Low profile intervertebral implant

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10543102-B2
Application number	US-201514826272-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 14, 2015
Priority date	Nov 16, 2007
Publication date	Jan 28, 2020
Grant date	Jan 28, 2020

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a low profile intervertebral implant for implantation in an intervertebral disc space in-between adjacent vertebral bodies. The intervertebral implant includes a plate preferably coupled to a spacer. The plate is preferably formed from a first material and the spacer is preferably formed from a second material, the first material being different from the second material. The plate is preferably sized and configured so that the plate does not extend beyond the perimeter of the spacer. In this manner, the plate preferably does not increase the height profile of the spacer and the plate may be implanted within the intervertebral disc space in conjunction with the spacer.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A plate configured to be coupled to a spacer to form an intervertebral implant that is insertable into an intervertebral disc space defined by a first vertebral body and a second vertebral body, the plate comprising:
a body portion including a first surface and a second surface offset from the first surface in a first direction, the body portion defining a first hole having a first entry opening with an enclosed shape defined by the first surface and a first exit opening defined at least partially by the second surface, at least a portion of the first exit opening offset from the first entry opening with respect to a second direction that is oblique to the first direction such that the first hole is configured to receive a bone fixation element that secures the plate to one of the first vertebral body and the second vertebral body, the body portion defining a second hole having a second entry opening with an enclosed shape defined by the first surface and a second exit opening defined at least partially by the second surface, at least a portion of the second exit opening offset from the second entry opening with respect to a third direction that is oblique to the first direction such that the second hole is configured to receive a bone fixation element that secures the plate to the other of the first vertebral body and the second vertebral body, the body portion further including a top surface and a bottom surface, the bottom surface offset from the top surface in a fourth direction that is perpendicular to the first direction, the top surface configured to abut the first vertebral body when the intervertebral implant is inserted into the intervertebral disc space, and the bottom surface configured to abut the second vertebral body when the intervertebral implant is inserted into the intervertebral disc space, wherein an entirety of both the first entry opening and the second entry opening are positioned between the top surface and the bottom surface;
a first arm that extends from the body portion and terminates at a first end such that a portion of the first arm is offset from the second surface in the first direction, the portion of the first arm including a first arm top surface and a first arm bottom surface offset from the first arm top surface in the fourth direction, wherein the first end comprises a first plurality of teeth that are linearly arranged and disposed between the top and bottom surfaces of the body portion; and
a second arm that extends from the body portion and terminates at a second end such that a portion of the second arm is offset from the second surface in the first direction, and the second end comprises a second plurality of teeth that face the first plurality of teeth, are linearly arranged, and are disposed between the top and bottom surfaces of the body portion, wherein respective terminal surfaces of the first and second ends are spaced from each other by a distance measured in a fifth direction that is perpendicular to both the first direction and the fourth direction,
wherein the first arm and the second arm are sized and configured to securely receive and couple the spacer to the plate, the body portion defines a first height measured from the top surface of the body portion to the bottom surface of the body portion in the fourth direction, the portion of the first arm defines a second height measured from the first arm top surface to the first arm bottom surface in the fourth direction, and the first height is greater than the second height, and
wherein at least a portion of the first entry opening is aligned with at least a portion of the second entry opening with respect to the fifth direction.

2. The plate of claim 1 , wherein the first height is measured along the first surface, the first arm extends from the second surface in the first direction, the first arm projects inward toward the second arm so as to define the first end of the first arm, and the second height is measured at the first end of the first arm.

3. The plate of claim 1 , wherein the first height is a maximum height of the body portion, and the second height is a minimum height of the first arm.

4. The plate of claim 3 , wherein the portion of the second arm includes a second arm top surface and a second arm bottom surface offset from the second arm top surface in the fourth direction, the portion of the second arm defines a third height measured from the second arm top surface to the second arm bottom surface in the fourth direction, and the first height is greater than the third height.

5. The plate of claim 4 , wherein when the plate is coupled to the spacer, the intervertebral implant is configured to be inserted in the intervertebral disc space such that the second arm top surface faces the first vertebral body and the second arm bottom surface faces the second vertebral body.

6. The plate of claim 5 , wherein when the plate is coupled to the spacer, the intervertebral implant is configured to be inserted in the intervertebral disc space such that the second arm top surface abuts the first vertebral body and the second arm bottom abuts the second vertebral body.

7. The plate of claim 5 , wherein the second height is equal to the third height.

8. The plate of claim 5 , wherein the third height is a minimum height of the second arm.

9. The plate of claim 5 , wherein the top surface, the first arm top surface, and the second arm top surface each are configured to face the first vertebral body when the plate is coupled to the spacer and the intervertebral implant is inserted in the intervertebral disc space, and the bottom surface, the first arm bottom surface, and the second arm bottom surface each are configured to face the second vertebral body when the plate is coupled to the spacer and the intervertebral implant is inserted in the intervertebral disc space.

10. The plate of claim 5 , wherein the first arm includes a first sidewall and a second sidewall that is opposite the first sidewall, the second arm includes a first sidewall that faces the first sidewall of the first arm, the second arm further includes a second sidewall opposite the first sidewall of the second arm, and the second sidewall of the first arm converges toward the second sidewall of the second arm as the first arm extends in the first direction.

11. The plate of claim 5 , wherein both the portion of the first arm and the portion of the second arm are offset from the first exit opening in the first direction.

12. The plate of claim 1 , wherein the second height is measured from a first location on the first arm top surface to a second location on the first arm bottom surface, and the first arm top surface is parallel to the first arm bottom surface.

13. A plate configured to be coupled to a spacer to form an intervertebral implant that is configured to be inserted in an intervertebral disc space that is defined by a first vertebral body and a second vertebral body, the plate comprising:
a body portion including a first surface and a second surface offset from the first surface in a first direction, the body portion defining a first hole having a first entry opening with an enclosed shape defined by the first surface and a first exit opening, at least a portion of the first exit opening offset from the first entry opening with respect to a second direction that is oblique to the first direction such that the first hole is configured to receive a bone fixation element that secures the plate to the first vertebral body, the body portion defining a second hole having a second entry opening with an enclosed shape defined by the first surface and a second exit opening, at lea

Assignees

• Depuy Synthes Products Inc

Inventors

• Kueenzi Thomas
• Walsh Ryan T
• Pepe Thomas
• Hunziker Markus
• Koch David

Classifications

• A61F2/28

  Bones · CPC title

• A61B17/86

  Pins or screws {or threaded wires; nuts therefor (A61B17/72 take precedence)} · CPC title

• A61F2/447

  substantially parallelepipedal, e.g. having a rectangular or trapezoidal cross-section · CPC title

• A61F2002/30485

  plastically deformable · CPC title

• A61F2310/00359

  Bone or bony tissue · CPC title