Spine Derotation System with Stabilizer Clamps
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Solution Overview
Problem
Surgeons face difficulties in aligning rods within rod-receiving channels in spinal fixation systems due to misalignment of bone fixation elements caused by spinal curvature and vertebral size and shape variations.
Innovation Solution
A spine derotation system featuring stabilizer components with adjustable and pivotally coupled fixture members, handles, and locking mechanisms to facilitate alignment and derotation of vertebrae, including ball-and-socket joints and clamps to secure bone fixation elements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If traditional rod alignment methods are used, then the procedure is simple, but alignment precision deteriorates due to spinal curvature and vertebral size variations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an alignment tool as an intermediary device between the surgeon and the rod-bone fixation elements. This tool includes a body with indicia and extends beyond the rod-receiving channels to provide external alignment references, mediating the alignment process and enabling precise rod placement despite spinal curvature and vertebral size variations
Solution Approach 2:
The alignment tool is configured to be positioned and stabilized before rod insertion. The tool extends beyond the rod-receiving channels to allow preliminary alignment adjustments and verification before the actual rod placement, ensuring precise alignment is achieved beforehand
2Stability of the object's composition
If bone fixation elements are used to stabilize vertebrae, then spinal stability is improved, but difficulty in aligning rods within rod-receiving channels increases due to curvature and size variations
Solution Approach 1:
The alignment tool serves as a mediator that bridges the gap between the fixed bone fixation elements and the rods to be inserted. It provides external alignment references that extend beyond the rod-receiving channels, making it easier to align rods despite the constraints imposed by spinal curvature and vertebral size variations
Solution Approach 2:
The alignment tool adds an external dimensional reference by extending beyond the rod-receiving channels. This provides alignment indicators in a different spatial dimension that helps surgeons align rods accurately despite the three-dimensional complexity of spinal anatomy
Data Source
AI summary
A spine derotation system includes bone fixation elements, fixture members, clamps and stabilizers. The clamps can collectively lock together multiple proximal ends of bone fixation elements extending from one lateral side of the spine. The stabilizers may include clamp stabilizers that are configured to couple together two or more clamps to each other so as to facilitate derotation and alignment of multiple vertebrae of a patient's spine. The stabilizers may also include fixture stabilizers that are configured to couple together two fixture members on the same vertebra to facilitate derotation.