Expandable Intervertebral Spacer With Cam-Frame Height Adjustment
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The stability of the vertebral column is compromised due to factors such as aging, mechanical injury, and disease, leading to impaired disc function and loss of disc height, which requires additional support to maintain spinal integrity.
Innovation Solution
An adjustable intervertebral spacer with endplates and an actuation subassembly, including a drive nut, drive screw, and cam frame, allows for expansion between adjacent vertebrae to provide stabilization and promote fusion, using minimally-invasive techniques.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If an intervertebral spacer is inserted to restore disc height and stabilize the spine, then spinal stability and disc height are improved, but the device complexity and surgical procedure complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The spacer device is divided into multiple functional components: endplates for vertebral engagement, a expandable body for height adjustment, and an actuation mechanism for controlled expansion. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function efficiently while simplifying the overall device design and surgical implantation process.
Solution Approach 2:
The spacer incorporates an expandable body that can dynamically adjust its height after implantation. The actuation mechanism allows the spacer to transition from a compressed insertion state to an expanded stabilization state, providing adaptability to different spinal conditions and enabling precise height restoration without requiring a complex pre-configured structure.
2Strength
If an adjustable expandable spacer is used to promote bone fusion and maintain spinal integrity, then spinal support and fusion promotion are improved, but the surgical procedure invasiveness and operational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The spacer is pre-configured in a compressed state that allows it to be inserted through a minimally invasive approach. The actuation mechanism is pre-loaded and ready to be activated after implantation, enabling the spacer to expand to its full height and provide immediate spinal support without requiring complex intraoperative adjustment procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The actuation mechanism is designed to be activated by the surgeon using a simple external tool after the spacer is implanted. Once activated, the spacer self-expands to its predetermined height, automatically providing the required spinal support and fusion promotion without requiring further manual adjustment or complex surgical maneuvers.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the spacer is made adjustable in height to accommodate varying disc height loss, then adaptability and patient-specific fitting are improved, but the device complexity and manufacturing complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The spacer employs an expandable body design that allows the height parameter to be changed after manufacturing. The device is manufactured in a standardized compressed state, and the desired height is achieved through controlled expansion during or after implantation. This approach enables a single manufacturing process to produce spacers that can adapt to various disc height requirements, eliminating the need for multiple pre-configured sizes.
Solution Approach 2:
The expandable mechanism provides multi-functionality, allowing the same spacer design to serve multiple height requirements. The device can be adjusted to accommodate different degrees of disc height loss in various spinal levels and patient anatomies, making it a universal solution that replaces the need for multiple specialized spacer variants.
Data Source
AI summary
A spacer for separating bones of a joint, the spacer includes a first endplate configured to engage a first bone of the joint; a second endplate configured to engage a second bone of the joint; and an actuation subassembly comprising a drive nut, a drive screw coupled to the drive nut, and a cam frame coupled to the drive screw, wherein the cam frame is disposed between the first endplate and the second endplate, wherein the cam frame comprises a proximal frame end, a distal frame end, and lateral frame sides, wherein cams disposed on the lateral frame sides selectively engage at least one of the first endplate or the second endplate.