KR20120035682A

KR20120035682A - A intervertebral cage having flexibility

Info

Publication number: KR20120035682A
Application number: KR1020100097357A
Authority: KR
Inventors: 박경우
Original assignee: 박경우
Priority date: 2010-10-06
Filing date: 2010-10-06
Publication date: 2012-04-16

Abstract

PURPOSE: An intervertebral cage having flexibility is provided to maintain spinal sagittal balance of backbone and to relieve the oppression of backbone nerve. CONSTITUTION: An intervertebral cage having flexibility comprises an upper plate(2), a lower plate, a connection part(6), a disc cap(8), and an extension spring(10). In the upper plate, a first storing groove is formed. In the lower plate, a second storing groove is formed in a location corresponding to the first storing groove of the upper plate. The connection part comprises a hook piece and a hook groove. The disc cap made of a metal material is inserted into the first and second receiving grooves of the upper plate and lower plate.

Description

A intervertebral cage having flexibility

The present invention relates to an artificial disc used in the treatment of the disc, and more particularly, to absorb the impact applied to the spine after the procedure, to control the intervertebral motion to maintain the spinal sagittal balance (spinal sagittal balance) It relates to an intervertebral cage having the flexibility to maintain sufficient spacing between the spinal nerves to relieve pressure.

In general, the role of the normal disk is to protect the spinal nerve by absorbing the impact on the spine and limit the movement between the vertebral bodies.

One of the most common diseases in the environment, the disc is a lumbar herniated herniation that causes the disk to protrude from the waist and the aging of the intervertebral disks between the vertebrae and the surrounding nerve tissue. Degenerative discs;

In spinal disorders, disc degenerative changes (aging) become more severe, and the disc's inherent function is gradually lost and it is easily exposed to shock, causing pain. In addition, it acts as a destabilizing factor in the intervertebral body, compressing the spinal nerve, thereby causing the pain to worsen.

Lumbar herniation during spinal disease can be treated with conventional disc surgery, but degenerative discs have been difficult to treat. This is because most patients with degenerative discs are elderly and have many adult diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. However, with the release of clinical cases of recently developed vertebral fusion, a new chapter has opened up for the treatment of degenerative discs that have been difficult to cure.

Vertebral fusion surgery for the treatment of spinal diseases was developed in 1992 in the United States and is a state-of-the-art technology that was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1996.

The vertebral fusion technique is a technique for relieving back pain by inserting a metallic cage made of a material harmless to the human body, such as titanium, between the vertebral bodies in which a spinal disease occurs. In other words, by removing the intervertebral disc that does not function between vertebrae due to aging and implanting a cylindrical artificial disk T.F.C. (Thread Fusion Cage) without a body rejection reaction in place.

This vertebral fusion technique has been used for the purpose of bone fusion between the vertebral bodies by removing the degenerated discs, inserting cages between the vertebral bodies to secure space, and implanting bones around the vertebral bodies. As a result, the intervertebral movements are stopped and normal disc function is completely lost, causing another problem after fusion. That is, it plays a role of promoting degenerative change of the junction area.

On the other hand, since the individual spine condition is different according to the age, a person must use a cage for artificial disks for disc treatment. However, the conventional artificial disc cage is not a structure that is variable for various spine conditions of the patient, and since it has been performed only uniformly by selecting an appropriate size, it contains a fundamental limitation that cannot be precisely performed. Doing.

In addition, the conventional artificial disc cage is difficult to perform a smooth operation because it requires a large number of complex operating equipment for implantation surgery, and because it involves the movement of large and complex surgical equipment, there is a fear that adverse effects on the spinal nerve tissue during the surgical procedure There are many, difficult problems that require complicated surgery for a long time.

In Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 10-2004-0064577 for solving this problem, as shown in FIG. 1, the boss unit 103 supporting the cylindrical frame and the boss unit 103 are independent and extend radially. The housing 102 is formed of a plate 104, the male plate is installed in the slit 106 formed in the independent plate 104, and the independent plate 104 is extended radially by the operation of rotating the male screw. A variable artificial disk is proposed. This structure allows for proper treatment according to the patient's condition by allowing the implant to be implanted at a desired interval if the height difference between the front and rear ends of the artificial disk to be implanted is maintained to maintain proper flexion of the patient's spine.

However, the structure is possible to control the height interval between the vertebral body, but because it is used for fusion purposes, there is a problem that the intervertebral motion is stopped to cope with the degenerative change of the junction.

In addition, in US Pat. No. 6,964,686, as shown in FIG. 2, a slit 206 having a spring shape and function is formed on the circumferential surface of the housing 202 in which the axial cavity 204 is formed. The spine of the structure in which the lower disk support 208 of convex shape and the upper disk support 210 in which the groove for accommodating the convex shape of the lower disk 208 are inserted in the axial cavity 204 of the housing 202 are inserted. Disc replacement prosthetics have been proposed. This structure is a structure that is cushioned by the slit of the housing around the lower support as the vertebral body presses the upper support.

The structure exhibits a cushioning function by the slit of the housing, but it cannot secure sufficient disk spacing and is buffered only in the up and down direction, so that it is impossible to control the vertebral bodies to move in the free direction, thereby maintaining the spinal sagittal balance. There is a limit to the function of.

Accordingly, the present invention has been proposed to solve the above problems, and the object of the present invention is to provide an intervertebral interbody cage with the flexibility to replace the normal disk role in the purpose of using the cage for simple fusion. have.

In addition, the present invention by absorbing the impact on the spine by inserting a spring in the cage to have elasticity, by reducing the disk spacing (keeping the gap between the normal disk spacing) to ensure sufficient interbody spacing Another object is to provide an intervertebral cage with the flexibility to relieve spinal nerve compression.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an intervertebral cage having the flexibility to maintain the sagittal balance by allowing the spring in the housing to move organically to control the free movement between the vertebral bodies.

In addition, the present invention is a vertebral body having the flexibility to restore the function of the normal disk to some extent physiologically suitable than in the fixation is stopped by conventional complete fusion, disruption of sagittal balance and impaired disc inherent function Another purpose is to provide a liver cage.

In order to achieve the above object, a first embodiment of the present invention includes a top plate having a first receiving groove formed on a bottom thereof; A lower plate having a second receiving groove formed at a position corresponding to the first receiving groove of the upper plate; Connecting means for connecting the upper and lower plates; And a cushioning means having upper and lower ends positioned in the first accommodating groove of the upper plate and the second accommodating groove of the lower plate, wherein the upper and lower plates are inserted between the vertebral bodies and cushioned to provide an intervertebral cage with flexibility. .

A plurality of protrusions are formed on the upper surface of the upper plate and the bottom surface of the lower plate to be intimately fused to the vertebral body.

The buffer means is made of a tension spring. The tension spring is characterized in that the Nitinol (Nitinol) metal as a shape memory alloy.

And a disk cap fitted to each of the first and second receiving grooves to prevent the tension spring from being separated from the first receiving groove of the upper plate and the second receiving groove of the lower plate.

The connecting means is composed of a male member such as a hook piece protruding from the bottom surface of the upper plate, and a female member such as a hook groove formed on the upper surface of the lower plate corresponding to the male member to fit the male member.

A second embodiment of the present invention is a support shaft that serves as a pillar; First and second elastic plates extending transversely at both ends of the support shaft to impart elasticity around the support shaft and having first and second receiving grooves formed in corresponding directions, respectively; And tension springs positioned in the first and second accommodating grooves of the first and second elastic plates, respectively, for cushioning motion, wherein the first and second elastic plates are inserted between the vertebral bodies and cushioned.

In the second embodiment, the support shaft, the first and the second elastic plate is characterized in that the substantially "c" shaped cross section. The remaining additional configurations are the same as in the first embodiment.

As described above, according to the features of the present invention, the following effects are obtained.

First, by inserting the tension spring of the shape memory alloy between the upper plate and the lower plate to give elasticity, it absorbs the impact on the spine, and by using the material properties of the tension spring, the disk gap is sufficient at the clearance corresponding to the normal disk spacing. In this way, spinal nerve compression can be eliminated.

Second, it is possible to maintain the sagittal balance by limiting the movement between the vertebral bodies by the organic movement of the upper and lower plates and the tension spring.

Third, the tension spring is made of a nitinol metal as the shape memory alloy to facilitate the insertion of the cage between the vertebral bodies, so the procedure is very simple.

Fourth, the purpose of use of the intervertebral cage was converted to a functional cage suitable for living body in simple fusion, and better clinical results were obtained.

Thus, the intervertebral cage of the present invention, which has been given elasticity, can replace the normal disk role through the above-described effects.

1 and 2 is a configuration diagram of an artificial disk according to the prior art,
3 is a half sectional projection view showing the configuration of the first embodiment of the intervertebral cage having flexibility according to the present invention;
4 is a front sectional view of FIG. 3;
Figure 5 is a front sectional view showing the configuration of the second embodiment of the intervertebral cage having flexibility according to the present invention.
Figure 6 is a front sectional view showing the configuration of the third embodiment of the intervertebral cage having flexibility according to the present invention.

The above-mentioned objects, features and advantages will become more apparent from the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The intervertebral cage having flexibility according to the present invention absorbs the impact applied to the spine, and secures the disk space enough to control the intervertebral movement so as to replace the role of the normal disk.

3 and 4 are half sectional projection and front sectional views showing the configuration of the first embodiment of the intervertebral cage having flexibility according to the present invention.

A first embodiment of the invention is a cage structure suitable for application to the lumbar vertebrae.

As shown in the figure, the cage and the top plate (2) formed with a first receiving groove (2a) at intervals at the bottom; A lower plate 4 having a second receiving groove 4a formed at a position corresponding to the first receiving groove 2a of the upper plate 2; A connecting portion 6 including a hook piece 6a protruding from the center of the bottom of the upper plate 2 and a hook groove 6b formed at an upper surface position of the lower plate 4 corresponding to the hook piece 6a; A disc cap 8 fitted into each of the first and second receiving grooves 2a and 4a of the upper plate 2 and the lower plate 4; And a tension spring 10 fitted to an outer surface of the disc cap 8 to absorb a shock applied to the vertebrae, and to maintain a distance between the upper plate 2 and the lower plate 4 by the distance of the normal disk.

It is preferable for the upper plate 2 and the lower plate 4 to have a shape such as a square or a circle for insertion between the vertebral bodies. In the first embodiment of the present invention, the rectangular box has a length of 24 mm, a height of 12 mm, and a width of 10 mm.

The upper plate 2 and the lower plate 4 are connected to each other through a connecting portion and inserted into a site where degenerative spondylosis occurs or a region where vertebral body instability is generated to fuse the intervertebral bodies, and between the upper plate 2 and the lower plate 4. By cushioning the tension spring (10) located in the limit the movement between the vertebral body.

The upper plate 2, the lower plate 4 and the disc cap 8 are made of a metallic material such as an alloy harmless to the human body, for example, a titanium (Ti) alloy.

The tension spring 10 may be made of Nitinol (an alloy of nickel (Ni) -titanium) metal as a shape memory alloy whose crystal structure changes with temperature.

The tension spring 10 is restored to its original position at about 28 ℃ lower than the body temperature of the body after the elastic interval is narrowed at a low temperature of about 4 ℃. The clearance range by the operation of the tension spring 10 is about 1 ~ 2mm.

Due to the material properties of the tension spring 8, when the cage is inserted between the vertebral bodies during the procedure, the tension spring is immersed in cold (about 4 ℃) to narrow the pitch interval. Then, the height of the entire cage is lowered to facilitate insertion between the cages, and after the procedure, the tension spring 8 is restored by the body temperature to maintain the distance between the vertebral bodies by the normal disc distance. In addition, the spring, the upper plate and the lower plate absorbs the impact applied to the spine during the free movement of the vertebral body, and maintains the spinal sagittal balance by limiting the movement of the vertebral body.

A plurality of jagged protrusions 12 may be arranged on the upper surface of the upper plate 2 and the lower surface of the lower plate 4 to be intimately fused to the vertebral body. The protrusion may be formed in the shape of the upper plate 2 and the lower plate 4 by knurling process.

The hook piece 6a and the hook groove 6b constituting the connecting portion 6 are formed with a gap as much as the clearance that the tension spring can normally cushion when engaged. The clearance between the hook piece 6a and the hook groove 6b is suitably about 1 to 2 mm.

The connection part 6 may include any structure that can be coupled through a male and female structure in addition to the structure of the hook piece 6a and the hook groove 6b. For example, it may be formed of an aspherical surface (or ball) and an aspherical trough (or socket) that can accommodate the aspherical surface. In addition, the said male and female structures may be formed in any part of the upper board 2 and the lower board 4. As shown in FIG. That is, even if the hook groove 6b is formed in the upper plate 2 and the hook piece 6a is formed in the lower plate 4, there is no influence on connecting the upper plate 2 and the lower plate 4.

The cage of the first embodiment according to the present invention configured as described above may be inserted into and interfused between the vertebral bodies of the site where the disc disease occurs, and at the same time, the normal disc may be replaced by performing a function suitable for living bodies.

Figure 5 is a front sectional view showing the configuration of the second embodiment of the intervertebral cage having flexibility according to the present invention. The second embodiment of the present invention shows a modified structure of the first embodiment.

As shown in the figure, the second embodiment of the present invention includes: a support shaft 32 serving as a pillar; The first and second receiving grooves (34a, 36a) are respectively formed in the direction extending to both ends of the support shaft 32 in the transverse direction is given elasticity around the support shaft 32, respectively First and second elastic plates 34 and 36; A disk cap 38 fitted into the first and second receiving grooves 34a and 36a of the first and second elastic plates 34 and 36 and a tension spring fitted to the disk cap 38 to cushion the function. And 40.

In the second embodiment structure, the support shaft 32, the first and second elastic plates 34, 36 are integrated and have a substantially "C" cross-sectional shape.

In addition, the surface of the first and second elastic plates 34, 36 are arranged with a plurality of jagged protrusions 42 by kneading so as to be intimately fused to the vertebral body.

Figure 6 is a front sectional view showing the configuration of the third embodiment of the intervertebral cage having flexibility according to the present invention. A third embodiment of the present invention is a cage structure suitable for application to the cervical vertebrae. The structure of the third embodiment has no disc cap for holding the tension spring, and only one tension spring is provided. In addition, the third embodiment is smaller in size than the structure of the first embodiment to facilitate insertion into the cervical spine, and the rest of the structure is the same as the first embodiment.

Referring to the structure of the cervical spine cage in more detail, as shown in Figure 6 and the top plate 52 is formed with a first receiving groove (52a) in the bottom; A lower plate 54 having a second receiving groove 54a formed at a position corresponding to the first receiving groove 52a of the upper plate 52; The hook piece 56a which protrudes from the center of the 1st accommodating groove 52a of the said upper plate 2, and the hook groove formed in the center of the 2nd accommodating groove 54a of the lower board 54 corresponding to the said hook piece 56a. A connection portion 56 formed of 56b; And a tension spring 58 inserted into the first and second receiving grooves 52a and 54a to absorb the impact applied to the spine, and to maintain the distance between the upper plate 52 and the lower plate 54 by the distance of the normal disk. ; And protrusions 60 formed on surfaces of the upper plate 52 and the lower plate 54.

The cervical spine cage configured as described above operates in the same way as the lumbar spine cage shown in FIG. 3, and thus a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The present invention described above is not limited to the above-described embodiment and the accompanying drawings, and various substitutions, modifications, and changes are possible within the scope without departing from the technical spirit of the present invention. It will be apparent to those who have knowledge.

2: top plate 4: bottom plate
6: connector 8: disc cap
10: tension spring 12: protrusion

Claims

A top plate having a first accommodation groove formed on a bottom thereof;
A lower plate having a second receiving groove formed at a position corresponding to the first receiving groove of the upper plate;
Connecting means for connecting the upper and lower plates; And
It includes a buffer means that the upper and lower ends are located in the first receiving groove of the upper plate and the second receiving groove of the lower plate,
The upper and lower plates are intervertebral cage with flexibility, characterized in that the buffer is inserted between the intervertebral body.

The method of claim 1,
The intervertebral interbody cage of the upper plate of the upper plate and the bottom surface of the lower plate further comprises a plurality of serrated projections for intimate fusion to the vertebral body.

The method of claim 2,
The protrusion is intervertebral cage with flexibility, characterized in that formed by knurling processing.

The method of claim 1,
The intervertebral cage having flexibility, characterized in that the buffer means is made of Nitinol (Nitinol) metal as a shape memory alloy.

The method of claim 4, wherein
Interbody cage having flexibility, characterized in that the buffer means is a tension spring.

The method of claim 5, wherein
And a disk cap fitted to each of the first and second receiving grooves to prevent the tension spring from being separated from the first receiving groove of the upper plate and the second receiving groove of the lower plate.

The method of claim 1,
The connecting means is intervertebral cage having flexibility, characterized in that the male member protruding from the bottom surface of the upper plate and the female member is formed on the upper surface of the lower plate corresponding to the male member to fit the male member.

The method of claim 7, wherein
The intervertebral interbody cage with flexibility, wherein the male member is a hook piece, and the female member is a hook groove.

The method of claim 1,
The upper plate and the lower plate is intervertebral cage having flexibility, characterized in that one of the rectangular or circular cross-section.

A support shaft serving as a pillar;
First and second elastic plates extending transversely at both ends of the support shaft to impart elasticity around the support shaft and having first and second receiving grooves formed in corresponding directions, respectively; And
It includes a tension spring which is positioned in the first and second receiving groove of each of the first and second elastic plates for a buffer movement,
The intervertebral interbody cage having flexibility, characterized in that the first and second elastic plates are inserted between the vertebral body and buffered.

The method of claim 10,
The support shaft, the first and second elastic plate is a intervertebral interbody cage, characterized in that the substantially made of a cross-section.

The method of claim 11,
The intervertebral interbody cage of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of serrated protrusions formed on corresponding surfaces of each of the first and second resilient plates to be intimately fused to the vertebral body.

The method of claim 12,
The interbody intervertebral cage further comprising a disc cap fitted to each of the first and second receiving grooves to prevent the tension spring from being separated from the first and second receiving grooves of the first and second elastic plates. .

The method of claim 10,
The intervertebral cage having flexibility, characterized in that the tension spring is made of a Nitinol metal as a shape memory alloy.