Helical Wire Interbody Fusion Device for Vertebral Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current spinal fixation methods, particularly for lower lumbar spinal injuries, lack effective solutions for stabilizing vertebral bodies and promoting bone fusion, as traditional bone plate and screw systems are limited in their applicability and effectiveness.
Innovation Solution
An interbody spacer system featuring a helically-shaped wire and spacer with corresponding grooves, allowing for secure fixation to vertebral bodies using corkscrew-shaped fixation devices that prevent rotation once implanted, thereby enhancing stability and bone integration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional bone plate and screw fixation systems are used for spinal fusion, then vertebral bodies can be stabilized, but the applicability and effectiveness for lower lumbar spinal injuries is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the fundamental parameter of the fixation mechanism from linear screw insertion to helical rotation, allowing the implant to be screwed into the vertebral body like a corkcrew. This parameter change enables better adaptability to lower lumbar spinal injuries while maintaining reliable stabilization through the mechanical advantage of rotational insertion and distributed thread engagement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a helically-shaped wire implant with a curved, corkscrew-like geometry instead of a straight linear screw. This curvature allows the implant to engage the vertebral body in a rotational manner, improving adaptability to the anatomical structure of lower lumbar vertebrae while providing effective stabilization through the helical threading pattern.
2Strength
If helically-shaped wire implants are used for spinal fixation, then pull-out strength and stability are increased, but device complexity increases compared to traditional screws
Solution Approach 1:
The helical curvature of the wire implant provides mechanical advantage through rotational insertion and distributed thread engagement with the vertebral body. This curved geometry naturally increases pull-out strength as the threads wedge into the bone during rotation, while the continuous helical form remains relatively simple in construction compared to multi-component traditional screw systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the fixation function and the anchoring function into a single integrated helical wire implant structure. The helical shape itself serves both as the fixation mechanism (through rotational insertion) and as the anchoring mechanism (through thread engagement), eliminating the need for separate components and reducing overall device complexity while maintaining high pull-out strength.
3Reliability
If helically-shaped wire implants are used for spinal fixation, then bone fusion is promoted through secure anchoring, but the procedure time may increase due to rotational insertion requirement
Solution Approach 1:
The helical curvature enables rotational insertion that distributes the anchoring force throughout the vertebral body, creating more stable bone-implant contact areas that promote bone fusion. While rotational insertion may take slightly longer than simple drive-in screws, the enhanced stability and fusion promotion provide long-term benefits that justify the additional procedural time.
Solution Approach 2:
The helical wire implant is pre-formed with its threaded geometry before implantation, eliminating the need for intraoperative threading or complex assembly steps. The implant is ready for immediate rotational insertion, allowing the surgical team to focus only on the insertion motion itself, thereby minimizing the time added to the procedure while ensuring optimal bone fusion conditions are established from the start.
4Ease of operation
If traditional screws are used for spinal fixation, then insertion is straightforward, but device migration risk is higher and stabilization effectiveness is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The helical curvature of the wire implant creates a wedging effect during rotational insertion, where the threads progressively engage and lock into the vertebral body bone structure. This mechanical interlocking provides superior resistance to device migration compared to linear screws, while the rotational insertion process remains relatively simple and can be performed with standard surgical instruments.
Solution Approach 2:
The helical threading pattern is designed in advance to distribute mechanical loads and prevent migration throughout the vertebral body. The multiple threads along the helical length provide redundant anchoring points, so if one thread engages suboptimally, others compensate, thereby preemptively cushioning against device migration risks before they can occur during or after implantation.
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
The system provides improved stability and bone fusion by allowing for secure anchoring of the spacer between vertebral bodies with reduced risk of device migration and increased pull-out strength compared to traditional screws, facilitating faster procedures with less bone removal.
Implementation Method 1
A helically-shaped element is configured to extend through the opening to secure the spacer or plate element to a bone
Implementation Method 2
The helically-shaped element may include a sharp tip capable of piercing the bone on one end
Data Source
AI summary
Devices for fixing interbody fusion devices to bone by helically or corkscrew-shaped elements are provided. Methods for surgically implanting an interbody fusion device using helically-shaped fixation wire are provided.