Fibonacci Curved Spinal Hook Anchor for Bone Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional pedicle hooks in spinal fixation systems have narrow blade portions that can damage bone surfaces and easily become dislodged, leading to further injury and the need for additional surgeries, especially in pediatric patients.
Innovation Solution
A hook anchor with a curved body shaped like a Fibonacci curve and a locking mechanism, designed to securely engage with bone structures such as vertebrae, ribs, or the pelvis, providing a larger surface area contact and reducing the likelihood of dislodgment through a closed design and projections on the flanges.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional pedicle hooks with narrow blade portions are used, then the device complexity is reduced, but the bone surface damage increases and the reliability decreases due to easy dislodgment
Solution Approach 1:
The hook blade is designed with a curved configuration following a Fibonacci curve pattern, transforming the conventional straight or simple curved blade into a complex curved geometry that naturally conforms to bone surfaces, increasing contact area and stability without requiring additional structural components
Solution Approach 2:
The hook blade features variable thickness and width along its length, with specific regions optimized for different functions: wider sections for bone contact and stability, narrower sections for insertion, creating locally optimized properties that enhance overall reliability without uniformly increasing complexity
2Area of stationary object
If conventional narrow blade portion hooks are used, then the ease of manufacture is improved, but the bone surface contact area is reduced leading to increased bone damage
Solution Approach 1:
The Fibonacci curve geometry of the hook blade is generated through mathematical algorithms and manufactured using additive manufacturing or precision CNC machining, which can accurately produce complex curved surfaces without requiring multiple assembly steps or specialized tooling, thus achieving large surface area with moderate manufacturing complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The hook blade dimensions, including width, thickness, and curvature radius, are systematically varied along the length of the blade according to the Fibonacci sequence, optimizing the contact surface area while maintaining manufacturability through parameterized design that can be directly translated to manufacturing specifications
3Reliability
If conventional pedicle hooks are used, then the device simplicity is maintained, but the likelihood of dislodgment increases causing further injury
Solution Approach 1:
The curved Fibonacci geometry of the hook blade creates a conformal fit to the bone surface, distributing loads more evenly and preventing the hook from acting as a lever that could cause bone切割 or dislodgment, thereby reducing harmful effects while enhancing stability
Solution Approach 2:
The increased surface area and optimized curvature of the hook blade create a cushioning effect by distributing contact pressures over a larger area before excessive forces can concentrate and cause bone damage or dislodgment, providing preventive protection against harmful effects
Data Source
AI summary
A hook anchor for anchoring a fixation rod to a bone is disclosed. The hook anchor includes a hook body shaped in a curve of diminishing radius and a locking mechanism. The locking mechanism is to securely fix the hook anchor to the fixation rod. The curve of diminishing radius may be the shape of at least a portion of a Fibonacci curve. The bone can include at least one of a rib, a pelvis, and a vertebra. The hook body can be configured to engage with at least one of a spinous process a transverse process, and a pedicle of the vertebra.