Articulating Spinal Prosthesis for Lordosis and Kyphosis Correction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing spinal fusion and disc arthroplasty procedures often fail to effectively address severe spinal deformities and curvature abnormalities, such as scoliosis, while immobilizing the spine and failing to preserve spinal motion.
Innovation Solution
A prosthetic system is implanted between upper and lower vertebrae, comprising upper and lower joint components with articulating surfaces, allowing vertebral motion, and a posterior support extending to engage with the pedicle for stability, while preoperative planning and robotic guidance are used to reshape vertebral bodies for anatomically correct alignment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If spinal fusion procedures are performed to treat spinal joints and reduce pain, then pain reduction is achieved, but spinal motion is lost and severe spinal deformities cannot be corrected
Solution Approach 1:
The prosthetic system is divided into separate upper and lower joint components that can independently articulate, allowing motion preservation in the spinal segment while providing structural support. This segmentation enables the device to reduce pain through stable fixation while maintaining physiological motion, resolving the contradiction between pain relief and motion preservation.
Solution Approach 2:
The prosthetic system incorporates dynamic articulating surfaces that allow controlled motion between vertebral bodies. The joint components are designed to permit physiological movement while providing stability, enabling the system to adapt to dynamic spinal loads and maintain both pain relief and spinal motion functionality.
2Stability of the object's composition
If traditional spinal fusion procedures are used, then spinal stability is achieved, but severe spinal deformities such as scoliosis cannot be corrected
Solution Approach 1:
The prosthetic system allows for adjustment of critical parameters including vertebral body resection angles, pedicle removal extent, and implant positioning to achieve desired spinal alignment corrections. By modifying these geometric parameters during surgery, the system can correct severe deformities while maintaining spinal stability through the articulating joint components.
3Manufacturing precision
If vertebral bodies are reshaped and pedicles are removed to correct spinal deformities, then anatomical alignment is improved, but structural support is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The surgical procedure involves preliminary reshaping of vertebral bodies and selective pedicle removal to achieve correct anatomical alignment before implanting the prosthetic system. This preliminary action creates the necessary anatomical conditions for proper implant positioning while the subsequently implanted prosthesis provides the required structural support to maintain both alignment and strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The prosthetic system acts as an intermediary structure that bridges the reshaped vertebral bodies. The upper and lower joint components of the prosthesis provide mechanical support and load transmission between the prepared vertebral segments, compensating for the structural support lost during vertebral reshaping and pedicle removal while maintaining the corrected anatomical alignment.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are systems, devices, methods and surgical procedures for altering and/or correcting the alignment of adjacent bones, including bones of the spine, during spinal fusion or similar procedures.