thereon, and the struts can stably support the intervertebral fusion cage through the support surfaces of their one end, thereby improving the stability of the fusion cage.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the patent application with application number 201910392538.4, titled "Dendritic support device for intervertebral fusion cage", and filed on May 13, 2019. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present disclosure relates to a support device for an intervertebral fusion cage. BACKGROUND

[0003] With the aggravation of population aging and the change of modern urban people's living habits, the spinal degenerative diseases represented by cervical spondylosis, cervical disc herniation, lumbar disc herniation, lumbar spinal stenosis, etc. are seriously affecting people's work and life. At present, when the above-mentioned diseases are in the early stage, conservative treatment methods such as drug treatment, physiotherapy, etc. are mostly used. However, as the patient's condition worsens, more effective treatment methods such as spinal fusion surgery need to be considered to inhibit the patient's condition from worsening. For example, in the case of lumbar disc herniation, when the herniated disc compresses the spinal canal more than 1 / 3 or causes lower extremity numbness, difficulty in movement, incontinence, etc. The treatment effect of the conservative treatment method is not obvious at this time, and at this time, the patient needs to be considered for spinal fusion surgery.

[0004] In spinal fusion surgery, the intervertebral disc protruding between the vertebrae is removed, and then an intervertebral fusion cage is implanted between the vertebrae to induce the fusion of the vertebrae together in order to achieve the purpose of eliminating the lesion. In the clinical application of spinal fusion surgery, since the intervertebral fusion cage is placed in the human body for a long time after the surgery, the structure, manufacturing technology, quality, etc. of the intervertebral fusion cage play an important role in the postoperative effect of spinal fusion surgery.

[0005] Patent document 1 discloses a shapeable individualized spinal fusion cage, which includes an upper top plate, a lower top plate, a shaping spring, an inner biological silica gel ring, an outer biological silica gel ring, a buckle A and a buckle B of the fusion cage. The upper top plate and the lower top plate are connected together by a reset spring, the inner biological silica gel ring and the outer biological silica gel ring are distributed on the inner side and the outer side of the reset spring, and are connected to the upper and lower top plates by the buckle A and the buckle B, and the outer biological silica gel ring has a bone cement injection hole.

[0006] However, in the above-mentioned patent document 1, although the fusion cage can adjust the height, angle, inclination, etc. of the fusion cage, the shaping spring of the fusion cage is not stable, and the patient is prone to slipping, etc. when using it. Therefore, the fusion cage of patent document 1 is not conducive to the fusion effect between the vertebrae.

[0007] Prior art documents

[0008] Patent document 1: Chinese patent application publication No. CN104083235A. SUMMARY

[0009] The present disclosure is completed in view of the above-mentioned prior art, and aims to provide an intervertebral fusion cage capable of stably supporting a vertebra, increasing permeability, and promoting bone growth.

[0010] To this end, the present disclosure provides a tree-shaped support device for an intervertebral fusion cage, including a body portion in a long strip shape, and a support portion formed at at least one end of the body portion in a length direction of the body portion, the support portion including a plurality of struts formed on the body portion in a manner of extending from the body portion in a tree shape, one end of each of the struts being fixed to the body portion, and the other end having a support surface, the support surfaces of the struts being substantially coplanar.

[0011] In this case, the long strip-shaped body portion can support the fusion cage through the struts of the support portion formed thereon, and the struts can stably support the fusion cage through the support surfaces of the one ends thereof, thereby improving the stability of the fusion cage.

[0012] In addition, in the tree-shaped support device according to the present disclosure, the plurality of struts can be rotationally symmetrical about a central axis of the body portion. Thereby, the tree-shaped support device can be uniformly stressed.

[0013] In addition, in the tree-shaped support device according to the present disclosure, the one end of each of the plurality of struts fixed to the body portion can be a common end portion. Thereby, stress concentration can be reduced, and the stress distribution of the internal structure of the tree-shaped support device can be more uniform.

[0014] In addition, in the tree-shaped support device according to the present disclosure, the support portion can include at least three struts, and each of the struts can be uniformly distributed on the body portion. Thereby, stress concentration can be reduced, and the stress distribution of the internal structure of the tree-shaped support device can be more uniform.

[0015] In addition, in the tree-shaped support device according to the present disclosure, the body portion and the support portion can be integrally formed. Thereby, the overall stability of the tree-shaped support device can be improved.

[0016] In addition, in the tree-shaped support device according to the present disclosure, the support surface can be a triangle when viewed in a direction of a central axis of the body portion. Thereby, the area of the support surface can be reduced as much as possible while ensuring stability.

[0017] In addition, in the tree-shaped support device according to the present disclosure, the outer diameter of the struts can gradually decrease from both ends to the middle portion. Thereby, stress concentration can be reduced, and the stress distribution of the internal structure of the tree-shaped support device can be more uniform.

[0018] Further, in the tree-shaped support device according to the present disclosure, the outer diameter of the circular ring formed by the struts of the support portion can be larger than the outer diameter of the main body portion. Thus, the volume of the main body portion can be reduced while maintaining stability.

[0019] Further, another aspect of the present disclosure provides an intervertebral fusion cage characterized by having a plurality of the above-described tree-shaped support devices arranged in an array. Thus, the permeability and stability of the intervertebral fusion cage can be improved.

[0020] Further, in the intervertebral fusion cage according to the present disclosure, the array can be filled with artificial bone. Thus, bone growth can be induced and recovery can be promoted.

[0021] According to the present disclosure, an intervertebral fusion cage that can stably support a vertebra, increase permeability, and promote bone growth can be provided. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0022] Embodiments of the present disclosure will now be explained in further detail by way of example only with reference to the drawings, in which:

[0023] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a tree-shaped support device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0024] Figure 2 is a front view showing a tree-shaped support device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0025] Figure 3 is a top view showing a tree-shaped support device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0026] Figure 4 is a perspective view showing an intervertebral fusion cage according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0027] Figure 5 is a perspective view showing an array of tree-shaped support devices according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0028] REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0029] 1… tree-shaped support device, 11… main body portion, 12… support portion, 120… strut, 121… support surface, 2… intervertebral fusion cage, 21… array of tree-shaped support devices, 22… support plate. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] The present disclosure will be described in further detail below with reference to the drawings and specific embodiments. In the drawings, the same parts or parts having the same function are denoted by the same reference numerals, and repeated description thereof will be omitted.

[0031] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a tree-shaped support device 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0032] As shown in Figure 1 , the present disclosure provides a tree-shaped support device 1 for an intervertebral cage 2, which comprises a body part 11 in a long strip shape, and a support part 12 formed at at least one end of the body part 11 along the length direction of the body part 11, the support part 12 comprising a plurality of struts 120 formed on the body part 11 in a manner of extending from the body part 11 in a tree shape, one end of each of the struts 120 being fixed to the body part 11, and the other end having a support surface 121, the support surfaces 121 of the struts 120 being substantially coplanar.

[0033] In this case, the long strip-shaped body part 11 can support the cage through the struts 120 of the support part 12 formed thereon, and the struts 120 can stably support the cage through the support surfaces 121 of their one end, thereby improving the stability of the cage.

[0034] In some examples, the body part 11 can be in a columnar shape. In other examples, the body part 11 can be in a prismatic shape, a dumbbell shape, an ellipsoidal shape, or other irregular shapes.

[0035] In some examples, the support part 12 can be formed at one end of the body part 11 along the length direction of the body part 11. In other examples, the support part 12 can be formed at both ends of the body part 11 along the length direction of the body part 11. In this way, appropriate support can be provided to the pressure from above and below.

[0036] In some examples, the body part 11 and the support part 12 can be integrally formed. In this way, the overall stability of the tree-shaped support device can be improved. In other examples, the tree-shaped support device 1 can be made by 3D printing. In this way, the body part 11 and the support part 12 can be integrally formed to improve the structural stability of the tree-shaped support device 1.

[0037] In other examples, the body part 11 and the support part 12 can also be detachably assembled together. In this case, the struts 120 can be arranged according to different vertebrae and conditions of the vertebrae, thereby improving the applicability of the tree-shaped support device 1.

[0038] In some examples, the one end of the plurality of struts 120 fixed to the body part 11 can be a common end. In this way, stress concentration can be reduced, and the stress distribution of the internal structure of the tree-shaped support device 1 can be more uniform.

[0039] Figure 2is a front view showing a tree-shaped support device 1 to which an embodiment of the present disclosure is applied. Figure 3 is a plan view showing a tree-shaped support device 1 to which an embodiment of the present disclosure is applied.

[0040] As shown in Figure 2 , in the present disclosure, the support surface 121 of each of the struts 120 is coplanar with the plane S. In this case, the tree-shaped support device 1 can stably support the plane S on which the support surface 121 of the strut 120 is located by the support portion 12.

[0041] In some examples, there can be a gap between the main body portion 11 and the plane S on which the support surface 121 of the strut 120 is located. Thereby, an air blood passage can be formed to promote bone tissue growth recovery.

[0042] As shown in Figure 3 , in some examples, the support portion 12 can be composed of a plurality of struts 120 having the same length. In other examples, the length, size, shape of the struts 120 of the support portion 12 can be uniform. In this case, the pressure borne by each of the struts 120 is uniform, thereby the stability of the tree-shaped support device 1 can be improved.

[0043] In some examples, the struts 120 (in the present disclosure, the struts 120 include the strut 120a, the strut 120b, and the strut 120c) can be rotationally symmetrical with the central axis direction of the main body portion 11 as the center. Thereby, the tree-shaped support device 1 can be uniformly stressed.

[0044] In some examples, the support portion 12 can include at least three struts 120, each of which is uniformly distributed on the main body portion 11. In this case, while having good stability, stress concentration can also be reduced, thereby the stress distribution of the internal structure of the tree-shaped support device can be more uniform. In other examples, the support portion 12 can also include, for example, four struts 120, five struts 120. In other examples, each of the struts 120 of the support portion 12 can also be non-uniformly distributed. Thereby, the tree-shaped support device 1 with different emphases can be customized as needed.

[0045] In the present disclosure, an obtuse angle can be formed between the strut 120a, the strut 120b, and the strut 120c when viewed from the central axis direction of the main body portion 11. Specifically, the included angle between the respective center lines of the strut 120a, the strut 120b, and the strut 120c is 120° when viewed from the central axis direction of the main body portion 11.

[0046] In some examples, the outer diameter of the strut 120 gradually decreases from both ends to the middle part. Thereby, stress concentration can be reduced, and the stress distribution of the internal structure of the tree-shaped support device can be more uniform.

[0047] In some examples, the support surface 121 is a triangle as viewed from the central axis direction of the main body portion 11. Thus, the area of the support surface 121 can be reduced as much as possible while ensuring stability. In other examples, the support surface 121 can also be a quadrilateral, a pentagon, a circle center, or other irregular shapes.

[0048] In some examples, the support surface 121a, the support surface 121b, and the support surface 121c can be the same in size and shape.

[0049] In some examples, the outer diameter of the circular ring formed by the struts 120 of the support portion 12 is greater than the outer diameter of the main body portion 11. Thus, the volume of the main body portion 11 can be reduced while ensuring stability.

[0050] In the present disclosure, the tree-shaped support device 1 can be obtained by topology optimization. Topology optimization is a mathematical method for optimizing material distribution in a given area based on given load conditions, constraints, and performance indicators, and is a way of structural optimization. Specifically, in the present disclosure, the tree-shaped support device 1 obtained in the present disclosure is formed by hollowing out the material in the areas with small stress and retaining the parts that are mainly stressed. In this case, the intervertebral fusion cage 2 supported by the tree-shaped support device 1 obtained by topology optimization can minimize the use of materials and reduce the body's rejection reaction, thereby improving the treatment effect.

[0051] In some examples, customized topology optimization can be performed based on the data of the human body. Thus, different situations of different patients can be adapted.

[0052] In some examples, the tree-shaped support device 1 is made of at least one of metal, ceramic, and polymer. Thus, the main body portion 11 can be made of a suitable material according to the situation.

[0053] In some examples, the material of the tree-shaped support device 1 can be selected from one or more of polylactic acid materials, polycaprolactone, polydioxanone, polyether ether ketone, and polyglycolic acid. In addition, in some examples, the material of the tree-shaped support device 1 can also be selected from one or more of a random copolymer or block copolymer of two or more of lactide, caprolactone, dioxanone, and glycolide. Furthermore, in other examples, the tree-shaped support device 1 can also be composed of one or more of polyorthoester (POE), polyphosphazene, polycaprolactone, polyester urethane, poly anhydride imine copolymer, polyhydroxybutyrate and its copolymer, and polyamino acid (PAA).

[0054] In other examples, the tree-shaped support device 1 can also be composed of one or more of medical stainless steel, platinum, titanium alloy, titanium-nickel memory alloy, cobalt-chromium alloy, or magnesium alloy. In this case, the above-mentioned materials have relatively low prices and high material strength compared with absorbable materials, thereby being able to reduce the process difficulty and production cost.

[0055] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing the perspective structure of the intervertebral cage 2 involved in the embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing the array 21 of the tree-shaped support device of the intervertebral cage 2 involved in the embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0056] As shown in Figure 4 Another aspect of the present disclosure provides an intervertebral cage 2, characterized by having a plurality of the above-mentioned tree-shaped support devices 1 arranged in an array. Thereby, the permeability and stability of the intervertebral cage 2 can be improved.

[0057] In the present disclosure, the intervertebral cage 2 can also include a support plate 22. In some examples, the support plate 22 can also be an elastic plate, an elastic sheet, an elastic device, or other components for the intervertebral cage 2. Thereby, different vertebrae can be adapted.

[0058] In some examples, the support plate 22 can also have a plurality of through holes (not shown) vertically penetrating therethrough. Thereby, the blood and air passage can be formed to promote bone growth recovery. The position of the through holes is not particularly limited, and in some examples, the through holes can be uniformly distributed on the support plate 22.

[0059] In some examples, the through holes can have a shape of a polygonal prism, such as a triangular prism, a quadrangular prism, a regular hexagonal prism, or the like. Thereby, the size of the through holes can be increased while ensuring the structural stability of the support plate 22. In other examples, the through holes can also have a shape of a circle, a triangle, a quadrangle, or other irregular shapes.

[0060] In some examples, the support plate 22 can also have blind holes (not shown). Specifically, in some examples, the blind holes can have a shape of a rectangle, a square, a circle, an ellipse, a triangle, a polygon, or an irregular figure, or the like. In this case, after the intervertebral cage 2 is installed between the vertebrae, part of the bone will enter the blind holes and attach to the intervertebral cage 2 as the bone grows, thereby better realizing the combination of the bone and the intervertebral cage 2.

[0061] In other examples, artificial bone (not shown) can also be filled in the blind holes. Thereby, the bone growth into the blind holes can be guided to accelerate the fusion.

[0062] In some examples, gaps can be present between the tree-shaped support devices 1 within the array 21 of tree-shaped support devices. In other examples, the tree-shaped support devices 1 can be arranged in a cross or overlapping manner within the array 21 of tree-shaped support devices. In this way, the overall volume of the intervertebral cage 2 can be reduced.

[0063] In some examples, the array 21 of tree-shaped support devices can also be filled with artificial bone (not shown). In this way, bone growth can be induced, facilitating recovery.

[0064] In some examples, the artificial bone can be combined with the array 21 of tree-shaped support devices by means of hot pressing. In this way, the artificial bone can be firmly combined with the intervertebral cage 2.

[0065] In some examples, the artificial bone can include bioceramic particles and a degradable polyester material. In this case, the artificial bone can degrade after facilitating bone growth, forming air and blood passages in the mesh structure, avoiding impeding the air and blood passages between the vertebrae, and facilitating bone growth and recovery.

[0066] In some examples, the bioceramic particles can include, for example, hydroxyapatite, tricalcium phosphate, and the like. In some examples, the degradable polyester material can include, for example, polylactic acid, polycaprolactone, and copolymers thereof, and the like.

[0067] In some examples, the porosity of the array 21 of tree-shaped support devices can be 70% to 90%. In the present disclosure, the porosity of the array 21 of tree-shaped support devices can be 80%. In this way, air and blood flow within the bone tissue can be facilitated at a certain structural strength, facilitating bone tissue growth.

[0068] Although the present application has been specifically described above with reference to the drawings and examples, it will be understood that the above description is not intended to limit the present application in any form. Those skilled in the art can modify and change the present application as needed without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application, and such modifications and changes fall within the scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A support device for an intervertebral fusion cage, characterized by: comprising a main body portion and two support portions, the two support portions being formed at both ends of the main body portion in a lengthwise direction of the main body portion, the support portions comprising a plurality of struts formed on the main body portion in a manner extending from the main body portion in a tree shape, one end of the struts being fixed to the main body portion and the other end having a support surface, the one end of each of the struts being a common end portion, the support surfaces of the struts being coplanar, a gap being present between the main body portion and a plane in which the support surfaces of the struts are present, the support surfaces of the struts being separated from each other.

2. The support device according to claim 1, characterized by: the main body portion and the support portions being detachable.

3. The support device according to claim 1, characterized by: the length, size and shape of each of the struts being uniform.

4. The support device according to claim 1, characterized by: the size and shape of the support surface of each of the struts being uniform.

5. The support device according to claim 1, characterized by: the outer diameter of a circular ring formed by the plurality of struts being larger than the outer diameter of the main body portion.

6. The support device according to claim 1, characterized by: the plurality of struts being rotationally symmetrical about the central axis direction of the main body portion.

7. The support device according to claim 1, characterized by: the support surface being in a triangular shape in the central axis direction of the main body portion.

8. An intervertebral fusion cage, characterized by: having a support plate and a plurality of the support devices according to any one of claims 1 to 7, the plurality of support devices being arranged in an array between the support plates.

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