Intervertebral Implant Blades for Standalone Spinal Fusion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for fusing adjacent vertebral bodies in spinal surgery often require the use of bone screws, which can lead to suboptimal surgical exposure and instability, and there is a need for a stand-alone fusion intervertebral implant that eliminates the need for bone screws while maintaining rigidity.
Innovation Solution
An intervertebral implant with a spacer portion and blade elements, including superior and inferior cylindrical pins, that secures to adjacent vertebral bodies without supplemental rigid fixation, using a direct lateral trans-psoas approach and a blocking element to prevent blade backout.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If bone screws are used to secure the intervertebral implant to adjacent vertebral bodies, then the implant can be stabilized, but surgical exposure becomes suboptimal and the construct requires multiple components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the intervertebral implant with integrated blade elements that extend from the implant body and directly engage the vertebral bodies. This merging of the implant and fixation elements eliminates the need for separate bone screws and rods, reducing device complexity while maintaining stabilization reliability through the integrated construct
Solution Approach 2:
The intervertebral implant serves multiple functions: it provides spinal fusion support, structural stabilization, and direct vertebral body engagement through its integrated blade elements. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for supplemental fixation hardware, addressing the contradiction by reducing component count while maintaining reliable stabilization
2Reliability
If multiple bone screws are used for fixation, then the implant can be secured to vertebral bodies, but surgical exposure and surgical time increase
Solution Approach 1:
By integrating the fixation blades directly into the implant body, the patent reduces the number of separate implantation steps. The blades are positioned and secured as part of the primary implantation procedure rather than requiring separate screw placement steps, thereby reducing surgical time while maintaining fixation security
Solution Approach 2:
The blade elements are pre-integrated into the implant design with predetermined angles and orientations. This preliminary configuration allows for direct insertion into the vertebral bodies without requiring complex intraoperative positioning adjustments, reducing surgical time while ensuring secure fixation
3Reliability
If bone screws are used for stabilization, then the implant can be secured, but the construct requires supplemental rigid fixation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the stabilization function directly into the implant structure through integrated blade elements that extend from the implant body and engage the vertebral bodies. This eliminates the need for supplemental fixation hardware such as rods and additional screws, reducing device complexity while maintaining construct stability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the fixation function from separate bone screw components and integrates it directly into the implant body. This extraction and integration of the stabilization mechanism eliminates the need for supplemental fixation hardware, addressing the contradiction by reducing component count while preserving reliability
Data Source
AI summary
An intervertebral implant for insertion into an intervertebral disc space between adjacent vertebral bodies or between two bone portions. The implant includes a spacer portion, a plate portion operatively coupled to the spacer portion and one or more blades for securing the implant to the adjacent vertebral bodies. The blades preferably include superior and inferior cylindrical pins for engaging the adjacent vertebral bodies. The implant may be configured to be inserted via a direct lateral trans-psoas approach. Alternatively, the implant may be configured for insertion via an anterior approach.