Intervertebral Implant With Slide Prevention Reliefs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing intervertebral implants face challenges such as high risk of insertion and expulsion, especially in cervical vertebrae, due to reduced dimensions and repeated movements, which limits their effectiveness and usability.
Innovation Solution
The intervertebral implant features lateral walls with slide prevention reliefs and inclined flanks that bear against the uncus of the underlying vertebra, providing a larger contact surface and preventing sliding and expulsion, with a design that maximizes stability and resistance to insertion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If an intervertebral implant is placed from the front to provide a large contact surface with vertebral plates, then the contact surface for bone grafts is increased, but the risk of insertion into and expulsion from the vertebral plate increases
Solution Approach 1:
The implant divides its lateral walls into multiple functional segments: an inclined flank for initial engagement with the uncus, a slide prevention relief for maintaining position, and a support surface for load bearing. This segmentation allows each part to perform its specific function optimally, preventing both insertion and expulsion while maintaining large contact surface area.
Solution Approach 2:
The inclined flank is designed to preliminarily engage with the uncus of the underlying vertebra before full implantation. This preliminary engagement creates a mechanical interlock that prevents subsequent insertion into the vertebral plate and opposes expulsion forces, acting in advance to prevent harmful movements.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the implant width is reduced to allow placement from the rear, then the surgical risk is reduced, but the contact surface with vertebral plates is insufficient for successful fusion
Solution Approach 1:
The implant utilizes the uncus of the underlying vertebra as an additional anchoring dimension. By engaging the uncus through the inclined flank and slide prevention reliefs, the implant gains stability in the lateral dimension, allowing it to maintain a larger anterior-posterior width for bone graft contact without increasing surgical risk.
3Reliability
If slide prevention reliefs are added to lateral walls, then the risk of expulsion is reduced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The slide prevention reliefs are localized to specific regions of the lateral walls where they are most needed - at the interface with the uncus. This local addition of complexity only where necessary maintains overall device simplicity while effectively preventing expulsion.
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 4
AI summary
This implant (1) is intended to allow immobilization of one vertebra (100) in relation to another, comprising two lateral walls (4) essentially parallel one with respect to the other and having a length, and at least one transverse wall connecting these lateral wall one to the other, at least one of these lateral walls (4) having, on its side facing the side opposite the other lateral wall (4), slide prevention reliefs (15). According to the invention, the implant (1) has, in a direction perpendicular to said length of the lateral walls (4), a dimensionsuch that its two lateral walls (4) are capable of coming into the immediate vicinity of the unci (102) of the underlying vertebrae (100), the slide prevention reliefs (15) of each of said lateral wall (4)thus being able to bear against the internal surfaceof the uncus (102) of the underlying vertebra (100) adjacent this lateral wall (4).