Porous Intervertebral Implant Structure for Bone In-Growth and Compression
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Solution Overview
Problem
Intervertebral implants face challenges in providing bone support, facilitating bone in-growth, maintaining stability, and mimicking the elastic modulus of natural bone while being easy to implant and avoiding rigidity that inhibits bone growth.
Innovation Solution
An interbody implant with a porous structure made of materials like Trabecular Metal ™ or OsseoTi ™, wrapped by a cage-like structure to provide strength, allowing superior-inferior compression and promoting bone in-growth, while maintaining the stiffness of natural bone.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the implant is made porous to facilitate bone in-growth, then bone integration is improved, but the implant becomes too rigid and cannot compress under loading
Solution Approach 1:
The implant utilizes a porous structure made of trabecular metal or osseointegrative material that allows bone in-growth while maintaining appropriate mechanical properties. The porosity is designed to facilitate osseointegration without compromising the ability of the implant to compress under physiological loading conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The implant combines different materials with complementary properties: a porous osseointegrative core material for bone integration, and a smoother outer cage-like structure for structural support and compression capability. This composite approach allows simultaneous achievement of bone growth promotion and mechanical compliance.
2Strength
If the implant is made rigid to provide structural support, then stability is improved, but bone in-growth is inhibited
Solution Approach 1:
The implant features different local properties: the inner porous core has high porosity to promote bone in-growth, while the outer cage structure has lower porosity and smoother surfaces for structural support. This spatial variation in material properties allows simultaneous achievement of bone integration and structural stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The implant is divided into functionally distinct segments: an inner porous osseointegrative structure for bone growth and an outer cage-like structure for mechanical support. This segmentation allows each region to be optimized for its specific function without compromising the other.
3Reliability
If the implant has a porous structure to promote bone growth, then osseointegration is improved, but the implant becomes difficult to implant due to catching on anatomy
Solution Approach 1:
The implant features a smoother outer surface dimension that interfaces with surrounding anatomy during insertion, while the inner porous dimension interfaces with bone tissue after implantation. This dimensional differentiation allows easy insertion without catching on soft tissues while maintaining excellent bone integration capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The outer cage-like structure acts as a protective shell with smooth surfaces that facilitate insertion through anatomical passages without catching on surrounding tissues. This shell encapsulates the porous inner structure, protecting it during implantation while allowing the porous structure to function optimally after placement.
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 implant facilitates bone integration by simulating natural bone conditions, enhancing stability and ease of implantation, and supporting the spinal column's movement without inhibiting bone growth.
Implementation Method 1
the present application relates to implants having improved osseointegration
Implementation Method 2
facilitate growth of bone material into the implant
Implementation Method 3
allowing superior-inferior compression and promoting bone in-growth
Implementation Method 4
mimicking the elastic modulus of natural bone
Data Source
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AI summary
An interbody implant can comprise a cage and a porous structure. The cage can comprise an anterior segment, a medial segment, a posterior segment and a lateral segment contiguously connected to each other to define an interior space. The porous structure can be located in the interior space and can be bounded by the cage. The porous structure can comprise opposed superior and inferior surfaces exposed through the cage, an internal cavity located in an interior of the porous structure, and a plurality of ports connecting the internal cavity to the superior and inferior surfaces. A superior-inferior stiffness of the interbody implant can be defined by the porous structure. The porous structure can be compressed within a patient by movement of the spine to biologically stimulate bone growth in vertebrae adjacent the interbody implant. The implant can be configured for lateral, anterior and posterior insertion at different spine levels.