Cannulated Bone Screw Cement Delivery With Retaining Sleeve

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing bone screw augmentation methods face challenges in delivering bone cement due to difficulties in coupling and aligning cannula/guide with the bone screw, leading to cement leakage and procedural inefficiencies, particularly in osteoporotic bone conditions.

Innovation Solution

A system comprising a cannulated bone screw with a retaining sleeve and a coupling assembly that ensures secure alignment and delivery of bone cement without the need for a separate alignment guide, allowing direct access to the bone screw for cement injection.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a separate cannula and guide are used for cement delivery, then access to the bone screw shank is achieved, but coupling and alignment become challenging leading to cement leakage

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecement delivery reliabilityVSAvoidcoupling and alignment difficulty
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines the cannula and alignment guide into a single integrated instrument. The guide portion is permanently attached to the cannula, forming one unified tool that simultaneously provides alignment and cement delivery functions, eliminating the need for separate components and their complex coupling procedures

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The integrated instrument serves multiple functions: the guide portion provides alignment with the bone screw shank while the cannula portion delivers the cement. This multi-functional design replaces what previously required multiple separate tools, simplifying the surgical procedure while maintaining reliability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Reliability

If a docked cannula and guide are used for alignment, then cement delivery path is established, but the number of surgical steps increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvealignment accuracyVSAvoidsurgical procedure efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

By merging the alignment guide and cannula into one instrument, the patent eliminates the sequential steps of first docking a guide and then inserting a cannula. The single integrated tool performs both functions in one action, reducing surgical steps and improving procedure efficiency

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The guide and cannula are pre-assembled into a single instrument before surgery, so that the alignment and cement delivery functions are already integrated and ready for use, eliminating the need to perform separate docking and insertion steps during the surgical procedure

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Device complexity

If insufficient coupling is used between cannula/guide and head assembly, then procedural simplicity is maintained, but cement leakage occurs

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinstrument coupling complexityVSAvoidcement delivery stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The permanent integration of the guide and cannula into a single instrument eliminates the coupling interface between separate components, thereby eliminating the risk of insufficient coupling while maintaining instrument stability and preventing cement leakage

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The integrated design acts as an intermediary solution that eliminates the need for coupling mechanisms between separate components, directly connecting the alignment function with the cement delivery function in a stable, leak-proof manner

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP3982859B1Instruments for delivering bone cement to a bone screw
Publication Date: 2025.10.15 MEDOS INT SARL
  • EP3982859B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3982859B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3982859B1 patent drawingFigure 3A~3B

AI summary

Instruments and methods for delivering bone cement are disclosed herein. In one exemplary embodiment, the instrument includes a cannulated bone screw having a head that is configured to be received within a rod receiver and a shank extending distally from the head and configured to extend distally from the rod receiver, a cannulated shaft having a distal end configured to extend into the shank of the cannulated bone screw and a proximal end configured to couple to a bone cement delivery system, and a retaining sleeve disposed around at least a portion of the cannulated shaft. The head of the bone screw has proximal and distal recesses therein, and a distal end of the retaining sleeve is configured to couple to the proximal recess.