Self-Drilling Sacroiliac Screw for Bone Compression and Fusion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional sacroiliac joint fusion techniques are time-consuming, prone to implant failure due to stripping of bone screws in compressible bone tissue, and do not fully utilize natural autograft bone tissue, requiring multiple surgical approaches and significant bone removal.
Innovation Solution
A minimally invasive implant system with self-drilling, self-tapping screws that displace and capture autograft bone tissue, reducing the need for pre-drilling and additional surgical approaches, and incorporating a method to distribute bone grafting material for enhanced fusion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional pre-drilling and bone screw implantation is used, then the surgical procedure can be performed with standard equipment, but the surgical time is excessive (about an hour) and the procedure is complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple surgical steps (pre-drilling, implantation, and securing) into a single self-drilling, self-tapping bone screw implantation process. The specialized bone screw integrates the drilling function and tapping function into one component, eliminating the need for separate pre-drilling and tapping operations, thereby reducing surgical time and procedural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The bone screw is designed with self-drilling and self-tapping capabilities built in, performing the preliminary actions of creating the implantation pathway and forming the threaded engagement simultaneously during the implantation process itself, rather than requiring these actions to be performed separately beforehand.
2Reliability
If conventional bone screw implantation is used, then the procedure is straightforward, but the implant is prone to failure due to stripping in compressible bone tissue
Solution Approach 1:
The bone screw features a localized self-tapping distal tip with specific thread geometry designed to cut and compress bone tissue effectively. The threads are configured with optimized pitch and depth to engage the compressible bone tissue without stripping, providing localized high-quality engagement at the implantation site while maintaining overall implant simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies the thread parameters (pitch, depth, angle) and tip geometry of the bone screw to optimize its interaction with compressible bone tissue. The self-tapping threads are designed with specific dimensional parameters that enable effective bone engagement and compression, transforming the screw's mechanical properties to suit the compliant bone environment.
3Loss of substance
If conventional pre-drilling is used, then the bone screw can be implanted, but large portions of bone tissue are removed, wasting natural autograft
Solution Approach 1:
The self-drilling, self-tapping bone screw creates its own implantation pathway and secures itself without requiring separate pre-drilling operations. The screw's threads engage the bone tissue in a way that minimizes unnecessary bone removal, allowing the natural bone tissue to serve as both the implantation medium and the fusion substrate, thereby reducing waste of autograft material.
4Reliability
If multiple surgical approaches are used for primary screw and side screws, then comprehensive fixation is achieved, but surgery time increases due to repeated reconfigurations
Solution Approach 1:
The bone screw is designed with multi-functionality, serving as both the primary fixation element and providing integrated side screw attachment capabilities. The side screw attachment features are built into the bone screw structure itself, allowing all fixation operations to be performed through a single surgical approach without repeated reconfigurations, thereby maintaining comprehensive fixation while reducing surgical time.
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 system significantly reduces surgical time, enhances bone fusion by utilizing autograft tissue, and minimizes implant failure by securely anchoring screws in dense bone tissue, improving surgical outcomes.
Implementation Method 1
The self-tapping distal tip of the disclosed primary screw acts as a pre-drill. The disclosed implant displaces a significant portion of the bone tissue radially inward, capturing (internalizing) the tissue within an interior chamber of the bone screw.
Implementation Method 2
The self-tapping aspect of the primary screw also takes advantage of the spongy, compliant nature of the bone tissue by displacing the remaining portion of the tissue radially outward, which compresses the bone within and around the threads.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for performing a minimally invasive sacroiliac joint fusion. The system may be in the form of a disposable kit, with the components streamlined so that the procedure can be performed in a few minutes. The screw components are self-drilling and self-tapping. The system may deploy blades through the walls of the primary screw which cut away material as the primary screw is set, for denuding the sacroiliac joint. The primary screw is designed bore through and internalize bone tissue in an autografting process. The implant system may include components for packing bone grafting material into the screw to supplement autograft bone tissue internalized in the primary screw during placement. At least one side screw is passed through a head of the primary screw to anchor the head and prevent it from backing out after implantation.