Intervertebral Disc Prosthesis Wavelike Edge Motion Adaptation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current intervertebral disc prostheses fail to accurately adapt the extent of movement to the anatomy and biomechanics of the lumbar and cervical spine, leading to insufficient motion ranges and adverse biomechanical stress, which can result in persistent complaints or new issues for patients.
Innovation Solution
The development of two- and three-part intervertebral disc prostheses with articulating sliding partners featuring convex and concave surfaces, where the edges of the sliding partners are designed to vary in height in a wavelike manner, allowing for defined limitation of motion and maximizing contact area, thereby simulating natural motion patterns and reducing stress on facet joints.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the edges of sliding partners are designed with uniform height, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the motion range is insufficient and does not adapt to natural spine biomechanics
Solution Approach 1:
The edge of the sliding partner is designed with varying height along its circumference, creating different motion constraints in different directions. This local variation in edge geometry allows the prosthesis to adapt to the natural biomechanics of the spine, providing greater motion freedom in physiological directions while maintaining stability in other directions.
2Stress or pressure
If the contact area between sliding partners is increased, then the stress distribution is improved, but the motion range may be limited
Solution Approach 1:
The varying edge height creates different clearance parameters in different directions, allowing the sliding partners to maintain large contact area for stress distribution while preserving sufficient motion range in physiological directions where the edge provides less constraint.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the edge height varies significantly, then the motion adaptation is improved, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The edge design incorporates dynamic motion adaptation through varying height, allowing the prosthesis to naturally accommodate physiological movements. The gradient transition in edge height provides progressive motion constraints that adapt to different ranges of motion without requiring extremely tight manufacturing tolerances.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to an intervertebral disc prosthesis for the total replacement of the intervertebral disc within the lumbar and cervical spine. For a two part as well as for a three part intervertebral disc prosthesis, according to the invention, in accordance to the design of the edges of the sliding partners, there are aspects for at least one of the sliding partners, in which there is an wavelike design of the edge, as the respectively different high edge regions preferably fluently merge. A significant advantage of the two part intervertebral disc prostheses, according to the invention, compared to the present state of the art of already known prostheses, is that as a result of a transfer of load across a large surface area due to the spherical sliding surfaces, the maximal possible inclination of the sliding partners towards each other in a dorsoventral and laterolateral direction and/or the extent of axial rotation can, according to the invention, be defined through the wavelike design of the edge regions.