The fusion of the upper cervical spine and the occiput is a procedure frequently used by neurosurgeons in cases where a patient shows instability in this area. There are plenty of causes to this instability, such as rheumatoid arthritis or trauma, and they represent a serious threat because the spinal cord is at risk. The fixation of plates and rods directly to the vertebrae, inherent to the procedure, solidifies the upper cervical spine and the occiput to the point where all movements of this structure are compromised. Numerous methods and tools were developed in recent years, but none allows a great range of movement, at least not in this specific area.
The research question of this master’s thesis is to know how a novel spinal fusion device, meant for the upper cervical spine and the occiput, could allow axial rotation of the head while stabilizing the area. In order to answer this question, two hypotheses are proposed:
1. A novel spinal fusion device, meant for the upper cervical spine and the occiput, placed at the atlanto-axial joint could allow the head an axial rotation of 25 degrees on each side;
2. Such a device could withstand natural loading while providing stability of the upper cervical spine and the occiput.
To test the first hypothesis, a proof of concept was made using quality function deployment. To test the second hypothesis, a finite element analysis was made to study the behavior of the concept under natural loading.
In doing so, two innovative devices were obtained and designed using a CAD program. The results show that both can offer a range of movement up to 23 degrees in average on each side. The device #2 shows great promise at supporting moment loads up to 1.5 Nm in different directions.
| Date | 19 Nov 2015 |
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| Original language | French |
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| Awarding Institution | - École de technologie supérieure
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| Supervisor | Yvan Petit (Supervisor) & Pierre Jean Arnoux (Co-supervisor) |
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Anowski, M. (Author),
Petit (Supervisor) & Arnoux (Co-supervisor),
19 Nov 2015Student thesis: Master's thesis › Master in Engineering: Engineering