Sequential Cervical Disc Implantation with Mobile Core
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing artificial cervical disc designs are arduous to implant, often damaging vertebral bodies and limiting multi-level placement, with two-piece designs featuring immobilized cores that restrict natural motion and increase the risk of screw-related complications.
Innovation Solution
A three-piece cervical disc design with two spiked plates and a mobile core, allowing sequential plate insertion using a novel disc plate insertion gun, which avoids vertebral body damage and enables multi-level placement without disc space distraction, simulating natural semi-constrained motion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If two-piece artificial disc designs with immobilized cores are used, then structural simplicity is achieved, but natural motion is restricted and screw-related complications increase
Solution Approach 1:
The artificial disc is divided into three separate components: upper plate, lower plate, and mobile core. This segmentation allows the core to move independently between the plates, simulating natural disc motion while maintaining structural integrity. The mobile core can translate and rotate within the plates, providing freedom of motion that immobilized core designs cannot achieve.
2Reliability
If traditional implantation techniques are used, then disc replacement is achieved, but vertebral body integrity is damaged and multi-level placement is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The plates are designed with pre-formed engagement features and the mobile core is prepared with corresponding attachment mechanisms before implantation. The sequential insertion process allows each component to be properly positioned and secured before the next is installed, ensuring vertebral body integrity is maintained throughout the procedure while enabling multi-level placement.
3Ease of manufacture
If disc space distraction is performed during implantation, then disc replacement is achieved, but procedure complexity and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The implantation system employs dynamic sequential insertion where the mobile core is inserted first, followed by the upper and lower plates which are attached in sequence. This dynamic approach allows the surgeon to work with a mobile target rather than attempting to simultaneously align and secure rigid plates, significantly reducing procedure time and complexity while maintaining ease of implantation.
Data Source
AI summary
An artificial replacement disc includes a pair of substantially parallel plates formed to occupy a space defined by vertebral endplates, each of the plates including a plurality of spikes on a first surface and a concave trough formed on a second surface opposite of the first surface. A mobile core includes a core rim with opposing convex surfaces extending from opposite sides of the core rim, the mobile core being capable of being disposed between the pair of plates to permit the vertebral endplates to move relative to one another. The spikes on each of the plates extend substantially away from the mobile core and the convex surfaces are formed to integrally fit within the concave trough of at least one of the plates. The core rim limits lateral movement of the mobile core relative to the parallel plates. One or more insertion tools for inserting and implanting the replacement disc are also described.