Polyaxial Spinal Anchor With Rotational-Translational Locking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current spinal stabilization systems face challenges in achieving wide angulation and secure fixation of bone screws relative to the receiver, which can lead to instability and potential disassembly during spinal surgery.
Innovation Solution
A polyaxial spinal anchor assembly featuring a bone anchor with a head and neck, and a receiver with a socket cavity and slot that allows for rotational and translational engagement, enabling wide angulation and secure fixation through a compression element and set screw, allowing the screw to be bottom-loaded and locked in place.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a polyaxial anchor assembly allows wide angulation through rotational and translational engagement, then surgical flexibility is improved, but the risk of disassembly and instability increases
Solution Approach 1:
The anchor assembly transitions from a static fixed-position connection to a dynamic system that allows controlled movement. The bone anchor can rotate and translate within the receiver during insertion to achieve various angles, then locks into a stable final position, providing both flexibility during surgery and stability after assembly
Solution Approach 2:
The system is divided into separate functional components: the bone anchor with head and neck, the receiver with socket cavity and slot, and the engagement mechanism. This segmentation allows independent optimization of each component - the head provides rotation, the slot provides translation guidance, and together they achieve wide angulation while maintaining secure fixation
2Reliability
If the bone anchor is securely fixed in the receiver through engagement, then fixation stability is improved, but the ease of assembly and disassembly is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The receiver is pre-configured with the socket cavity and slot geometry that automatically guides the bone anchor into the correct engagement position. The keyed contour features are pre-shaped to match, so that when the anchor is inserted, the engagement occurs automatically without requiring complex alignment procedures or multiple adjustment steps
Solution Approach 2:
The head of the bone anchor and the socket cavity utilize curved and spherical geometric features that facilitate smooth insertion and automatic orientation. The rounded contours allow the components to self-align during assembly, reducing the complexity of the assembly process while ensuring secure engagement
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosure provides a spinal implant having spinal anchors comprising a bone anchor and a receiver configured to securely and polyaxially receive the bone anchor. Further, provided herein are methods for using the spinal implant.