Implant connectors and related methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11596451-B2
Application number	US-201916688578-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 19, 2019
Priority date	May 18, 2016
Publication date	Mar 7, 2023
Grant date	Mar 7, 2023

Abstract

Implant connectors and related methods are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, a connector can include a low-profile portion to facilitate use of the connector in surgical applications where space is limited. In some embodiments, a connector can include a biased rod-pusher to allow the connector to “snap” onto a rod and/or to “drag” against the rod, e.g., for provisional positioning of the connector prior to locking.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A connector, comprising:
a body that defines a first rod-receiving recess having an aperture for receiving a first rod therein and a second rod-receiving recess having an aperture for receiving a second rod therein, the body having proximal and distal ends that define a proximal-distal axis extending therebetween;
a rod pusher configured to move within a tunnel of the body in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the proximal-distal axis, the rod pusher having a through-bore formed therein;
a bias element configured to be received in one or more of the body and the through-bore transversely to the proximal-distal axis, the bias element being configured to exert a biasing force onto the rod pusher toward the first rod-receiving recess to at least partially reduce a size of the aperture of the first rod-receiving recess to capture the first rod therein.

2. The connector of claim 1 , wherein the aperture of the first rod-receiving recess faces in an opposite direction of the aperture of the second rod-receiving recess.

3. The connector of claim 2 , wherein the aperture of the first rod-receiving recess is distal-facing and the aperture of the second rod-receiving recess is proximal-facing.

4. The connector of claim 1 , wherein the bias element extends through opposing walls of one or more of the body and the through-bore.

5. The connector of claim 1 , further comprising a set screw threadably received in one of the first or second rod-receiving recesses in the body to further capture the first rod within the first rod-receiving recess and to capture the second rod within the second rod-receiving recess.

6. The connector of claim 5 , wherein the set screw is received in the second rod-receiving recess.

7. The connector of claim 6 , wherein the second rod is disposed between the set screw and the rod pusher.

8. The connector of claim 5 , wherein the second rod is disposed between the second-rod receiving recess and the set screw.

9. The connector of claim 1 , wherein the rod pusher bears against the first and second rods simultaneously.

10. The connector of claim 1 , wherein the bias element exerts the biasing force onto the rod pusher in its resting state.

11. The connector of claim 1 , wherein the bias element is deformed from its resting state when the first rod is captured within the first rod-receiving recess to press the rod pusher against the first rod.

12. The connector of claim 1 , wherein the tunnel extends between the first rod-receiving recess and the second rod-receiving recess, such that movement of the rod pusher alternatively increases or decreases the size of the apertures of the first rod-receiving recess and the second rod-receiving recess.

13. The connector of claim 1 , wherein the through-bore in the rod pusher includes a cylindrical middle portion and opposed end portions that are elongated in the direction of the rod pusher axis.

14. The connector of claim 1 , further comprising a saddle disposed in a cavity formed in the body.

15. The connector of claim 14 , wherein at least a portion of the cavity is formed by the second rod-receiving recess.

16. The connector of claim 14 , wherein the saddle is translatable along the proximal-distal axis of the body.

17. The connector of claim 14 , wherein the saddle includes a ramped bearing surface configured to contact and bear against the rod pusher.

18. The connector of claim 1 , wherein the rod pusher is unitary.

19. A method of connecting spinal rods, comprising:
passing a first spinal rod into a first rod-receiving recess formed in a body portion of a connector having the first rod-receiving recess and a second rod-receiving recess such that the first spinal rod exerts a force onto a rod pusher disposed within the first and second rod-receiving recesses to displace the rod pusher further into the second rod-receiving recess;
passing a second spinal rod into the second rod-receiving recess defined by a pair of spaced apart arms such that the second spinal rod bears against the rod pusher to displace the rod pusher further into the first rod-receiving recess and to prevent movement of the rod pusher toward the second rod-receiving recess; and
tightening a set screw within the body by passing the set screw along the pair of spaced apart arms to lock the second rod within the second rod-receiving recess and to lock the first rod within the first rod-receiving recess.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the set screw is disposed within the second rod-receiving recess.

21. The method of claim 19 , wherein passing the first spinal rod into the first rod-receiving recess counters a biasing force exerted onto the rod pusher by a spring member disposed within the rod pusher and deforms the spring member to allow displacement of the rod pusher toward the second rod-receiving recess.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein, after the first spinal rod is disposed within the first rod-receiving recess, the biasing force displaces the rod pusher toward the first rod-receiving recess to capture the first rod within the first rod-receiving recess.

23. The method of claim 21 , wherein the spring member is disposed within the rod pusher along an axis that is substantially perpendicular to an axis of the displacement of the rod pusher.

24. The method of claim 19 , wherein the set screw is in contact with the second spinal rod when the second spinal rod is locked within the second rod-receiving recess and the first spinal rod is locked within the first rod-receiving recess.

Assignees

• Medos Int Sarl

Inventors

• Lee Kevin
• Ramsay Christopher
• Hawkins J Riley

Classifications

• A61B17/7049 Primary

  Connectors, not bearing on the vertebrae, for linking longitudinal elements together (A61B17/7055, A61B17/7053, A61B17/7019 take precedence) · CPC title