Interbody Fusion Implant With Deployable Anchors Against Migration

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current orthopedic implants, particularly interbody spacers, face challenges in providing optimal pore sizes and stiffness for bone growth, leading to inadequate ingrowth and stability, with existing fixation mechanisms often requiring complex tools and causing implant migration or instability.

Innovation Solution

Deployable spikes or anchors within the implant that are deployed post-insertion to secure the implant in place, offering orthogonal fixation without additional tools, enhancing stability and osteo-integration, and allowing for easy removal if needed.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If current spinal fusion implants use traditional porous surfaces or cavities to promote bone growth, then bone growth is encouraged, but the implants fail to provide adequate physical and chemical characteristics leading to limited bone ingrowth and implant instability

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveimplant stabilityVSAvoidbone growth promotion

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The implant body is constructed with a porous structure having interconnected pores with diameters between 150-650 microns, optimized for bone ingrowth. The porosity ranges from 60-80% volume fraction, providing both mechanical support and biological functionality for osteoblast migration and bone formation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #31Porous materials

Solution Approach 2:

The implant utilizes PEEK material with adjustable stiffness through controlled porosity (60-80% volume fraction) and pore size (150-650 microns). These parameter optimizations enable the implant to achieve stiffness values between 2-4 GPa, matching native bone mechanics while promoting bone growth through appropriate mechanical loading.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If the implant body is made with optimized pore size and stiffness for bone growth, then bone integration is improved, but the implant lacks adequate fixation mechanism leading to migration and instability

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebone integrationVSAvoidimplant position stability

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The deployable anchors are pre-positioned within anchor cavities in a retracted state during implantation. After the implant is inserted into the interbody space, the anchors are then deployed outward through slots in the endplates to engage the vertebral bone, providing secondary fixation after initial placement.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The anchors transition from a static retracted position during insertion to a dynamic deployed position after implantation. This dynamic capability allows the implant to adapt its fixation mechanism: initially minimally invasive during insertion, then providing enhanced mechanical interlocking with bone after placement to prevent migration.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Stability of the object's composition

If deployable anchors are added to the implant, then fixation and stability are improved, but the device complexity and surgical procedure time increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveimplant fixationVSAvoidanchor deployment mechanism

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The anchor deployment mechanism is integrated directly into the implant body structure. The anchor cavities, slots, and deployment features are formed as part of the monolithic PEEK implant body, eliminating the need for separate anchor components or complex external deployment mechanisms. This integration reduces device complexity while maintaining the dynamic fixation capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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

Improves short-term and long-term stability, reduces patient pain, and facilitates bone ingrowth by providing optimal pore sizes and stiffness, while allowing for easy implant retrieval.

Implementation Method 1

many orthopedic implants are provided with a porous surface at the bone-implant interface, with the expectation that bone will grow into the porous surface of the implant

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectOsteoconduction:

Implementation Method 2

orthopedic implants with deployable spikes or anchors that can be deployed post-implantation to secure the device in place

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectMechanical interlocking: Mechanical Fastener

Implementation Method 3

The cells responsible for bone growth, including osteocytes and osteoblasts, work together to form bone as needed within the body, but will only form bone under proper conditions, including when the cells experience proper loads and stresses

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectMechanical loading:

Data Source

PatentUS12616585B2Stand-alone interbody fusion

Publication Date: 2026.05.05 NEXUS SPINE LLC

AI summary

Improved fixation or stabilization of implants is achieved via one or more deployable spikes or anchors. The deployable spikes or anchors may be present in the implant in a nested, collapsed, or retracted position while the implant is inserted into the human body, and may then be deployed (e.g., into adjacent bone) after the implant is in place, thereby fixing the implant's location against unwanted movement. Such fixation or stabilization of the implant may reduce patients' pain, may improve overall short-term and long-term stability of the implant, and may improve osteo-integration into the implant.