GROWING SPINE MODEL

摘要

A spine surgery modeling system simulates the spine with various vertebral body or disc conditions and allows a user to make adjustments and examine the three dimensional outcome of such adjustments. The spine surgery modeling system includes a spine model and a drive mechanism. The spine model has vertebral bodies and a disc space defined between adjacent vertebral bodies. The drive mechanism includes a worm gear, a worm, a rigid shaft, and a button. The worm engages the worm gear such that rotation of the worm causes rotation of the worm gear. The rigid shaft extends through a through hole defined in the worm and is configured to rotate the worm. The button is operatively engaged with the worm gear such that rotation of the worm gear causes movement of the button between collapsed and expanded states to change a height of the disc space.

主权项

1. A spine surgery modeling system comprising:
a spine model including vertebral bodies and a disc space defined between adjacent vertebral bodies; and a drive mechanism attached to one of the vertebral bodies of the spine model, the drive mechanism including:
a first worm gear having teeth on an external surface thereof;a first worm having threads on an external surface thereof that engage the teeth of the first worm gear such that rotation of the first worm causes rotation of the first worm gear, the first worm defining a through hole;a first rigid shaft extending through the through hole of the first worm and configured to rotate the first worm; anda button operatively engaged with the first worm gear such that rotation of the first worm gear causes movement of the button between collapsed and expanded states to change a height of the disc space.