Expandable Spinal Implant Endplates for Stable Angle and Height Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing expandable interbody devices have limited expansion ranges, inadequate load-bearing surfaces, and instability during expansion, leading to subsidence and undesired shifts in positioning, posing challenges in treating spinal disorders.
Innovation Solution
An expandable spinal implant system with highly adjustable endplates that can increase or decrease spacing and angle of inclination, featuring a moving mechanism to control expansion and contraction, and anchoring screws for stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If expandable interbody devices are used to provide additional spacing capability, then the device can be introduced in a collapsed state and expanded to produce additional spacing, but the devices have limited ranges of expansion
Solution Approach 1:
The interbody device is divided into multiple expandable segments or chambers that can be independently expanded. The device includes a body with multiple expansion chambers that can be selectively expanded to different degrees, allowing for a wide range of expansion adjustments to match various intervertebral space requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The device incorporates dynamic expansion mechanisms that allow the interbody device to transition from a collapsed state to various expanded states. The expansion chambers can be inflated or extended to different volumes, providing continuous adjustability rather than fixed expansion points, thereby achieving versatile expansion ranges.
2Reliability
If existing interbody devices are used, then they provide static spacing, but they have inadequately-sized load-bearing surfaces leading to subsidence
Solution Approach 1:
The device utilizes expandable chambers that can be inflated to different volumes and pressures to dynamically adjust the load-bearing surface area. As the chambers expand, the contact surface with the vertebral bodies increases, distributing loads more effectively and preventing subsidence while maintaining high load-bearing capacity.
3Length of moving object
If expandable devices are used to increase spacing, then additional spacing is produced, but the load-bearing surfaces move relative to one another causing instability
Solution Approach 1:
The device incorporates anchoring features such as hooks, bars, or engagement elements that interface with the vertebral bodies or existing spinal instrumentation. These intermediary structures provide stable attachment points that prevent the load-bearing surfaces from shifting relative to each other or to the vertebrae during expansion and loading.
4Ease of operation
If expandable interbody devices are used, then they can be introduced in a collapsed state, but they require significant loads during expansion that may cause subsidence
Solution Approach 1:
The device is pre-configured in a collapsed or compressed state that facilitates easy insertion through minimally invasive approaches. After insertion, the expansion is performed in a controlled manner using gradual inflation or extension mechanisms, distributing the expansion load over time rather than applying it suddenly, thereby reducing peak forces that could cause subsidence.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present disclosure provides for spinal implants deployable between a contracted position and an expanded position. The spinal implant may include an anterior endplate, a superior endplate, and an inferior endplate operably coupled to a moving mechanism. The first endplate and a second endplate each include at least one bone screw relief. The moving mechanism may include first and second trolleys configured to act against corresponding ramps. The moving mechanism may further include a first set screw and a second set screw opposite the first set screw configured to operably adjust a spacing between the first and second endplates upon simultaneous rotation of the first and second set screws along a rotation axis, and may also operably adjust an angle of inclination between the first and second endplates upon rotating either one of the first set screw and second set screw along the rotation axis.