Spinous Process Implant Spacer Design for Nerve Pressure Relief
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional spine disease treatments involving intervertebral spacers and pedicle screw fixation systems are invasive, requiring hospitalization and long rehabilitation, and motion preservation implants like artificial discs have limited success.
Innovation Solution
A spinous process implant with a spacer and adjustable extensions that facilitate tissue ingrowth and bone fusion, allowing for flexible placement between adjacent vertebrae to maintain spinal alignment and relieve pressure on nerve tissue.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If rigid spacers and pedicle screw fixation systems are used to restore vertebral spacing, then spinal alignment is improved and nerve pressure is relieved, but surgical invasiveness increases and rehabilitation time extends
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the essential function of spinal alignment restoration from complex rigid fixation systems. By placing a spacer directly between spinous processes rather than using pedicle screws and plates, the solution achieves vertebral spacing restoration without the need for deep surgical implantation and complex hardware
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of approaching the spine from the anterior side with intervertebral spacers as in conventional surgery, this invention approaches from the posterior side by placing spacers between spinous processes. This inversion of the surgical approach simplifies the procedure and reduces invasiveness while achieving the same alignment restoration goal
2Adaptability or versatility
If motion preservation implants like artificial discs are used, then vertebral movement is maintained, but success rate is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The spinous process spacer is designed to be dynamic rather than rigid. It allows controlled movement between vertebrae while maintaining spacing, adapting to physiological motion patterns. The spacer can move with spinal flexion and extension, providing reliable results through adaptability rather than rigid fixation
3Reliability
If spinous process spacers are used to maintain minimum spacing, then nerve pressure is relieved, but extension movement is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The spacer incorporates features that allow it to adapt dynamically to spinal motion. It maintains minimum spacing to relieve nerve pressure while permitting physiological extension movements through its design that accommodates motion rather than restricting it
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides spinous process implant and associated methods. In one aspect of the invention the implant limits the maximum spacing between the spinous processes. In another aspect of the invention, a spacer has at least one transverse opening to facilitate tissue in-growth. In another aspect of the invention, an implant includes a spacer and separate extensions engageable with the spacer. The spacer is provided in a variety of lengths and superior to inferior surface spacings. In another aspect of the invention, an implant includes a spacer and a cerclage element offset from the midline of the spacer in use so that the spacer defines a fulcrum and the cerclage element is operative to impart a moment to the vertebrae about the spacer. In another aspect of the invention, instrumentation for inserting the implant is provided. In other aspects of the invention, methods for treating spine disease are provided.