Intervertebral Implant with Staggered Fixation Spikes

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current artificial intervertebral disc implants lack effective anchoring mechanisms that ensure stable fixation and mobility preservation in spinal fusion procedures, leading to potential implant expulsion and limited sagittal balance restoration.

Innovation Solution

The intervertebral implant features an endplate with a transverse bone-facing surface and bone fixation spikes that project outward, providing a recessed outer surface for enhanced engagement with vertebral surfaces, allowing for secure anchoring and universal movement between endplates.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Stability of the object's composition

If traditional spinal fusion procedures are used to remove and replace discs, then vertebrae are fused together providing stability, but mobility in the functional spinal unit is lost

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevertebral stabilityVSAvoidspinal mobility

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The implant is divided into separate upper and lower endplate components that can independently articulate with adjacent vertebrae, allowing each component to maintain stable fixation while enabling relative movement between them, thus preserving spinal mobility while ensuring vertebral stability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

An insert is introduced as an intermediary element between the upper and lower endplates, facilitating controlled articulation and movement while maintaining stable fixation of both endplates to the vertebrae, thereby resolving the contradiction between stability and mobility

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Device complexity

If simple endplate designs are used in intervertebral implants, then device complexity is reduced, but anchoring effectiveness and resistance to implant expulsion are insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveendplate structureVSAvoidanchoring effectiveness

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The endplates are equipped with localized fixation spikes at specific regions to enhance anchoring effectiveness, while the overall endplate structure remains relatively simple, thus improving reliability without significantly increasing device complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The fixation spikes are designed with asymmetric geometry featuring recesses on their outer surfaces, creating directional engagement with bone tissue that improves anchoring effectiveness while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure

Inventive Principle:

Principle #4Asymmetry

3Ease of manufacture

If fixation spikes without recesses are used, then manufacturing is simpler, but engagement with vertebral surfaces and load distribution are insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvespike fabricationVSAvoidbone engagement strength

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

Recesses are added only to specific regions of the fixation spikes where bone engagement is critical, rather than complicating the entire spike structure, thus improving bone engagement strength while minimizing impact on manufacturing complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS20250017742A1Intervertebral implant with combination fixation elements

Publication Date: 2025.01.16 CENTINEL SPINE LLC

AI summary

An intervertebral implant includes opposing upper and lower endplates that are configured to engage respective vertebral surfaces in an intervertebral space. The implant carries a plurality of bone fixation spikes that extend out from each endplate. The spikes define a plurality of outer surfaces that extend from a base to a tip. The spikes are laterally staggered, and have a height that increases along a longitudinal direction from the front toward the rear of the implant, and a define recess formed in at least one outer surfaces.