Rod reducers and related methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11291482-B2
Application number	US-201916360199-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 21, 2019
Priority date	Mar 21, 2019
Publication date	Apr 5, 2022
Grant date	Apr 5, 2022

Abstract

Kerrison-style rod reducers, inline-style rod reducers, and related methods of using the disclosed rod reducers for holding a spinal implant and seating a fixation rod in a rod-receiving portion of the spinal implant are provided for herein. The disclosed rod reducers can also be configured for applying a set screw or other closure mechanism to secure the rod within the rod-receiving portion of the spinal implant. The disclosed embodiments can be easy to use, not require significant force to operate, and be efficient, thereby reducing the time and expense necessary to perform spinal surgery. The disclosed rod reducers can be readily dissembled, thereby making these surgical instruments easy to clean and sterilize.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A surgical instrument, comprising:
a gripping assembly having a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end of the gripping assembly configured to hold a spinal implant;
a rod reducing assembly having a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end of the rod reducing assembly configured to engage a rod,
a first lever pivotally coupled to the proximal end of the gripping assembly; and
a second lever pivotally coupled to the first lever and the proximal end of the rod reducing assembly,
wherein movement of the first lever and the second lever towards one another causes the first and second levers to pivot about the proximal end of the gripping assembly and causes the rod reducing assembly to translate distally relative to the gripping assembly, thereby pushing a rod distally into a rod-receiving portion of a spinal implant held by the gripping assembly,
wherein the proximal end of the rod reducing assembly is pivotally coupled to the second lever by a pin that extends across a cavity defined at the proximal end of the rod reducing assembly, and
wherein a portion of the second lever is received within the cavity defined at the proximal end of the rod reducing assembly.

2. The surgical instrument of claim 1 , wherein the rod reducing assembly slides distally over the distal end of the gripping assembly.

3. The surgical instrument of claim 2 , wherein the distal end of the gripping assembly comprises one or more cantilevered gripping elements configured to engage a portion of a spinal implant when the distal end of the rod reducing assembly slides distally over the distal end of the gripping assembly.

4. The surgical instrument of claim 1 , wherein the rod reducing assembly translates distally with a pivoting motion that is offset by the first and second levers pivoting about the proximal end of the gripping assembly.

5. The surgical instrument of claim 1 , wherein the pin has a cross-sectional profile configured to pivotally couple the proximal end of the rod reducing assembly to the second lever when the pin is rotated to a first position and to decouple the proximal end of the rod reducing assembly from the second lever when the pin is rotated to a second position.

6. The surgical instrument of claim 5 , further comprising a lock/release mechanism comprising the pin fixedly coupled to a third lever disposed externally at the proximal end of the rod reducing assembly, wherein the pin is rotated into the second position when the third lever is manually rotated in a first rotational direction.

7. The surgical instrument of claim 6 , wherein the lock/release mechanism further comprises a torsion spring configured to oppose rotation of the third lever in the first rotational direction and thereby bias the pin in the first position.

8. The surgical instrument of claim 1 :
wherein the gripping assembly comprises a first elongate beam extending proximally from a distal inner tubular body configured to hold a spinal implant, and
wherein the rod reducing assembly comprises a second elongate beam extending proximally from a distal outer tubular body, wherein the outer tubular body is slidably disposed around at least a portion of the inner tubular body of the gripping assembly and wherein the outer tubular body defines a distal-facing surface configured to engage a rod.

9. The surgical instrument of claim 8 , wherein the inner tubular body of the gripping assembly comprises one or more gripping elements configured to engage the spinal implant in response to the outer tubular body of the rod reducing assembly translating distally over the inner tubular body.

10. The surgical instrument of claim 8 :
wherein the inner tubular body of the gripping assembly is laterally offset from the first elongate beam of the gripping assembly, and
wherein the outer tubular body of the rod reducing assembly is laterally offset from the second elongate beam of the rod reducing assembly.

11. The surgical instrument of claim 8 , wherein the inner tubular body of the gripping assembly defines a longitudinal passageway through which a fastening mechanism is deployed to secure a rod seated in a rod-receiving portion of a spinal implant.

12. The surgical instrument of claim 1 , wherein the second lever is received within an open-ended slot formed in the first lever.

13. A surgical instrument, comprising:
a gripping assembly having a first elongate beam extending proximally from a distal inner tubular body, the distal inner tubular body configured to hold a spinal implant;
a rod reducing assembly having a second elongate beam extending proximally from a distal outer tubular body that is slidably disposed around at least a portion of the inner tubular body of the gripping assembly such that the distal outer tubular body and the distal inner tubular body extend co-axially along a central longitudinal axis, the distal outer tubular body having a distal-facing surface configured to engage a rod;
a first lever pivotally coupled to a proximal end of the gripping assembly; and
a second lever pivotally coupled to the first lever and a proximal end of the rod reducing assembly;
wherein movement of the first lever and the second lever towards one another causes the first and second levers to pivot about the proximal end of the gripping assembly and causes the rod reducing assembly to translate distally relative to the gripping assembly, thereby pushing a rod distally into a rod-receiving portion of a spinal implant held by the gripping assembly; and
wherein a central longitudinal axis of the second elongate beam is disposed radially inward of a central longitudinal axis of the first elongate beam with respect to the central longitudinal axis of the distal outer tubular body and the distal inner tubular body.

14. A surgical instrument, comprising:
a gripping assembly having a first elongate beam extending proximally from a distal inner tubular body, the distal inner tubular body configured to hold a spinal implant;
a rod reducing assembly having a second elongate beam extending proximally from a distal outer tubular body, the distal outer tubular body having a distal-facing surface configured to engage a rod;
a first lever pivotally coupled to a proximal end of the gripping assembly; and
a second lever pivotally coupled to the first lever and a proximal end of the rod reducing assembly;
wherein movement of the first lever and the second lever towards one another causes the first and second levers to pivot about the proximal end of the gripping assembly and causes the second elongate beam of the rod reducing assembly to translate distally along the first elongate beam of the gripping assembly, thereby pushing a rod distally into a rod-receiving portion of a spinal implant held by the gripping assembly;
wherein an outer surface of the second elongate beam contacts and translates distally along an outer surface of the first elongate beam.

15. The surgical instrument of claim 14 , wherein the gripping assembly includes at least one guide pin protruding from the outer surface of the first elongate beam and the rod reducing assembly includes a longitudinal slot extending through the outer surface of the second elongate beam;
wherein the longitudinal slot of the second elongate beam slidably couples with the at least one guide pin of the first elongate beam.

16. The surgical instrument of claim 14 , wherein the outer surface of the second elongate beam contacts the outer surface of the first elongate beam along substantially an entire length of the first elongate beam.

17. The sur

Assignees

• Medos Int Sarl

Inventors

• Schmura Kurt
• Murphy Raymond F
• Spratt Frank
• Montello Albert

Classifications

• A61B17/7086 Primary

  Rod reducers, i.e. devices providing a mechanical advantage to allow a user to force a rod into or onto an anchor head other than by means of a rod-to-bone anchor locking element; rod removers · CPC title

• A61F2/4611

  of spinal prostheses · CPC title

• A61B2560/0425

  Ergonomically shaped housings (A61B2560/0418 takes precedence) · CPC title