Artificial Disc Peg Fixation for Spinal Motion Preservation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current artificial disc replacements do not adequately replicate the natural motion of a healthy spine, leading to potential damage and instability, and existing spinal fusion procedures can cause additional issues with adjacent vertebrae.
Innovation Solution
A modular artificial disc design with variable constraint features, including immediate fixation using barbed teeth and pegs, and adjustable motion components to allow for simultaneous and independent articulations of flexion/extension, lateral bending, anterior/posterior translation, and axial rotation, tailored to specific spinal segments and pathology.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If artificial disc replacement is performed to maintain spinal motion, then motion preservation is improved, but implant stability and resistance to migration deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The fixation system is segmented into multiple independent pegs that can be inserted into separate bone holes, allowing the implant to be secured at multiple discrete points rather than relying on a single fixation mechanism. This segmentation distributes the stabilization load and improves overall implant reliability while preserving motion.
Solution Approach 2:
Bone holes are pre-formed in the vertebral bodies before implant insertion, and pegs are pre-positioned in these holes to establish stable fixation prior to final implant seating. This preliminary action ensures that the implant is securely anchored before bearing full load, preventing migration while maintaining motion capability.
2Reliability
If spinal fusion is performed to stabilize vertebrae, then implant stability is improved, but spinal motion capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The artificial disc implant incorporates dynamic elements including articulating surfaces and flexible intervertebral components that enable physiological motion between vertebrae. The peg fixation system provides stable anchoring while allowing controlled movement, creating a dynamic solution that maintains both stability and motion capability unlike rigid fusion constructs.
3Reliability
If peg fixation is added to artificial disc replacement to prevent migration, then implant stability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fixation function is extracted as a separate, removable component (pegs) from the main implant body. These pegs can be independently inserted into pre-formed bone holes and secured separately, simplifying the overall assembly process and reducing the complexity of integrating fixation directly into the implant structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The pegs serve as intermediary elements that mediate between the implant and the bone. Rather than requiring direct complex integration of the implant with bone tissue, the pegs act as simple mediators that transmit and distribute mechanical loads, simplifying both the implant design and the surgical procedure.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus and method is provided relating to artificial discs. An artificial disc is provided that facilitates simultaneous and independent articulation of flexion/extension, lateral bending, anterior/posterior translation, and axial rotation. The artificial disc provides these four simultaneous and independent articulations by independently addressing each type of articulation in the design of the artificial disc. In one example, an artificial disc is comprised of a bearing disposed between first and second end plates. The bearing is movable relative to each end plate, independent of the other end plate. The end plates are affixed to adjacent vertebrae.