Stand alone intervertebral fusion device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10335289-B2
Application number	US-201514712135-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 14, 2015
Priority date	Sep 23, 2010
Publication date	Jul 2, 2019
Grant date	Jul 2, 2019

Abstract

An angled fixation device, such as an angled screw. This angled fixation device may be used by the surgeon to secure a spacer to a spinal disc space. The proximal end portion of the angled fixation device is driven perpendicular to the anterior wall of the spacer, and so is parallel to the vertebral endplates and in-line with the inserter. The distal end portion of the angled fixation device is oriented at about a 45 degree angle (plus or minus 30 degrees) to the vertebral endplate it enters.

First claim

We claim:

1. An intervertebral fusion device comprising:
i) an intervertebral cage including;
a) upper and lower surfaces that are spaced from each other along a first direction and are configured to engage respective vertebral bodies;
b) a proximal wall that defines a proximal surface;
c) a distal wall opposite the proximal wall, and
d) first and second side walls connected between the proximal and distal walls, wherein the proximal surface defines a center that is equidistantly spaced from the first and second side walls; and

ii) a plate that defines a through-hole extending therethrough, wherein the plate is slidable along the proximal surface of the intervertebral cage along a direction of sliding that lies in a plane that is perpendicular to the first direction; and
iii) a screw received by the through-hole of the plate,
wherein the intervertebral cage defines a hole that extends into the proximal wall, and when the screw extends into the hole of the intervertebral cage, the plate is configured to be disposed in a position whereby 1) the through-hole of the plate is offset in its entirety from the center along the plane so as to define a gap between the through-hole and the center along the plane, 2) a first portion of the hole is aligned with the through-hole of the plate, and 3) a second portion of the hole is offset from the through-hole of the plate along the plane, the second portion of the hole being different than the first portion of the hole,
wherein the plane extends through both the through-hole of the plate and a central location of the hole of the intervertebral cage, the central location of the hole being centrally disposed in the hole with respect to the first direction.

2. The intervertebral fusion device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the proximal and distal walls are spaced from each other along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and the plate is slidable along the proximal surface of the intervertebral cage such that an opening to the through-hole is movable from a first position to a second position that is offset with respect to the first position along a third direction that is perpendicular to each of the first and second directions, the opening disposed at a surface of the plate that faces the proximal surface of the intervertebral cage.

3. The intervertebral fusion device as recited in claim 1 , wherein an opening to the through-hole defines a circle.

4. The intervertebral fusion device as recited in claim 3 , wherein the plate is translatably coupled to the intervertebral cage via a track.

5. The intervertebral fusion device as recited in claim 4 , wherein the track is linear.

6. The intervertebral fusion device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the plate retains the screw in the intervertebral cage.

7. The intervertebral fusion device as recited in claim 6 , wherein the plate prevents the screw from backing out of the intervertebral cage.

8. The intervertebral fusion device as recited in claim 7 , wherein the screw is elongate along a central axis, and a portion of the plate overlaps a portion of the screw along a direction that is parallel to the central axis, so as to prevent the screw from backing out of the intervertebral cage.

9. The intervertebral fusion device as recited in claim 8 , wherein the screw defines a screw head and a distal tip spaced from the screw head along the central axis, and the portion of the plate defines a surface that is disposed between the distal tip of the screw and the proximal surface with respect to the direction that is parallel to the central axis.

10. The intervertebral fusion device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the screw is configured to engage an instrument that is received by the through-hole, so as to drive the screw to rotate.

11. The intervertebral fusion device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the screw is externally threaded.

12. The intervertebral fusion device as recited in claim 1 , wherein each of the upper and lower surfaces define teeth configured to grip the respective vertebral bodies.

13. The intervertebral fusion device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the proximal and distal walls are spaced from each other along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, the plate is slidable along the proximal surface of the intervertebral cage such that the second portion of the hole is offset with respect to the through-hole along a third direction that is perpendicular to each of the first and second directions.

14. The intervertebral fusion device as recited in claim 1 , wherein a cross-section of the through-hole defines a circle.

15. The intervertebral fusion device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the plane further passes through a central location of the through-hole of plate, the central location of the through-hole being centrally disposed with respect to the first direction.

16. The intervertebral fusion device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the through-hole of the plate has a perimeter that is enclosed by the plate.

17. An assembly comprising:
the intervertebral fusion device as recited in claim 1 ; and
a second screw, the second screw having a threaded shaft configured to be driven into one of the upper and lower vertebral bodies.

18. The assembly as recited in claim 17 , further comprising a third screw, the third screw having a threaded shaft configured to be driven into one of the upper and lower vertebral bodies.

19. An intervertebral fusion device comprising:
i) an intervertebral cage including;
a) a proximal wall that defines a proximal surface that extends from a first side of the intervertebral cage to a second side of the intervertebral cage such that the proximal surface defines a center that is equidistantly spaced from the first and second sides of the intervertebral cage, wherein the intervertebral cage defines a hole that extends into the proximal wall, the hole has an opening at the proximal surface, and the proximal surface defines a fully enclosed perimeter of the opening;
b) a distal wall opposite the proximal wall,
c) first and second side walls disposed at the first and second sides, respectively, and connected between the proximal and distal walls; and
d) upper and lower surfaces that are spaced from each other along a first direction and are configured to engage respective upper and lower vertebral bodies that define the intervertebral space; and

ii) a plate that defines a through-hole extending therethrough, wherein the through-hole is fully enclosed by a perimeter, an entirety of the perimeter is defined by the plate, and the plate is slidable along the proximal surface of the intervertebral cage along a direction of sliding that lies in a plane that is perpendicular to the first direction; and
iii) a screw received by the through-hole of the plate along a screw direction,
wherein the intervertebral fusion device is configured to be fully implanted in an intervertebral space such that 1) the through-hole of the plate is offset in its entirety from the center, 2) a first portion of the hole is aligned with the through-hole of the plate along the screw direction, and 3) a second portion of the hole is offset from the through-hole of the plate along the direction of sliding, the second portion of the hole being different than the first portion of the hole, and
wherein the plane extends through both the through-hole of the plate and a central location of the hole of the intervertebral cage, the central location of the hole being centrally disposed in the hole with respect to the fir

Assignees

• Depuy Synthes Products Inc

Inventors

• Gamache Thomas
• Childs Joseph
• SHAW Derek
• Howe Jonathan
• Gorhan Michael
• Stad Shawn
• Flaherty Kevin

Classifications

• A61F2002/30433

  using additional screws, bolts, dowels, rivets or washers e.g. connecting screws · CPC title

• A61F2002/30331

  made by longitudinally pushing a protrusion into a complementarily-shaped recess, e.g. held by friction fit · CPC title

• A61F2002/30593

  hollow · CPC title

• A61F2002/30736

  Augments or augmentation pieces, e.g. wedges or blocks for bridging a bone defect · CPC title

• A61F2310/00293

  containing a phosphorus-containing compound, e.g. apatite · CPC title