Expandable Spinal Cage with Movable Block
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional spinal cages require significant tissue removal for implantation, leading to longer surgery times and potential side effects due to the need for an implant path.
Innovation Solution
A height-expandable spinal cage design featuring an upper and lower plate, a frame, a movable block, and a driving bolt that allows the distance between the plates to be adjusted minimally during implantation and expanded post-implantation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a spinal cage with sufficient mechanical strength is used to maintain distance between vertebral bodies, then the structural strength is improved, but the implantation complexity increases due to the need for significant tissue removal
Solution Approach 1:
The spinal cage is divided into an upper plate, a lower plate, and a frame connecting them, with the frame having a hollow space for bone chips. This segmentation allows the cage to be implanted in a compressed state and then expanded, reducing the need for extensive tissue removal while maintaining structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The spinal cage is designed with a block that can move in the longitudinal direction within the frame, allowing the distance between the upper and lower plates to be adjusted. This dynamic structure enables the cage to be implanted in a compact form and then expanded to the required height, simplifying the implantation process while maintaining the necessary mechanical strength.
2Strength
If a solid metal structure is used to support vertebral body distance, then the mechanical strength is improved, but the surgery time increases due to the need for bone or soft tissue removal
Solution Approach 1:
The spinal cage is pre-configured with a movable block and driving mechanism that allows for post-implantation adjustment. The cage is implanted in a compressed state with minimal tissue removal, and then the block is moved using the driving bolt to expand the cage to the required height, eliminating the need for extensive pre-surgical tissue removal and reducing surgery time.
Solution Approach 2:
The traditional approach of mechanically removing bone or soft tissue to create an implant path is replaced by a expandable cage design that can be inserted through a smaller path and then expanded using a driving bolt mechanism, reducing surgery time and tissue trauma while maintaining mechanical strength.
3Ease of manufacture
If a fixed-height spinal cage is implanted, then the manufacturing simplicity is improved, but the adaptability decreases as it cannot be adjusted to different vertebral body distances
Solution Approach 1:
The spinal cage incorporates a block that can move in the longitudinal direction within the frame, allowing the height to be adjusted after implantation. The driving bolt mechanism enables the block to be moved to different positions, providing adaptability to different vertebral body distances while maintaining relatively simple manufacturing processes for each component.
Solution Approach 2:
The spinal cage is designed with a universal structure that can accommodate different height requirements through the movable block mechanism. The same basic design can be used for various vertebral body distances by simply adjusting the block position, eliminating the need for multiple fixed-height cage designs and improving versatility.
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
Enables minimally invasive surgery by allowing the spinal cage to be implanted with minimal initial height and then expanded between vertebral bodies, reducing tissue disruption and surgical complexity.
Implementation Method 1
a driving bolt having one end thereof connected to the block to move the block, wherein a distance between the upper plate and the lower plate is increased or decreased when the block moves in the longitudinal direction
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a height-expandable spinal cage including an upper plate and a lower plate disposed to face each other, a frame disposed between the upper plate and the lower plate, the frame having a space formed therein, a block disposed between the upper plate and the lower plate and configured to be movable in a longitudinal direction inside the frame, and a driving bolt having one end thereof connected to the block to move the block. The height-expandable spinal cage is implanted into an affected area while occupying the minimum height thereof and to be expanded between vertebral bodies.