Multi-Wall Vertebral Placeholder for Load Sharing and Tissue In-Growth
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing implants for vertebrae or vertebral discs face challenges in manufacturing complexity, limited versatility, inadequate load distribution, and poor tissue integration, making them difficult to manufacture and adjust for individual applications.
Innovation Solution
A multi-wall placeholder system comprising tubular bodies with different cross-sectional shapes, allowing for load absorption and tissue integration, featuring a modular design with detachable connecting elements for adjustable length and alignment, and a large contact surface for improved fit and stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If integral latticework structures are used for replacement implants, then tissue in-growth is facilitated, but manufacturing complexity increases and individual adjustment becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The implant is divided into multiple separate tubular bodies (first tubular body, second tubular body, third tubular body) that can be manufactured independently using simple geometric shapes, then assembled together to form the complete placeholder structure
Solution Approach 2:
The second tubular body is arranged inside the first tubular body, and the third tubular body is arranged inside the second tubular body, creating a nested configuration that simplifies each individual component while maintaining the overall structural integrity and tissue in-growth capabilities
2Adaptability or versatility
If adjustable length mechanisms are added to placeholders, then versatility improves, but device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The tubular bodies are designed with detachable connecting elements that allow the placeholder length to be adjusted during surgery by adding or removing tubular bodies, providing dynamic adaptability without complex adjustment mechanisms
Solution Approach 2:
The same simple tubular body design can be used in different combinations and configurations to achieve various lengths and applications, making the system universally applicable across different patient needs and surgical scenarios
3Strength
If sleeve bodies are arranged closely together for load distribution, then mechanical stability improves, but tissue in-growth is hindered
Solution Approach 1:
The tubular bodies are arranged with specific spacing relationships - the second tubular body is inside the first, and the third is inside the second - creating local regions of load-bearing structure while maintaining gaps that allow tissue in-growth throughout the placeholder
Data Source
AI summary
A placeholder for vertebrae or vertebral discs includes a tubular body, which along its jacket surface has a plurality of breakthroughs or openings for over-growth with adjacent tissue. The placeholder includes at least a second tubular body provided with a plurality of breakthroughs and openings at least partially inside the first tubular body. The first and second tubular bodies can have different cross-sectional shapes, can be are arranged inside one another by press fit or force fit or can be connected to each other via connecting pins and arranged side by side to one another in the first body.