Bone Anchor Receiving Part With Pre-Locking Ring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bone anchoring devices face challenges in providing safe and secure handling during surgery, particularly in minimally invasive and pediatric applications, where small-sized devices are required, and existing solutions often require high clamping forces and complex designs.
Innovation Solution
A receiving part with a pre-locking ring that circumferentially clamps the head of a bone anchoring element, using a locking ring with a curved interior surface and a pre-locking ring to provide secure and adjustable locking, reducing the device's size and manufacturing costs, and allowing for modular selection of components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional clamping mechanisms are used to secure the head in the receiving part, then secure locking is achieved, but the device size increases and requires high clamping forces
Solution Approach 1:
The receiving part is divided into distinct functional segments: a head receiving portion with lateral walls for clamping the head, and a rod receiving portion for the rod. This segmentation allows each portion to be optimized independently, enabling secure locking of the head through lateral clamping by the head receiving portion while keeping the overall device compact.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of clamping the head from above or using complex multi-component mechanisms, the invention inverts the approach by clamping the head laterally from the sides through the head receiving portion. This lateral clamping approach achieves secure locking with reduced device size and lower clamping forces compared to conventional top-down clamping mechanisms.
2Reliability
If complex locking mechanisms are used to ensure secure handling during surgery, then reliability improves, but device complexity and manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The head receiving portion and rod receiving portion are merged into a single integrated receiving part. The head receiving portion with its lateral walls serves both as a clamping mechanism for secure handling and as a structural component of the receiving part, eliminating the need for separate locking components and reducing overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The head receiving portion serves multiple functions: it provides lateral clamping to secure the head during handling and surgery, defines the positioning of the head relative to the rod, and contributes to the overall structural integrity of the receiving part. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional specialized components.
3Ease of operation
If lateral clamping of the head is implemented to reduce clamping forces, then ease of operation improves, but the receiving part height increases
Solution Approach 1:
The clamping action is transferred from the vertical dimension (top-down clamping) to the lateral dimension (side clamping by head receiving portion walls). This dimensional change allows the clamping force to be applied horizontally through the lateral walls, reducing the required receiving part height while maintaining ease of operation and lower clamping force requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
A receiving part for receiving a rod for coupling the rod to a bone anchoring element, the receiving part including: a receiving part body including a rod receiving portion with a channel for receiving a rod, and a head receiving portion for accommodating a head of a bone anchoring element, the head receiving portion having an open end and being flexible for inserting and clamping of the head; a locking ring around the head receiving portion to exert a first force onto the head receiving portion to lock the head therein; and a pre-locking ring separate from the locking ring and around the head receiving portion to exert a second force less than the first force onto the head receiving portion to clamp the head in a temporary pre-locking position.