Endoscopic Disk Implant Fixation With Resorbable Nails
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing surgical techniques fail to prevent the squeezing out of implants in intervertebral disks due to damage to the fiber ring, leading to inadequate long-term maintenance of disk height and progression of degeneration.
Innovation Solution
A surgical set comprising an applicator sheath, drill wire guide sheath, and pusher, designed for endoscopic insertion and fixation of a resorbable nail or pin to secure an implant in the intervertebral disk, utilizing a novel surgical method tailored for this specific application.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If existing surgical techniques use closure devices to prevent implant ejection, then implant security is improved, but device complexity increases and long-term reliability remains insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the problematic closure device from the surgical system and replaces it with a resorbable nail that integrates fixation and support functions. The nail is inserted through a simple applicator sheath and drilled into the vertebral body, eliminating the need for complex closure mechanisms while providing reliable long-term fixation through bone integration.
Solution Approach 2:
The resorbable nail acts as an intermediary element that transfers load between the implant and the vertebral body. It provides immediate mechanical support during the healing period and gradually transfers load to the healing annulus fibrosus, eventually being completely resorbed once sufficient bone growth has occurred.
2Stability of the object's composition
If implants are placed in damaged intervertebral disks to maintain height, then disk height maintenance is improved, but implant ejection occurs due to fiber ring damage
Solution Approach 1:
The resorbable nail is inserted and drilled into the vertebral body before the implant is fully loaded, establishing preliminary mechanical anchorage. The nail provides immediate structural support and prevents implant ejection during the critical early healing period when the annulus fibrosus is still damaged and cannot provide adequate containment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the material parameters of the fixation element from non-resorbable (traditional) to resorbable (novel). This parameter change allows the fixation element to provide temporary mechanical support with appropriate degradation characteristics, matching the healing timeline of the annulus fibrosus and providing long-term reliability without permanent foreign body presence.
3Reliability
If resorbable nails are used for implant fixation, then long-term reliability is improved, but surgical procedure complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple functions into the resorbable nail: fixation (anchoring the implant), support (maintaining disk height), and temporary structural reinforcement (protecting during healing). It also combines the delivery system components (applicator sheath, drill wire guide) into a coordinated minimal set that can be introduced through a single endoscopic portal, reducing overall procedural complexity despite the advanced functionality of the nail itself.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a set for the endoscopic fixation of an implant by means of a nail or pin. It comprises the following: an applicator sheath insertable through an endoscope into an intervertebral disk and through which an implant is insertable into an intervertebral disk defect; a drill wire guide sheath sized to be insertable into the applicator sheath; and a pusher for imparting blows during the fixation of an implant in the intervertebral disk by means of a nail or pin, wherein the pusher being sized to be insertable into the applicator sheath. In addition, the set may comprise an implant and or at least one nail or pin.