Anatomical Vertebral Plate for Pars Fracture Fixation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional treatments for spondylolysis and spondylolisthesis, such as fusing vertebral segments or using plates for stabilization, often lead to loss of motion, accelerated arthritis, and high failure rates due to inadequate fixation of vertebral fragments.
Innovation Solution
A plate designed to attach to the pars area of a vertebra, conforming to its anatomical geometry, with a pedicle and lamina section for rigid fixation and access to the fracture site, facilitating bone grafting and healing while providing support to the affected vertebra.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional fusion procedures are used to treat pars fractures, then vertebral segments are stabilized, but motion is lost and arthritis accelerates
Solution Approach 1:
The plate is divided into distinct sections: a pedicle section for attachment to the pedicle and a lamina section for attachment to the lamina. This segmentation allows the device to stabilize the fractured pars interarticularis while preserving motion in other spinal segments, avoiding the global fusion effect of conventional procedures
Solution Approach 2:
The plate provides localized stabilization only at the fracture site through anatomical conformity to the pedicle and lamina surfaces. This local quality approach stabilizes the specific damaged area without requiring fusion of entire vertebral segments, thereby preserving natural spinal motion elsewhere
2Reliability
If conventional repair procedures using wires or screws are used, then fixation is attempted, but failure rates are high due to inadequate fixation
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the fixation function from traditional wires or screws and integrates it into a single plate structure that combines both attachment points. This extraction allows for optimized fixation geometry and distribution of mechanical loads across the fracture site, significantly improving fixation strength and reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The plate utilizes composite construction with a pedicle section and lamina section that can be made from different materials or material configurations optimized for each attachment site. This composite approach allows tailoring the mechanical properties to match the specific requirements of each bone surface, enhancing overall fixation strength
3Reliability
If anatomical geometry is conformed to for plate attachment, then fixation stability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The plate design serves multiple functions within a single device: it provides attachment to both the pedicle and lamina, maintains fracture reduction, and facilitates bone grafting. This multi-functionality reduces the need for multiple separate components, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity while achieving stable anatomical fixation
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for securing a vertebra during healing of a fracture within a pars area of the vertebra is described. In certain embodiments, the apparatus is a plate that has an outer shape similar to a shape of a pedicle and/or lamina of the vertebra, and an inner section that facilitates access to the pars area when the plate is secured to the vertebra.