Surgical instruments and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10517653-B2
Application number	US-201815969110-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 2, 2018
Priority date	Mar 29, 2016
Publication date	Dec 31, 2019
Grant date	Dec 31, 2019

Abstract

Various surgical instruments, implants, and their methods of use are disclosed. The surgical instruments are usable to insert various implants into a patient through an access portal in a minimally-invasive manner. The implants are rotatable between different orientations using the instruments to change the footprint of the implant and allow the implant to be inserted through the minimally-invasive access portal.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of performing surgery comprising:
engaging a first surgical instrument with an implant;
moving a pivoting member of the first surgical instrument from a first distal position to a second relatively more proximal position;
rotating the pivoting member from a first orientation in which the pivoting member occupies a first footprint in a horizontal direction to a second orientation in which the pivoting member occupies a second footprint in the horizontal direction smaller than the first footprint;
rotating the implant from a first orientation in which the implant occupies a first footprint in the horizontal direction to a second orientation in which the implant occupies a second footprint in the horizontal direction smaller than the first footprint;
subsequently biasing a surface of the pivoting member against the implant so that the pivoting member and the implant are secured in their second orientations;
inserting the instrument with the implant attached in its second orientation through an access portal extending through skin and tissue of a patient;
after the implant passes through the access portal, rotating the pivoting member from its second orientation back to its first orientation;
engaging the pivoting member with the implant so that the implant is rotated from its second orientation back to its first orientation; and
engaging the implant to anatomy in the patient.

2. A method of performing surgery as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising (i) inserting a second surgical instrument through the first surgical instrument, (ii) engaging the second surgical instrument with the implant, and (iii) moving the second surgical instrument while engaged to the implant so that the implant either expands or contracts.

3. A method of performing surgery as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the implant is an interspinous spacer, and the method further comprises positioning wings of the interspinous spacer about first and second spinous processes of the patient and compressing the wings against the spinous processes via step (i) of claim 2 .

4. A method of performing surgery as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising moving a locking mechanism of the first instrument from an unlocked state to a locked state so as to lock a connection mechanism to the implant and securely engage the implant with the first instrument.

5. A method of performing surgery as claimed in claim 4 , further comprising rotating a knob of the first instrument so as to move the locking mechanism between its unlocked and locked states.

6. A method of performing surgery as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising moving a spring-loaded activation sleeve of the first surgical instrument from a first distal position to a second relatively more proximal position, the activation sleeve being biased towards the first position via the spring.

Assignees

• Stryker European Holdings I Llc

Inventors

• Milz Bryan D
• Pinal Frank

Classifications

• A61B17/7068 Primary

  Devices comprising separate rigid parts, assembled in situ, to bear on each side of spinous processes; Tools therefor · CPC title

• A61B17/7076

  for driving, positioning or assembling spinal clamps or bone anchors specially adapted for spinal fixation · CPC title