Interbody Implant Attachment With Retainer Ring Against Screw Backout
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Solution Overview
Problem
The anatomy of a patient, particularly in the spine, poses challenges for securing an implant due to small bones and the location of the spinal cord, making implantation difficult and delicate.
Innovation Solution
An interbody attachment device with a posterior projection and retainer ring, along with screw openings and optional screw locks, facilitates secure fixation of the implant to adjacent bones using bone screws, enhancing ease of implantation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If direct screw insertion into the implant is used, then the fixation is secure, but the surgical access is difficult due to patient anatomy
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment device serves as an intermediary component between the bone screw and the interbody implant. It provides a protruding portion that extends through the implant's screw opening, allowing the bone screw to engage with the attachment rather than directly with the implant. This mediator approach enables easier surgical access while maintaining secure fixation, as the attachment can be accessed from a more accessible angle than the implant itself.
2Productivity
If the attachment allows easy screw insertion, then surgical efficiency improves, but the risk of screw backout increases
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment includes a retainer ring with engagement features that prevent the bone screw from backing out. The retainer ring extends around the protruding portion and includes features that engage with the screw threads or shaft, creating a preliminary anti-action against the potential harmful movement of screw backout. This allows easy insertion while preventing extraction, resolving the contradiction between surgical efficiency and screw retention.
3Ease of manufacture
If the attachment structure is simple, then manufacturing is easier, but the fixation stability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment is segmented into distinct functional components: a body portion that interfaces with the implant, a protruding portion that extends through the screw opening, and a retainer ring that prevents backout. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function while maintaining overall manufacturing simplicity. The modular design enables easy fabrication through standard manufacturing processes while providing stable fixation through the coordinated action of segmented components.
Data Source
AI summary
An interbody attachment assembly includes an implant having a superior surface, an inferior surface, and an anterior surface extending between the superior surface and the inferior surface. A first screw opening extends superiorly through the anterior surface and through the superior surface and a second screw opening extends inferiorly through the anterior surface and the inferior surface such that a first screw can be inserted through the first screw opening and secure the implant to a superior bone member and a second screw can be inserted through the second screw opening and secure the implant to an inferior bone member. An attachment is configured to be inserted into one or each of the first and second screw openings.