Things that can replace human bones must be as hard as bones, so metal materials are common in orthopedics.
If these pieces hadn't appeared in the surgeon's box, at first glance, one would have thought they were some machine parts...
The cylindrical shape looks like a mesh when closed. This thing is called a titanium cage, which is a type of orthopedic material.
Just looking at this structure, you know that it should be a simple device, and indeed it is. It is the least complex support material in the fixed fusion artificial vertebral body. Since it does not have a height adjustment device, it cannot be adjusted during surgery.
, and its stability relies on the awls at both ends of the head and tail. The surgeon can only add titanium plates or nail rods to help fix it.
Medical materials are constantly developing. In view of the shortcoming of the titanium cage that cannot be adjusted in height, another artificial vertebral body that can be adjusted in height will definitely be invented called an adjustable fixed artificial vertebral body.
This kind of artificial vertebral body is like the one that Xie Wanying is holding in the hand of her predecessor. The structure is actually not complicated. It is a cone composed of an inner cylinder and an outer cylinder, plus an adjustment screw. The surgeon wants to adjust the height during the operation.
, pull up the inner cylinder and then fix it. If you want to adjust it lower, press down the inner cylinder and fix it. It can be adjusted, but if you add the inner cylinder to the outer cylinder and only rely on screws to fix it, you will know that the stability is not reliable. Therefore, the surgery
The doctor must also add a nail rod system to help fix it.
How to enhance the self-stability of the artificial vertebral body, medical scientists have invented the following type of artificial vertebral body called self-fixing artificial vertebral body. This artificial vertebral body does not need to add titanium plates and nail rod systems, and relies on its own front and rear ends.
Directly add screws to fix it on the adjacent vertebral body.
The above three types are all fusion artificial vertebrae. They are developed step by step and strive to overcome the previous defects. However, in the end, they will inevitably have corresponding surgical sequelae due to loss of mobility.
When it comes to surgical removal of the vertebral bodies, the cartilage tissue between the vertebral bodies, that is, the intervertebral discs must be removed at the same time. Only in this way can the artificial vertebral bodies be fixed between the front and rear vertebral bodies. The intervertebral discs
After removal, it is conceivable that the physiological function of this part of the spine will be affected. Therefore, the fusion artificial vertebral body cannot bend because it is fixed, and cannot replace the intervertebral disc. In this case, the pressure of spinal movement can only be transmitted to the adjacent parts of the spine.
Poor adjustment of the vertebral bodies may eventually lead to degeneration of the intervertebral discs in the adjacent vertebral bodies. If the patient is an elderly person who already has intervertebral disc atrophy, the situation will become more serious in the future.
Understanding this shortcoming, the movable artificial vertebral body was invented. The purpose of the movable artificial vertebral body is to benchmark the artificial vertebral body that replaces the function of the intervertebral disc. This kind of vertebral body has part of the intervertebral disc function and can normal forward flexion, dorsal bending and rotation. However,
These movable artificial vertebrae are immature and are still in the exploratory stage. The ideal is wonderful, but it is difficult to be as compliant as the original organs and tissues of the human body and to be like the Creator. The latest products upgraded in this way are definitely better than the old ones.
It is expensive. In order to save money, the fixed artificial vertebral body plus nail rod system is now more common in clinical practice. It relies on the technical efforts of doctors to make up for the shortcomings of the fixed type.
After reading these things, people in other departments were indeed reviewing their orthopedic knowledge. They were all thinking and looking at Chang Jiawei. Can they put this artificial vertebral body in the most appropriate position and adjust the most appropriate height?