Steerable TLIF spine implant, installer, and method of installation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11109983-B2
Application number	US-201916360539-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 21, 2019
Priority date	Mar 21, 2018
Publication date	Sep 7, 2021
Grant date	Sep 7, 2021

Abstract

A spine implant for a TLIF surgical procedure is configured to be guided into place during implantation in conjunction with a complementary insertion instrument. The cage of the implant is constrained to a limited range of rotation about a pivoting post carried by the cage. The insertion instrument is configured to hold the post while controllably rotating the cage relative to the post in order to angularly position the implant during implantation. Range of rotational motion is controlled by the configuration of an opening in and end of the cage and a groove in the pivot post. A retaining pin of the implant extends from the cage into the groove of the post to rotationally connect the cage to the post.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A spine implant for a TLIF procedure, the spine implant comprising:
a cage having an upper side, a lower side opposite to the upper side, a first lateral side, a second lateral side opposite to the first lateral side, a first end, a second end opposite the first end, a medial cavity extending through the cage from the upper side to the lower side, an arcuate opening in the second end defining an upper shelf extending longitudinally from the upper side and a lower shelf extending longitudinally from the lower side, the upper shelf having a first edge and a lower surface, the lower shelf having a second edge and an upper surface, a rounded bore in the upper side adjacent the upper shelf and extending axially from the upper side to the lower surface, a round seat in the upper surface of the lower shelf and axially below the rounded bore, a lower arcuate groove in the upper surface of the lower shelf adjacent the second edge, an upper arcuate groove in the lower surface of the upper shelf adjacent the first edge, the lower arcuate groove and the upper arcuate groove axially aligned with one another and forming an arcuate channel of a first arcuate length for receipt and guidance of a distal protrusion on a distal end of a spine implant installation instrument for a TLIF surgical procedure along the arcuate channel during pivotal movement of the cage during implantation of the TLIF implant, and a cylindrical bore in the second lateral side of the cage in communication with the rounded bore;
a cylindrical pivot post disposed in the rounded bore of the cage and rotationally supported on the rounded seat, the cylindrical pivot post having a central axis, a threaded bore in a radial side thereof that extends radially inward toward the central axis, and a receptor disposed in an exterior surface of the cylindrical pivot post opposite to the threaded bore; and
a cylindrical retention pin received in the cylindrical bore in the second lateral side of the cage and in contact with the cylindrical pivot post to constrain the cage to a range of rotation about the cylindrical post and along the arcuate channel.

2. The spine implant of claim 1 , wherein:
the receptor of the cylindrical pivot post comprises a radial channel of a second arcuate length about the exterior surface; and
the cylindrical retention pin is in communication with the radial channel, wherein range of rotational movement of the cage relative to the cylindrical pivot post is controlled by the second arcuate length of the radial channel of the cylindrical pivot post.

3. The spine implant of claim 2 , wherein the first arcuate length of the arcuate channel is equal to the second arcuate length of the radial channel.

4. The spine implant of claim 2 , wherein the arcuate opening in the second end of the cage has a first concave wall on the first lateral side of the cage extending from the lower surface of the upper shelf to the upper surface of the lower shelf, and a second concave wall on the second lateral side of the cage extending from the lower surface of the upper shelf to the upper surface of the lower shelf.

5. The spine implant of claim 4 , wherein the first concave wall is longitudinally offset from the first and second edges a first offset distance, and the second concave wall is longitudinally offset from the first and second edges a second offset distance, the second offset distance less than the first offset distance.

6. The spine implant of claim 5 , further comprising:
a first arcuate wall groove in the first concave wall; and
a second arcuate wall groove in the second concave wall.

7. A kit for a TLIF spine procedure comprising:
a TLIF spine implant comprising:
a cage having an upper side, a lower side opposite to the upper side, a first lateral side, a second lateral side opposite to the first lateral side, a first end, a second end opposite the first end, a medial cavity extending through the cage from the upper side to the lower side, an arcuate opening in the second end defining an upper shelf extending longitudinally from the upper side and a lower shelf extending longitudinally from the lower side, the upper shelf having a first edge and a lower surface, the lower shelf having a second edge and an upper surface, a rounded bore in the upper side adjacent the upper shelf and extending axially from the upper side to the lower surface, a round seat in the upper surface of the lower shelf and axially below the rounded bore, a lower arcuate groove in the upper surface of the lower shelf adjacent the second edge, an upper arcuate groove in the lower surface of the upper shelf adjacent the first edge, the lower arcuate groove and the upper arcuate groove axially aligned with one another and forming an arcuate channel of a first arcuate length for receipt and guidance of a distal protrusion on a distal end of a spine implant installation instrument for a TLIF surgical procedure along the arcuate channel during pivotal movement of the cage during implantation of the TLIF implant, and a cylindrical bore in the second lateral side of the cage in communication with the rounded bore;
a cylindrical pivot post disposed in the rounded bore of the cage and rotationally supported on the rounded seat, the cylindrical pivot post having a central axis, a threaded bore in a radial side thereof that extends radially inward toward the central axis, and a receptor disposed in an exterior surface of the cylindrical pivot post opposite to the threaded bore; and
a cylindrical retention pin received in the cylindrical bore in the second lateral side of the cage and in contact with the cylindrical pivot post to constrain the cage to a range of rotation about the cylindrical post and along the arcuate channel; and

an installation instrument for the TLIF spine implant comprising:
a handle having a proximal end and a distal end;
a frame having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end of the frame attached to the distal end of the handle;
a hollow shaft having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end of the shaft attached to the distal end of the frame, the distal end of the hollow shaft is open;
a second controller longitudinally movably disposed on the proximal end of the hollow shaft;
a rod having a proximal end and a threaded distal end, the rod extending through the hollow shaft wherein the threaded distal end extends from the open distal end of the hollow shaft and is configured to threadedly engage and disengage the threaded bore of the pivot post;
a first controller attached to the distal end of the rod and retained in the frame, wherein rotation of the first controller rotates the rod to threadedly attach or detach the threaded end of the rod from the pivot post;
a flat push bar having a proximal end and a distal end and movably retained in a lateral side of the hollow shaft, the proximal end of the flat push bar attached to the second controller whereby longitudinal translation of the second controller longitudinally translates the flat push bar relative to the hollow shaft to move the flat push bar relative to the hollow shaft to extend and retract the distal end of the flat push bar to change the angular position of the attached cage through rotation of the cage about the pivot post;
a second lateral bar disposed on and stationary relative to a second lateral side of the hollow shaft; and
a protrusion situated on a distal face of the distal end of the insertion instrument adjacent the stationary second lateral bar.

8. The kit of claim 7 , wherein:
the receptor of the cylindrical pivot post of the TLIF spine implant comprises a radial channel of a second arcuate length about the exterior surface; and
the cylindrical retention pin of the TLIF spine implant

Assignees

• Life Spine Inc

Inventors

• Palagi Gregory
• Shoshtaev Eugene
• Wolters Madeline C
• Mehl David T
• Predick Daniel P
• Rice Casey

Classifications

• A61F2/4465

  having a circular or kidney shaped cross-section substantially perpendicular to the axis of the spine · CPC title

• A61F2002/30266

  wedge-shaped parallelepipeds · CPC title

• A61F2002/30593

  hollow · CPC title

• A61F2/4611 Primary

  of spinal prostheses · CPC title

• A61F2002/3092

  having an open-celled or open-pored structure · CPC title