Interspinous Vertebral Distractor with Oblique Stabilizers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Interspinous distractors face stabilization challenges, particularly in the frontal plane, which can lead to displacement or ejection and tissue damage due to the use of lateral fins that abut on bone and joint tissues, especially in degenerative pathologies.
Innovation Solution
The distractor features obliquely tilted lateral stabilizers that move away from anatomical articular processes, allowing for movement and avoiding conflicts with bone structures, and a mechanism involving a rod and cam profile to spread and secure the stabilizers, preventing interference with articular facets and facilitating percutaneous insertion and extraction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If lateral fins are used to stabilize the distractor in the frontal plane, then stabilization is improved, but tissue damage risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The stabilizers are designed with a specific oblique tilt angle (15-45 degrees) that creates a local geometric quality difference from traditional vertical fins. This angled configuration allows the stabilizers to engage the spinous processes at a location and orientation that avoids direct contact with articular processes, thereby providing stabilization while reducing tissue damage risk
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces a new spatial dimension by tilting the stabilizers obliquely relative to the frontal plane. Instead of purely vertical fins, the stabilizers extend at an angle that projects into a different spatial plane, allowing them to achieve stabilization through a different geometric configuration that avoids conflict with articular bone structures
2Stability of the object's composition
If stabilizers are positioned to abut on spinous processes for stabilization, then positioning stability is improved, but conflict with articular processes occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The stabilizers are designed with asymmetric orientation relative to the distractor body, with an oblique tilt that creates an asymmetric engagement pattern with the spinous processes. This asymmetric configuration naturally positions the stabilizer contact points away from the symmetrically arranged articular processes, avoiding conflict while maintaining stabilization
3Stability of the object's composition
If vertical lateral fins are used for stabilization, then stabilization function is achieved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The stabilizers are integrated as an inherent component of the distractor body structure rather than being separate attached elements. The oblique tilt is built into the geometry of the stabilizers themselves, merging the stabilization function with the basic structural design, which reduces overall device complexity compared to adding separate stabilization mechanisms
Data Source
Figure 1~1A
Figure 2~3
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
An intervertebral distractor (1) of interspinous type, comprising: - a distraction main body (2), apt be inserted between two adjacent spinous processes to provide a corresponding support; and - a first (31, 32) and a second (33, 34) pair of lateral stabilizers, rotatably connected to the main body (2), which pairs are arranged respectively in correspondence of or near to a first and a second end of the latter, the stabilizers of each pair being able to assume a spread apart configuration projecting with respect to the main body (2) so as to be able to engage from a respective side the spinous apophyses, holding in position the main body (2) itself, wherein, in said projecting configuration, each stabilizer has a tilt (a) with respect to the frontal plane that is equal to about 30 degrees (Figure 4A).