Spinal Instrument Adjustable Spacer for Cage Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing instruments for implanting spinal column support elements, such as cages or vertebral body replacements, face challenges in accommodating different sizes due to suboptimal stop designs, leading to incorrect positioning or accidental insertion issues, necessitating separate instruments for each size.
Innovation Solution
An instrument with a main body featuring a tapering shaft and an adjustable, detachable spacer with flexible attachment options, including spring clips and anti-rotation mechanisms, allows for precise positioning and secure attachment of spinal support elements of varying sizes, ensuring correct placement and minimizing the risk of injury.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a fixed stop is used on the instrument, then the cage positioning is precise for a specific size, but the instrument cannot accommodate cages of varying sizes
Solution Approach 1:
The stop is made adjustable along the instrument shaft, allowing it to be positioned at different locations to accommodate various cage sizes. This dynamic adjustment capability enables the same instrument to maintain precise positioning for different implant dimensions, resolving the contradiction between fixed precision and size adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The instrument is divided into modular components including an adjustable stop mechanism and interchangeable spacers. This segmentation allows the stop to be independently positioned or replaced based on the specific cage size being implanted, enabling precise positioning across multiple size variations without requiring separate instruments.
2Reliability
If the stop is positioned too close to the distal end, then insertion depth is controlled, but the stop may contact the spine before the cage is properly positioned
Solution Approach 1:
The adjustable stop allows the surgeon to pre-position the stop at the optimal location before cage insertion based on the specific surgical requirements and patient anatomy. This preliminary positioning ensures that the stop will contact the vertebra at the correct moment during insertion, providing both depth control and positioning accuracy without premature contact.
3Reliability
If multiple separate instruments are used for different cage sizes, then each instrument is optimized for its specific size, but the overall device complexity and number of instruments increases
Solution Approach 1:
The instrument is designed as a universal platform with adjustable components that can accommodate multiple cage sizes. The main instrument body remains constant while the stop and spacers can be adjusted or replaced to match different implant dimensions, allowing a single instrument to perform the function of multiple size-specific instruments, thereby reducing overall complexity.
Data Source
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AI summary
An instrument for implanting a spinal support element comprising a main body with a handle section for holding and guiding the instrument and with a storage device (22) at the distal end of the main body (20) for storing the spinal support element, wherein the main body (20) has a first fastening means (26), a spacer (30) with at least one stop (32) and a second fastening means (36) complementary to the first fastening means (26), wherein the fastening means (26, 36) are detachable from each other and fix the spacer (30) at least in the proximal axial direction.