Expandable spinal implants

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11331200-B2
Application number	US-201916516702-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 19, 2019
Priority date	Dec 11, 2014
Publication date	May 17, 2022
Grant date	May 17, 2022

Abstract

A spinal implant has a proximal region and a distal region, and includes an upper body and a lower body each having inner surfaces disposed in opposed relation relative to each other. A proximal adjustment assembly is disposed between the upper and lower bodies at the proximal region of the spinal implant and is adjustably coupled to the upper and lower bodies, and a distal adjustment assembly is disposed between the upper and lower bodies at the distal region of the spinal implant and is adjustably coupled to the upper and lower bodies. The proximal and distal adjustment assemblies are independently movable with respect to each other to change a vertical height of at least one of the proximal region or the distal region of the spinal implant.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A spinal implant extending along a longitudinal axis between a proximal region and a distal region, the spinal implant comprising:
an upper body for engaging an upper vertebral body;
a lower body for engaging a lower vertebral body;
a proximal adjustment assembly disposed between the upper and lower bodies in the proximal region of the spinal implant and adjustably coupled to the upper and lower bodies, the proximal adjustment assembly including a proximal member and a proximal rotational actuator, wherein the proximal rotational actuator includes a threaded portion, such that the proximal adjustment assembly is actuated by driving threaded advancement of the proximal rotational actuator, whereby the proximal member is induced to translate along the longitudinal axis; and
a distal adjustment assembly disposed between the upper and lower bodies in the distal region of the spinal implant and adjustably coupled to the upper and lower bodies, the distal adjustment assembly including a distal member and a distal rotational actuator, wherein the distal rotational actuator includes a threaded portion, such that the distal adjustment assembly is actuated by driving threaded advancement of the distal rotational actuator, whereby the distal member is induced to translate along the longitudinal axis while the distal member engages and travels along a distal slot of the spinal implant;
wherein the proximal rotational actuator and the distal rotational actuator are coaxially arranged with respect to one another, actuation of the proximal adjustment assembly drives a change in vertical height between the upper body and the lower body in at least the proximal region, and actuation of the distal adjustment assembly drives a change in vertical height between the upper body and the lower body in at least the distal region, and
wherein the proximal rotational actuator and the distal rotational actuator each include a respective actuation interface for engagement by one or more tools to drive the threaded advancement of the respective proximal and distal rotational actuator, and wherein the actuation interfaces of the proximal and distal rotational actuators are positioned in the proximal region of the spinal implant.

2. The spinal implant of claim 1 , wherein the threaded advancement of the proximal rotational actuator and the threaded advancement of the distal rotational actuator are along the longitudinal axis.

3. The spinal implant of claim 1 , wherein the proximal rotational actuator and the distal rotational actuator are coaxially arranged with respect to one another such that the proximal rotational actuator is positioned around the distal rotational actuator and such that the proximal rotational actuator and the distal rotational actuator are oriented along the longitudinal axis.

4. The spinal implant of claim 1 , wherein the proximal adjustment assembly has a passageway extending therethrough along the longitudinal axis, and wherein a portion of the distal adjustment assembly extends through the passageway.

5. The spinal implant of claim 4 , wherein the proximal member has a central opening defined therethrough, the central opening defining at least a portion of the passageway.

6. The spinal implant of claim 4 , wherein the proximal rotational actuator has an opening defined therethrough, the opening defining at least a portion of the passageway.

7. The spinal implant of claim 6 , wherein the opening includes internal threads, such that the threaded advancement of the proximal rotational actuator is along the internal threads.

8. The spinal implant of claim 7 , wherein the internal threads are configured to threadedly engage the portion of the distal adjustment assembly extending through the passageway.

9. The spinal implant of claim 8 , wherein the distal rotational actuator includes the portion of the distal adjustment assembly threadedly engaged by the internal threads of the proximal rotational actuator.

10. The spinal implant of claim 1 , wherein the distal adjustment assembly and the proximal adjustment assembly are actuatable independently from one another.

11. The spinal implant of claim 1 , wherein the proximal member engages and travels along a proximal slot of the spinal implant during actuation of the proximal adjustment assembly so as to drive the change in vertical height between the upper body and the lower body in at least the proximal region of the spinal implant.

12. The spinal implant of claim 1 , wherein the proximal member engages and travels along a proximal slot of the spinal implant during actuation of the proximal adjustment assembly, and wherein at least one of the upper body and the lower body includes a first fin extending towards the other of the upper body and the lower body, the proximal slot being defined in the first fin.

13. The spinal implant of claim 12 , wherein the proximal slot extends at an oblique angle to the longitudinal axis.

14. The spinal implant of claim 12 , wherein the first fin defines at least one vertical slot extending orthogonally to the longitudinal axis.

15. The spinal implant of claim 12 , wherein the other of the upper body and the lower body includes a second fin extending towards the first fin.

16. The spinal implant of claim 15 , wherein a second proximal slot is defined in the second fin, wherein each of the proximal slot and the second proximal slot extends at a respective oblique angle to the longitudinal axis, and wherein the proximal member includes a pin configured to be received within and to travel along both the proximal slot and the second proximal slot.

17. The spinal implant of claim 15 , wherein the at least one of the upper body and the lower body includes the first fin and a third fin extending towards the other of the upper body and the lower body, wherein the other of the upper body and the lower body includes the second fin extending towards the first fin and a fourth fin extending towards the third fin, wherein the first fin and the second fin are positioned on a first side of the longitudinal axis, and the third fin and the fourth fin are positioned on a second side of the longitudinal axis, the second side being opposed to the first side across the longitudinal axis such that an interior space is defined in a region between the first and second fins on the first side and the third and fourth fins on the second side, and wherein the proximal adjustment assembly and the distal adjustment assembly are disposed in the interior space.

18. The spinal implant of claim 1 , wherein the distal slot is oriented substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis.

19. The spinal implant of claim 1 , wherein the distal adjustment assembly includes first and second pivot linkages.

Assignees

• K2M Inc

Inventors

• Mcclintock Larry E
• Ludwig Steven
• Dhupar Scott
• Bianco Sabatino

Classifications

• A61F2/4425 Primary

  made of articulated components · CPC title

• A61F2/4455

  for the fusion of spinal bodies, e.g. intervertebral fusion of adjacent spinal bodies, e.g. fusion cages (intervertebral discs A61F2/442) · CPC title

• A61F2002/443

  having two transversal endplates and at least one intermediate component · CPC title

• A61F2/447 Primary

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

• A61F2/30771

  applied in original prostheses, e.g. holes or grooves · CPC title