Expandable Vertebral Insert for Increased Bone Fusion Surface Area
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional intervertebral spacers often lack sufficient surface area to optimally fuse adjacent vertebral bodies, which can lead to inadequate spinal stability and pain relief in degenerated disc conditions.
Innovation Solution
A vertebral insert with a support member and lateral spacers that expand to increase surface area, featuring keels for bony integration and a cavity for bone graft, allowing for improved fusion and stability by expanding between vertebral bodies and providing increased contact with bone.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of moving object
If conventional intervertebral spacers are used, then the device structure is simple, but the surface area for bone fusion is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The vertebral insert employs an expandable structure that transitions from a compressed insertion state to an expanded functional state. The body portion includes expandable features such as radial expansion mechanisms or longitudinal extension elements that increase the surface area contact with vertebral bodies after implantation, allowing the device to adapt its geometry dynamically to optimize bone fusion interface without requiring a complex initial structure
Solution Approach 2:
The insert incorporates nested structural elements where internal components are housed within the body portion during insertion, then deployed outward to increase surface area. Keels and lateral spacers are nested within the body structure during compression, then extended outward in the expanded configuration to provide additional bone contact surfaces while maintaining a compact form during implantation
2Area of moving object
If the vertebral insert is expanded to increase surface area, then bone fusion capability is improved, but the insertion difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The insert is pre-compressed or pre-formed in a compact configuration that facilitates easy insertion through the intervertebral space. Expansion mechanisms are pre-loaded or pre-positioned within the body portion, allowing the device to be inserted in a low-profile state and then expanded in situ after proper positioning is achieved, eliminating the need to maneuver a large expanded structure through the surgical site
Solution Approach 2:
The device transitions from a static compact form during insertion to a dynamic expanded form after implantation. The expandable body portion can be actuated post-insertion to increase surface area, allowing the surgical team to insert the device easily in a compressed state and then expand it to the functional configuration once positioned between the vertebral bodies
3Reliability
If lateral spacers are added to increase bone contact, then fusion stability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The lateral spacers are integrated with the main body portion through the keel structure, forming a unified implant assembly. The keels extend from the body and connect to or support the lateral spacers, combining multiple functional elements (central support, lateral bone contact, anterior/posterior engagement) into a single cohesive device that provides enhanced fusion stability without requiring separate independently implanted components
Solution Approach 2:
The lateral spacers are nested within or attached to the expandable body structure, allowing them to be stored in a compact configuration during insertion and then deployed outward when the body expands. This nesting approach enables the lateral spacers to provide additional bone contact surfaces and improve fusion stability while maintaining a compact overall device profile during the insertion phase
Data Source
AI summary
A vertebral insert may include a first linkage, a second linkage, and a third linkage. The first, second, and third linkages may at least partially defining a cavity. The insert may be movable between a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration, and the movement of the first and second linkages with respect to one another may be configured to reciprocally move the insert between the collapsed and expanded configurations.