Spinal Prosthesis with Elongate Aperture for Dynamic Motion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Spinal fusion procedures can lead to degenerative issues in adjacent non-fused vertebral components due to limited movement and pinching of the spinal cord and nerves, which existing spinal prostheses fail to adequately address.
Innovation Solution
A novel spinal prosthesis design featuring elongate apertures and interface portions with curved contours and different hardness levels, allowing for rotational and translational movement between spinal attachment members, enabling a range of motion similar to natural vertebrae while preventing pinching, and utilizing pedicle screws for attachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If spinal fusion is performed to alleviate back and leg pain, then pain relief is achieved, but degenerative phenomena migrate to adjacent non-fused vertebral components
Solution Approach 1:
The spinal prosthesis incorporates an interface portion that enables dynamic relative movement between the first and second spinal attachment members. The elongate aperture with curved contours allows the interface portion to translate and rotate, providing controlled motion that preserves spinal flexibility while maintaining stability, thereby preventing the transfer of degenerative stress to adjacent vertebrae
2Stability of the object's composition
If traditional spinal fusion methods are used, then vertebral stability is improved, but movement between vertebrae is restricted causing adjacent segment degeneration
Solution Approach 1:
The prosthesis transforms the static fusion connection into a dynamic joint system. The interface portion moves relative to the connector element within the elongate aperture, allowing the spine to maintain both stability and physiological range of motion, preventing adjacent segment degeneration
Solution Approach 2:
The curved contours of the elongate aperture and interface portion create variable geometric constraints that change with position. As the interface portion moves through the aperture, the contact points and constraint parameters change, enabling multi-degree-of-freedom movement while maintaining vertebral alignment and stability
3Ease of operation
If spinal prosthesis allows relative movement between vertebrae, then natural range of motion is preserved, but pinching of spinal cord and nerves may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The elongate aperture and interface portion both feature curved contours that guide and constrain movement along a predetermined safe path. The curved geometry ensures that relative motion between vertebrae occurs in a controlled manner that maintains adequate spacing, preventing pinching of the spinal cord and nerves while preserving natural range of motion
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 2
AI summary
A spinal prosthesis including a first spinal attachment member (12) attachable to a first posterior portion of a spinal structure, a second spinal attachment member (16) attachable to a second posterior portion of the spinal structure, the first and second posterior portions being adjacent superiorly-inf eriorly to one another, and a connector element (20) attached to the first spinal attachment member, wherein the second spinal attachment member includes an interface portion (24) that passes through an elongate aperture (26) formed in the connector element so as to permit rotational and translational movement of the second spinal attachment member with respect to the connector element.