Articulating Spinal Implant Hinge Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing spinal implants with integrated spacer and plate elements lack angular adjustability, leading to sub-optimal positioning and poor fit with patient anatomy, disrupting natural spinal curvature and causing discomfort.
Innovation Solution
A spinal implant design featuring a spacer and a fixation plate that are angularly adjustable with respect to each other, allowing for articulation and better accommodation of patient anatomy through the use of hinge pins, recesses, and fasteners, enabling optimal positioning during implantation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the spacer and plate are rigidly attached in a fixed relative angle, then the device complexity is reduced and implantation is simplified, but the adaptability to patient anatomy is poor and positioning is sub-optimal
Solution Approach 1:
The plate and spacer are connected through a hinge mechanism that allows angular adjustment, transforming the rigid fixed-structure into a dynamic adjustable-structure. This enables the implant to adapt to different patient anatomies while maintaining reasonable device complexity through a well-defined mechanical hinge rather than multiple separate components.
2Manufacturing precision
If the plate position is linearly adjusted only, then the device complexity remains low, but the positioning precision is insufficient for optimal anatomical fit
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge connection enables angular adjustment between the plate and spacer, providing precision positioning in multiple degrees of freedom rather than just linear adjustment. This dynamic adjustment capability achieves superior positioning precision while maintaining relatively simple device architecture.
3Productivity
If the spacer and plate are integrated into a single rigid implant, then the implantation procedure is simplified and operating time is reduced, but the natural spinal curvature is disrupted and patient comfort is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge mechanism allows the plate and spacer to be integrated into a single implant unit for simplified implantation, while simultaneously providing angular adjustability to accommodate natural spinal curvature and patient-specific anatomy, thus resolving the contradiction between implantation efficiency and anatomical accommodation.
Data Source
AI summary
A spinal implant and method of implanting a spinal implant that has a spacer and a plate configured to be fastened to a plurality of vertebral bodies. The plate is coupled to the spacer, with the spacer and the plate being angularly adjustable with respect to each other.