Sacral Fixation Implant Segments for Minimally Invasive Surgery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional sacral fixation implants require large incisions and invasive surgical procedures due to their thickness, which complicates the surgical process and increases the invasiveness of the procedure.
Innovation Solution
A sacral fixation implant system comprising an implant segment, a guide wire, and a locking member, where the implant segment is designed to be inserted through the ilium bone with a self-drilling tip and abutment surface to prevent further insertion, and the guide wire is used to secure the implant segments relative to each other, allowing for minimally invasive surgical techniques.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If conventional trans-iliac bars are used to support ilium bones, then the bones can be stabilized with respect to each other, but the surgical procedure becomes invasive requiring large incisions due to the thickness of the bars
Solution Approach 1:
The implant is divided into multiple segments (first implant segment and second implant segment) that can be inserted separately through smaller incisions. Each segment has a shaft portion that extends through the ilium bone and a head portion that engages with the other segment, providing stabilization without requiring a single large incision.
Solution Approach 2:
The head portion of one implant segment is received within a cavity of the other implant segment, creating a nested configuration. This allows the segments to be inserted through separate smaller incisions and then joined together, reducing surgical invasiveness while maintaining stabilization capability.
2Strength
If conventional trans-iliac bars with sufficient thickness are used to absorb stresses, then the mechanical strength is adequate, but the surgical field becomes large requiring robust cutting instruments and large incisions
Solution Approach 1:
The implant system uses multiple smaller segments rather than a single thick bar. Each segment has reduced individual dimensions, allowing insertion through smaller surgical fields while the combined system maintains adequate stress absorption capability through the interlocking head and cavity configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The implant segments are designed to extend in multiple dimensions - the shaft portions extend through the bone in one direction while the head portions engage in a perpendicular or angled orientation within the cavity, distributing mechanical loads across multiple spatial dimensions rather than relying on single-dimension thickness.
3Manufacturing precision
If the implant segment is designed to be inserted through the ilium bone with abutment surface, then the insertion depth can be controlled, but the device complexity increases with multiple components (implant segment, guide wire, locking member)
Solution Approach 1:
The abutment surface on the shaft portion automatically engages with the ilium bone to prevent further insertion, providing self-limiting depth control without requiring additional depth-control mechanisms or components. The guide wire and locking member are simple components that work together with the implant segments rather than adding significant complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide wire is inserted through the ilium bone first to establish the correct trajectory and position before the implant segments are inserted over the guide wire. This preliminary action ensures proper placement and depth control without requiring complex positioning mechanisms during the main implantation procedure.
Data Source
AI summary
A sacral fixation implant can include at least one implant segment, a guide wire, and at least one locking member that is configured to fix the implant segment to the guide wire. The implant segment can be configured to be secured to an ilium bone, and the guide wire can be configured to be secured to the sacrum. The implant can include first and second implant segments that are configured to be secured to opposed ilium bones, such that a first locking member is configured to fix the first implant segment to the guide wire, and a second locking member is configured to fix the second implant segment to the guide wire.