Expandable Sacroiliac Joint Stabilization Device
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical methods for stabilizing the sacroiliac joint are invasive and have limited success in providing long-term stability, often leading to hypermobility and degenerative arthritis due to the stress and strain on the joint from injuries and hormonal changes during pregnancy.
Innovation Solution
A minimally invasive device with an expandable body that engages the sacral and iliac surfaces of the sacroiliac joint, allowing for secure seating and fusion by using a bone material to facilitate bony ingrowth and fusion, eliminating motion across the joint.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional open surgery with metal screws and bone plates is used to stabilize the sacroiliac joint, then joint stability is improved, but surgical invasiveness and patient trauma increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a thin, flexible membrane that can be inserted through a small incision and then expanded within the sacroiliac joint. This membrane acts as a barrier to prevent joint motion while avoiding the need for large incisions and extensive soft tissue dissection required by traditional open surgery with metal hardware.
Solution Approach 2:
The device transitions from a compressed, insertable state to an expanded, functional state within the joint. This parameter change allows the same structure to serve both as a minimally invasive implant and as a stable joint fusion device, eliminating the need for separate insertion and stabilization steps.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the sacroiliac joint is left untreated, then surgical invasiveness is minimized, but joint hypermobility and degenerative arthritis develop over time
Solution Approach 1:
The expandable membrane is inserted in a compressed state through minimal incision, performing the stabilization function before significant hypermobility or degenerative changes can occur. This preliminary stabilization prevents the development of joint instability and subsequent arthritis.
Solution Approach 2:
The device provides self-contained stabilization through its expansion mechanism, which automatically engages the joint surfaces and prevents motion without requiring additional surgical steps or external fixation devices. The membrane itself serves both as the insertion vehicle and the final stabilization structure.
3Reliability
If multiple metal screws are inserted across the sacroiliac joint to achieve fusion, then joint stability is improved, but device complexity and surgical time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functions into a single device: the expandable membrane simultaneously provides joint stabilization, prevents motion, and facilitates bone fusion. This eliminates the need for separate screws, plates, and other fixation devices that would otherwise be required to achieve the same outcome.
Solution Approach 2:
The expandable membrane serves multiple purposes: it acts as a physical barrier to prevent joint motion, provides a surface for bone growth and fusion, and maintains joint alignment. This multi-functionality replaces what would traditionally require multiple separate devices and surgical steps.
4Reliability
If the sacroiliac joint is stabilized using traditional methods, then joint fusion is achieved, but the procedure requires large incisions and extensive tissue dissection
Solution Approach 1:
The device is nested within a delivery system that allows it to be inserted through a small incision in a compressed state. Once positioned within the sacroiliac joint, the device is deployed and expanded to its functional size, achieving joint fusion without requiring large incisions or extensive tissue dissection.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods of stabilizing the sacroiliac joint by placing an expandable device in the joint to generate laterally opposing forces against the iliac and sacral surfaces of the SI joint to securely seat the device in a plane generally parallel to the SI joint. The expandable device is coated with or otherwise contains a bone material to promote fusion of the joint. The expandable device used in methods of the present invention can be, for example, an expandable cage, a balloon, a balloon-expandable stent or a self-expanding stent.