NMES Prehabilitation for Spine Stabilization Muscle Function

Solution Overview

Problem

Current spine stabilization implants face challenges such as difficulty in achieving uniform load sharing, cyclic loading leading to fatigue failure, and the need for invasive surgery that can cause additional pain and interfere with the spinal stabilization system, leading to prolonged recovery times for patients undergoing spine surgery.

Innovation Solution

The use of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) systems that include implanted electrodes and a pulse generator to enhance the function of spine stabilization muscles before or after surgery, by delivering electrical stimulation to muscles like the multifidus and transverse abdominis, thereby improving neuromuscular control and reducing recovery time.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Stability of the object's composition

If spinal fusion surgery is performed to stabilize the spine, then mechanical stability is improved, but recovery time increases and additional pain is caused

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvespinal stabilityVSAvoidrecovery time

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by performing NMES prehabilitation treatment before spine surgery to strengthen stabilization muscles in advance. This pre-strengthening reduces postoperative pain and accelerates recovery, allowing patients to return to normal activities faster while maintaining the stability benefits of surgery

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Stability of the object's composition

If spinal fusion surgery is performed to stabilize the spine, then mechanical stability is improved, but additional pain is caused during surgery

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvespinal stabilityVSAvoidsurgical pain

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by performing NMES prehabilitation treatment before spine surgery to strengthen stabilization muscles in advance. This pre-strengthening reduces postoperative pain and accelerates recovery, allowing patients to return to normal activities faster while maintaining the stability benefits of surgery

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Stability of the object's composition

If spine stabilization implants are used to provide mechanical stability, then spinal stability is improved, but uniform load sharing is difficult to achieve

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvespinal stabilityVSAvoidload distribution uniformity

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies the intermediary principle by introducing strengthened stabilization muscles as a biological mediator between the spinal implants and the vertebral column. These prehabilitated muscles act as a cushion and load-distributing interface that facilitates more uniform load sharing across the implant system, reducing stress concentrations and potential failure points

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

4Stability of the object's composition

If invasive surgery is performed to implant spine stabilization devices, then spinal stability is improved, but the spinal stabilization system is interfered with

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvespinal stabilityVSAvoidspinal stabilization system integrity

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by performing NMES prehabilitation treatment before spine surgery to strengthen stabilization muscles in advance. This pre-strengthening reduces postoperative pain and accelerates recovery, allowing patients to return to normal activities faster while maintaining the stability benefits of surgery

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The prehabilitation treatment strengthens spine stabilizing muscles, reducing vulnerability to surgical injury and potentially shortening recovery time, and in some cases, may obviate the need for surgery or postpone it, thereby addressing the limitations of existing implantation methods.

Implementation Method 1

delivering, according to the programming, electrical stimulation from the pulse generator to the tissue associated with the one or more stabilization muscles via the one or more electrodes

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElectrical stimulation: Electrical Impedance Tomography

Data Source

PatentUS11103706B2Systems and methods for enhancing function of spine stabilization muscles associated with a spine surgery intervention

Publication Date: 2021.08.31 MAINSTAY MEDICAL

AI summary

A method for enhancing muscle function of skeletal muscles in connection with a planned spine surgery intervention in a patient's back is provided. The method includes implanting one or more electrodes in or adjacent to tissue associated with one or more skeletal muscles within a back of a patient, the one or more electrodes in electrical communication with a pulse generator programmed for enhancing muscle function of the one or more skeletal muscles. Electrical stimulation is delivered, according to the programming during a time period associated with the planned spine surgery intervention, from the pulse generator to the tissue associated with the one or more skeletal muscles via the one or more electrodes, thereby improving neuromuscular control system performance of the one or more spine stabilizing muscles in connection with the planned spine surgery intervention to reduce the patient's recovery time associated with the planned spine surgery intervention.