Intervertebral Implant with Extendable Fixation Members
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional intervertebral implant designs face challenges in achieving stable fixation within the intervertebral space, which can affect the success of spinal fusion procedures for degenerative disc disease, as they often rely on materials with low modulus of elasticity and lack effective mechanisms for secure anchoring to adjacent vertebrae.
Innovation Solution
An intervertebral implant with a fixation assembly that includes superior and inferior vertebral fixation members, which can be rotated from a retracted to an extended position to securely engage with the vertebral endplates, providing enhanced stability and bone growth promotion through channels and coatings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional intervertebral implant designs are used with low modulus of elasticity materials, then the implant can be inserted into the intervertebral space, but the implant lacks stable fixation and secure anchoring to adjacent vertebrae
Solution Approach 1:
The fixation members are designed to be rotatable from a retracted position to an extended position, transforming a static implant into a dynamic one. This allows the implant to achieve stable fixation through rotation of the fixation members into the vertebral bodies, resolving the contradiction between reliability and initial simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
The implant is divided into distinct components: the implant body and the separate fixation members. This segmentation allows the fixation members to be independently positioned and rotated into the vertebral bodies, providing secure anchoring while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure
2Strength
If fixation members are extended out from the implant body to engage vertebral endplates, then secure anchoring is achieved, but the implant structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The fixation members are nested within channels in the implant body when in the retracted position. When activated, they extend outward from the implant body to engage the vertebral endplates. This nesting approach allows the complex fixation mechanism to be compact during insertion while providing strong anchoring when extended
3Reliability
If the fixation assembly is made extendable to improve bone integration, then bone growth promotion is enhanced, but the ease of insertion and initial placement is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The fixation members transition from a retracted state during insertion to an extended state for bone engagement. This dynamic behavior allows the implant to be easily inserted in a compact form while subsequently providing enhanced bone integration when the fixation members are rotated into the extended position
Solution Approach 2:
The fixation members are pre-positioned in a retracted state within the implant body channels, allowing for easy insertion. After insertion, they are then rotated into the extended position to engage the bone, separating the insertion phase from the fixation phase and improving overall ease of operation
Data Source
AI summary
An intervertebral implant is configured to be fixed in an intervertebral space defined by a first vertebral body and a second vertebral body. The intervertebral implant includes an implant body sized to be inserted into an intervertebral space, and a fixation assembly carried by the implant body. The fixation assembly includes a fixation housing and a plurality of fixation members attached to the fixation housing. The fixation assembly can be iterated from a retracted position to an extended position that causes the fixation members to travel along a channel of the implant body and out the implant body so as to attach the implant to the first and second vertebral bodies.