Cervical Spine Stabilization Without Cortical Bone Violation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current cervical spine stabilization techniques are invasive and can cause significant injury to the bone and periosteum, leading to potential degenerative acceleration, and existing minimally invasive methods lack precision and reversibility.
Innovation Solution
A minimally invasive cervical stabilization system (CMIS) that uses bilateral laminar anchors secured to the posterior bony surfaces of adjacent cervical vertebrae, connected by a rod-like element allowing for distraction or compression, to immobilize the target motion segment without violating cortical bone or damaging neurologic structures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional cervical spine fusion surgery is performed with hardware implantation and cortical bone violation, then spinal stabilization is achieved, but significant injury to bone and periosteum occurs leading to potential degenerative acceleration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a minimally invasive stabilization system that uses a rod-like element as an intermediary to connect laminar anchors without requiring direct cortical bone violation. The system mediates between the need for stabilization and the desire to minimize tissue damage by avoiding traditional hardware implantation that penetrates cortical bone
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the traditional mechanical system of cortical bone screw fixation with a laminar anchor system that attaches to the posterior bony surface. This substitutes the invasive mechanical penetration approach with a less invasive surface attachment mechanism, reducing harm to bone and periosteum while maintaining stabilization
2Object-affected harmful factors
If existing minimally invasive methods are used, then tissue damage is reduced, but precision and reversibility are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs preliminary action through pre-bent rod configurations and pre-positioned laminar anchors that are carefully planned before surgery. The rod is pre-bent to match the patient's anatomy, and anchor positions are predetermined, ensuring precision is achieved through advance preparation rather than intraoperative adjustment
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes parameter changes by allowing adjustment of the rod-like element's position, orientation, and connection points to the laminar anchors. This enables precise customization of the stabilization system to match individual patient anatomy while maintaining minimally invasive characteristics
3Object-affected harmful factors
If existing minimally invasive methods are used, then tissue damage is reduced, but reversibility is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the stabilization system into separate, independently removable components: laminar anchors attached to the bone surface and a rod-like element connecting them. This segmentation allows each component to be removed separately, enabling reversibility while maintaining tissue protection during implantation and removal
Solution Approach 2:
The patent embodies discarding and recovering by designing a system where the rod-like element and laminar anchors can be removed and recovered without permanent implantation. The components are designed to be taken out intact, allowing for potential reuse or proper disposal, and crucially, allowing the bone and periosteum to heal without permanent damage from hardware removal
Data Source
AI summary
A system of devices and methods for use by which one or more target motion segments of the cervical spine are stabilized without any violation of the cortical bone of the target vertebrae. The devices are brought against strategic aspects of these vertebrae, thus permitting the disclosed inventions to achieve secure control of each vertebra. Connecting elements then stabilize the constructs. Preferred and alternative embodiments of the invention are disclosed, along with methods of implantation, and adjunct devices used in the implantation of the disclosed invention.