Bone Anchor Rod Coupling With Rotating Friction Clamping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing coupling devices for bone anchoring elements are cumbersome and difficult to handle during surgical procedures, particularly when aligning multiple receiving parts for rod insertion, and lack efficient mechanisms for adjusting friction force on the head of the bone anchoring element.
Innovation Solution
A coupling device with a receiving part, pressure element, and clamping element that allows for easy adjustment of friction force on the head of a bone anchoring element, featuring a bayonet-like locking advancement structure or threaded connection for stepless adjustment, enabling in-situ assembly and secure clamping.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If existing coupling devices are used for bone anchoring elements, then the rod can be coupled to the bone anchoring element, but the devices are cumbersome and difficult to handle during surgical procedures
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling device is divided into separate functional components: a receiving part with a head accommodation space, a pressure element for clamping, and a locking element. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently and simplifies the overall assembly, making it easier to handle during surgery while maintaining structural integrity for secure rod coupling.
2Productivity
If existing coupling devices are used, then the bone anchoring element can be secured, but alignment of multiple receiving parts for rod insertion is difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The receiving part is designed with a universal head accommodation space that can accommodate heads of different bone anchoring elements. This multi-functional design allows multiple receiving parts to be aligned and assembled with different bone anchoring elements using the same basic structure, significantly improving surgical efficiency and ease of alignment during rod insertion procedures.
3Reliability
If friction force on the head of the bone anchoring element needs to be adjusted, then secure clamping can be achieved, but existing devices lack efficient adjustment mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces complex mechanical adjustment mechanisms with a friction-based clamping system. The pressure element applies friction force directly to the head of the bone anchoring element, and the locking element secures this friction force without requiring additional adjustment mechanisms. This substitution maintains reliable clamping security while significantly reducing device complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Facilitates simplified handling and alignment of multiple receiving parts during surgery by allowing for easy and precise adjustment of friction force on the bone anchoring element head, enhancing surgical efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
The pressure element is configured to be movable along a longitudinal axis of the receiving part body from an insertion position where the head is insertable into the receiving part body to a pre-locking position where the head is clamped in the receiving part body by a pre-stress exerted by the pressure element. The pre-stress exerted by the pressure element allows a desired angular position of the bone anchoring element to be maintained relative to the receiving part by friction before the head of the bone anchoring element is finally locked.
Implementation Method 2
a clamping element configured to exert a compression force onto the pressure element to increase a friction force between the pressure element and the head
Data Source
AI summary
A coupling device is provided for coupling a rod to a bone anchoring element. The coupling device includes a receiving part having a first end, a second end, a central axis extending through the first end and the second end, and a channel for receiving a rod. The receiving part defines an accommodation space for accommodating a head of a bone anchoring element, the accommodation space having an opening for inserting the head. The coupling device further includes a pressure element arranged at least partially in the accommodation space, the pressure element having a flexible portion to clamp an inserted head, and a clamping element extending at least partially around the flexible portion of the pressure element. The clamping element is configured to move from a first position to a second position in which the clamping element exerts a clamping force onto the pressure element, where the movement includes rotating the clamping element around the central axis.