Expandable Vertebral Body Replacement With Adjustable Posts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current vertebral body replacement devices face challenges in achieving secure anchorage and proper fitting within the spinal column due to anatomical variations, leading to risks of dislocation or damage during implantation, as they require precise sizing and angulation that can only be determined during surgery.
Innovation Solution
A vertebral body replacement device that can be expanded in situ, featuring adjustable anterior and posterior posts with hinged connections to endplates, allowing for individual adjustment of height and inclination to match the patient's anatomy, thereby providing a strong interface with vertebral bodies and stabilizing the spine.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a fixed-size implant is used, then the implantation process is simplified, but the implant may not fit the patient's anatomy leading to dislocation or damage
Solution Approach 1:
The implant transitions from a fixed configuration to a dynamic, adjustable structure. The expandable body allows the implant to change size and angulation after insertion, enabling it to adapt to the patient's specific anatomy while maintaining secure anchorage through progressive expansion and locking mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The implant's physical parameters (size, height, angulation) are changed after insertion rather than being fixed beforehand. The expandable body mechanism allows adjustment of these parameters to match the patient's anatomy, resolving the contradiction between simplified implantation and secure fit.
2Reliability
If multiple modular components are used to achieve precise fitting, then the implant can be customized to patient anatomy, but the device complexity and assembly time increase
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple adjustable parameters (size, height, angulation) are merged into a single integrated expandable body structure rather than requiring separate modular components. This reduces device complexity while maintaining the ability to achieve precise fitting through post-insertion adjustment.
Solution Approach 2:
The expandable body serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides structural support, allows size adjustment, enables angulation modification, and facilitates secure anchorage. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for multiple specialized modular components.
3Reliability
If the implant size is increased to ensure stable anchorage, then secure fixation is achieved, but the implant may damage remaining vertebral bodies during insertion
Solution Approach 1:
The implant is inserted in a collapsed, compact state through a minimally invasive approach, avoiding damage to surrounding structures. After safe insertion, the implant is then expanded to its full size to achieve stable anchorage, separating the insertion phase from the expansion phase.
Solution Approach 2:
The implant dynamically changes size from a small insertion configuration to a large support configuration. This dynamic transformation allows safe insertion followed by stable anchorage, resolving the contradiction between implant size and tissue damage risk.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a prosthetic device (10) for replacing at least part of one vertebral body (V0), the prosthetic device (10) being expandable from a fully collapsed state to a fully expanded state and comprising an upper endplate (18), a lower endplate (19) and an expandable support structure extending between the two endplates (18, 19), said expandable support structure being configured to displace the two endplates (18, 19) relative to one another along a longitudinal axis of the prosthetic device (10) and to hold the two endplates (18, 19) at a minimum axial distance that corresponds to the height of at least one intervertebral disc and half a vertebral body, wherein the expandable support structure includes an anterior post (22) and a posterior post (23), which are hingedly connected to the two endplates (18, 19), and wherein the length (L1/L2) of each post (22/23) is individually adjustable and is lockable independently from one another to hold the two endplates (18, 19) with an inclination of 0° to 40° relative to each other.