Oblique Lateral Spinal Retractor for Psoas Muscle Displacement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical techniques for treating spinal disorders, such as scoliosis and degenerative disc disease, face challenges due to the location of musculature and neural structures, particularly in accessing lumbar disc spaces, which can lead to tissue disruption and nerve damage.
Innovation Solution
A surgical system employing an oblique lateral surgical pathway and a retractor with stiff, biased blades and an oval dilator to displace the psoas muscle posteriorly, avoiding muscle fibers and nerves, allowing for the placement of interbody implants at an oblique angle relative to the lateral axis of the body.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a direct lateral approach is used to access lumbar disc spaces, then access to the surgical site is achieved, but tissue disruption and nerve damage occur due to the location of musculature and neural structures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a direct lateral approach to an oblique lateral approach, changing the surgical pathway from a straight lateral trajectory to an angled trajectory that passes through the intertransverse space. This dimensional change in the approach angle allows access to the lumbar disc spaces while avoiding direct disruption of the psoas muscle and neural structures that lie in the direct lateral path.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces specialized oblique lateral surgical instruments including a retractor system with blades that can be positioned at oblique angles, dilators with specific geometries for the oblique pathway, and implant delivery systems that accommodate the angled approach. These intermediary tools mediate between the surgical goal and the anatomical constraints, enabling access through the oblique path without direct tissue disruption.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If an oblique lateral surgical pathway is used, then tissue disruption and nerve damage are minimized, but surgical access and instrument placement become more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs oblique lateral surgical instruments that combine multiple functions into single devices. The retractor system, for example, includes blades that can be positioned at various oblique angles, integrated dilating and retracting capabilities, and compatibility with different implant types. This multi-functionality reduces the need for multiple specialized tools while maintaining the oblique approach benefits.
Solution Approach 2:
The surgical instruments are designed with dynamic adjustment capabilities, allowing the retractor blades and dilators to be positioned and angled during the procedure to optimize the oblique pathway. The instruments can be adjusted intraoperatively to accommodate variations in patient anatomy and surgical needs, making the complex oblique approach more adaptable and manageable.
Data Source
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AI summary
A surgical instrument includes a first member having an inner surface and an outer surface. A second member has an inner surface and an outer surface. The outer surfaces are engageable with tissue adjacent a spine that defines a longitudinal axis. The members are relatively movable between a first configuration and a second configuration to space the tissue. In the first configuration, the members are disposable between a first position such that the inner surfaces define a substantially oval cavity that defines a major axis substantially aligned with the longitudinal axis and a second position such that the major axis is rotated relative to the longitudinal axis to space psoas tissue. Systems and methods are disclosed.