Expandable Intervertebral Implant Spacer Retention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current spinal implant technologies face challenges in maintaining spinal flexibility and natural motion after disc replacement, as fusion procedures limit biomechanical action and can cause collateral injury, and existing devices are difficult to insert without damaging nerve roots or causing trauma.
Innovation Solution
The development of expandable intervertebral implants with a spacer system that allows for increased separation distance between vertebrae, featuring a recess and protrusion design to prevent unintentional removal and provide tactile feedback during insertion, and articulating components to mimic natural spinal motion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a rigid fusion implant is used to stabilize the spine, then spinal stability is improved, but spinal flexibility and natural motion are lost
Solution Approach 1:
The implant transitions from a static rigid structure to a dynamic system with expandable bodies that can adjust their volume and separation distance. The expandable upper and lower bodies allow the implant to adapt to physiological movements while maintaining stability, resolving the contradiction between spinal stability and flexibility.
2Length of stationary object
If a large implant is inserted to maintain proper disc height, then intervertebral separation is improved, but trauma to nerve roots increases
Solution Approach 1:
The implant uses a nested structure where expandable upper and lower bodies are positioned within the intervertebral space. This nesting allows the implant to achieve proper disc height and intervertebral separation without requiring a large external profile that would compress nerve roots, thus reducing trauma while maintaining separation.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the implant is made expandable to reduce insertion trauma, then insertion safety is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The implant is segmented into distinct expandable upper and lower bodies that can be inserted separately in a compressed state and then expanded in situ. This segmentation reduces the insertion profile and trauma while the modular design makes the complexity manageable through standardized expansion mechanisms.
4Reliability
If the spacer includes retention features like protrusions and recesses, then prevention of unintentional removal is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The retention features (protrusions and recesses) are integrated directly into the spacer structure rather than being separate components. This merging of retention functionality into the spacer itself provides reliable prevention of unintentional removal while simplifying manufacturing compared to assembling separate retention mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
An expandable intervertebral implant for insertion between vertebrae of a human spine is described. The expandable intervertebral implant includes an upper body that engages a first vertebra of the human spine, a lower body that engages a second vertebra of the human spine, an insert, and a spacer. The insert may be positioned between an inferior surface of the upper body and a superior surface of the lower body. The insert may be engaged to increase a separation distance between the lower body and the upper body. A spacer may be inserted between the upper body and the lower body to maintain the increased separation distance between the upper body and the lower body after expansion of the intervertebral implant in the human spine.