Expandable Metal Mesh for Vertebral Body Stabilization
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current vertebral body reconstruction and stabilization techniques, such as pedicle screw instrumentation and kyphoplasty, face challenges with inconsistent results due to unreliable void creation and bone cement delivery, leading to variable patient outcomes.
Innovation Solution
The method involves using an expandable metal mesh delivered by a balloon-tipped cannula to stabilize the vertebral body, followed by the delivery of bone cement through a fenestrated pedicle screw, ensuring 360° internal fixation and maintaining a desired anatomical distance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a balloon is inflated in the vertebral body to create a void and then deflated and removed prior to bone cement delivery, then the procedure can be performed minimally invasively, but the volume and shape of the void change leading to unreliable height and angular restoration
Solution Approach 1:
The expandable metal mesh is inserted and expanded into the vertebral body void before bone cement delivery, establishing a stable structural framework in advance. This preliminary action ensures the void maintains its intended volume and shape throughout the subsequent cement injection process, preventing the deformation that occurs when balloons are deflated and removed.
Solution Approach 2:
The expandable metal mesh acts as an intermediary structure between the balloon expansion process and the final bone cement delivery. It receives the expansion force from the balloon, maintains the created void geometry, and provides a stable mold for bone cement distribution, thereby ensuring consistent vertebral body restoration while enabling minimally invasive access.
2Strength
If pedicle screws are inserted through trabecular bone to provide spinal stability, then fixation strength can be achieved, but screw loosening becomes a common complication
Solution Approach 1:
The system combines pedicle screws with bone cement to create a composite fixation structure. The screws provide initial mechanical anchorage in the trabecular bone, while the bone cement fills the surrounding void and creates a bonded interface, resulting in a composite construct that leverages both mechanical interlocking and chemical adhesion to prevent loosening.
Solution Approach 2:
The bone cement undergoes a phase transition from liquid to solid during injection into the vertebral body void. This phase change allows the cement to initially flow and fill all available spaces around the pedicle screws, then harden to create a rigid bonded interface that locks the screws in place and prevents loosening over time.
3Reliability
If bone cement is delivered through a fenestrated pedicle screw, then 360° vertebral internal fixation is achieved, but the complexity of the delivery system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pedicle screw serves multiple functions: it provides mechanical fixation anchorage in the bone, acts as a delivery conduit for the bone cement through its fenestrated structure, and serves as a template for achieving 360° distribution of the cement around the screw. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated delivery devices while achieving comprehensive fixation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach provides efficient, minimally invasive vertebral body reconstruction and stabilization, improving surgical outcomes by maintaining consistent anatomical distances and reducing the risk of displacement compared to traditional methods.
Implementation Method 1
an expandable metal mesh delivered by a balloon-tipped cannula... inflating the balloon until a desired anatomical distance is obtained
Implementation Method 2
supplying bone cement to the surgical site by passing the bone cement through the cannulated screwdriver, wherein the bone cement exits out of at least one fenestration or cannulation of the pedicle screw
Data Source
AI summary
A kit for performing a spine stabilization procedure is provided. The kit can include a balloon-tipped cannula having an expandable balloon enclosed by an expandable metal mesh. The balloon-tipped cannula can be configured to pass through a working sleeve and to expand the expandable balloon and expandable metal mesh within a surgical site. The kit can also include a pedicle screw having at least one fenestration or cannulation. The pedicle screw can be configured to be inserted into the surgical site. Related apparatus, systems, kits, techniques and articles are also described.