Bone Anchor Housing Limiter for Stable Fixation in Weakened Bone
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bone anchors face the challenge of becoming dislodged or ineffective when inserted into weakened or degenerative bone, as they lack sufficient anchoring in structurally compromised bone structures.
Innovation Solution
The use of modular sizing components, such as sleeves and caps, that can be attached to fasteners to enlarge the anchoring footprint, providing radial or axial anchoring in cancellous and cortical bone, respectively, to stabilize the fastener in weakened bone.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional fasteners are used in weakened or degenerative bone, then the device complexity remains simple, but the anchoring capacity and reliability are insufficient leading to dislodgment
Solution Approach 1:
The bone anchor system is divided into separate modular components: a standard fastener and a sizing component that can be coupled together. This segmentation allows the sizing component to be added only when enhanced anchoring is needed, rather than requiring a completely different complex fastener design, thus improving reliability while controlling complexity through modularity.
Solution Approach 2:
The sizing component is designed to be coupled onto the standard fastener, with the sizing component's internal bore receiving the fastener shaft. This nesting arrangement allows the fastener to be inserted into the sizing component, creating a combined structure that enlarges the anchoring footprint without requiring a entirely new device design.
2Reliability
If the anchoring footprint is enlarged to improve stability in weakened bone, then the reliability increases, but the device complexity and inventory requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The sizing component is designed with a universal interface that can accommodate standard fasteners. The sizing component can be coupled to fasteners of different diameters through its internal bore, allowing a single sizing component design to work with multiple fastener sizes, thereby reducing inventory complexity while providing enhanced anchoring capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The sizing component provides different outer diameters and anchoring configurations to change the effective anchoring footprint parameters. By offering a limited set of sizing components with varying dimensions, the system can accommodate different bone conditions and fastener sizes without requiring a complete range of complex custom fasteners for each scenario.
3Adaptability or versatility
If modular sizing components are added to standard fasteners, then the adaptability to various bone defects improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the bone anchor functionality into a standard fastener portion and an optional sizing component portion. This segmentation allows clinicians to select and combine appropriate components based on specific patient needs and bone conditions, providing adaptability without requiring completely different complex devices for each scenario.
Solution Approach 2:
The sizing component acts as an intermediary element between the standard fastener and the bone. It provides the additional anchoring interface with the bone while the fastener provides the basic fixation function. This intermediary approach allows the system to adapt to various bone conditions by selecting different sizing components while maintaining compatibility with standard fasteners.
Data Source
AI summary
A bone anchor system can comprise a fastener, a rod housing and a first directional component configured for connection to the fastener. The fastener can comprise a shaft having a shaft diameter, an anchoring projection on the shaft, and a head at an end of the shaft. The rod housing can be connected to the head of the fastener. The first directional component can comprise a first body portion having a first outer diameter larger than the shaft diameter, a first bore extending through the first body portion, the first bore sized to receive the shaft diameter, and a first locking component extending from the first body portion configured to engage the rod housing to limit movement of the housing.