All in one plate holder and spring loaded awl

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12201335-B2
Application number	US-202318367791-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 13, 2023
Priority date	Aug 30, 2019
Publication date	Jan 21, 2025
Grant date	Jan 21, 2025

Abstract

In one embodiment, the present disclosure relates to a system that includes a plate holder and an awl. The plate holder has a first end and a second end with an engagement feature at the second end that is engageable with a bone plate. The awl is releasably engaged to the plate holder and includes a locking mechanism adjustable from a first setting to a second setting and a tip. When the locking mechanism is in the first setting, the awl is fixed relative to the plate holder and the tip is disposed within the plate holder. When the locking mechanism is in the second setting, the awl is axially translatable relative to the plate holder such that the tip of the awl extends out of the second end of the plate holder.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of performing spinal surgery in a patient comprising:
advancing a gripper of an inner shaft of a plate holder onto a plate such that the gripper is adjacent to an engagement surface of the plate;
rotating an outer shaft of the plate holder relative to the inner shaft to cause the gripper to press against the engagement surface so that the plate is held by the plate holder;
positioning the plate on a spine of the patient such that at least part of the plate is positioned against an outward facing surface of a vertebral body of the patient;
inserting an awl into a cannula of the plate holder;
engaging a first gripping surface of the awl to a second gripping surface of the plate holder; and
applying an axial force at a proximal end of the awl causing the awl to advance through an opening in the plate and create a hole in the vertebral body.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
removing the awl from the plate holder;
inserting a drill with a fastener engaged thereto into the cannula of the plate holder; and
operating the drill to drive the fastener through the opening in the plate and into the hole such that the fastener secures the plate to the vertebral body.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising rotating a locking cover rotatably coupled to the plate such that part of the locking cover blocks part of the opening in the plate to prevent backout of the fastener.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein rotating the outer shaft of the plate holder causes two arms of the gripper to move closer together and press against respective contact surfaces of the engagement surface of the plate.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein inward facing projections on the respective arms of the two arms press against respective complementary recessed surfaces that include the contact surfaces of the plate, an opening in the plate to receive the awl being in between the recessed surfaces.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein in the engaging step, the first gripping surface in the form of a thread on an outer surface of the awl engages the second gripping surface in the form of pins on the inner shaft of the plate holder.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, prior to positioning the plate on the spine, implanting an intervertebral implant into an intervertebral disc space abutting the vertebral body.

8. A method of preparing a patient for receiving an implant comprising:
inserting an awl into a cannula of a plate holder, the awl being biased in a locked configuration such that a shaft of the awl is fixed relative to a housing of the awl;
engaging a first gripping surface on the housing of the awl to a second gripping surface of the plate holder;
while the plate holder is gripping a plate positioned against a vertebral body of the patient, actuating a movable piece disposed in the housing of the awl from a locked position to an unlocked position to allow translation of the shaft relative to the housing; and
applying an axial impaction force to a proximal end of the housing of the awl while the movable piece is in the unlocked position to create a hole in the vertebral body.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the movable piece remains in the unlocked position through a continuous application of force to the movable piece such that upon cessation of such continuous application of force, the movable piece returns to the locked position.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein upon cessation of the continuous application of force, a ridge of the movable piece moves into a path of the shaft of the awl such that a portion of the awl shaft abuts the ridge to prevent axial translation of the shaft relative to the housing.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein actuating the movable piece includes pushing an outer surface of the moveable piece toward a central longitudinal axis of the awl, the moveable piece moving along a direction orthogonal to a longitudinal axis of the awl.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein applying the axial impaction force to the proximal end of the housing of the awl causes a spring disposed between the shaft and the housing to compress such that the shaft of the awl axially translates from a withdrawn position to an extended position limited at least in part by the spring, the shaft returning to the withdrawn position subsequent to the application of the axial impaction force.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein engaging the first gripping surface on the housing of the awl to the second gripping surface of the plate holder positions the awl relative to the plate holder such that a distal tip of the shaft of the awl is within the cannula of the plate holder.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein in the engaging step, the first gripping surface in the form of a thread engages the second gripping surface in the form of pins on an inner surface of the plate holder.

15. A method of preparing a patient for receiving an implant comprising:
engaging a gripper of a plate holder onto an engagement surface of a plate;
positioning the plate on a spine of a patient such that a portion of the plate including a fastener opening and a pair of projections is adjacent to a vertebral body;
applying a first axial impaction force to the plate to anchor the pair of projections to the vertebral body; and
subsequent to attaching an awl to the plate holder, actuating a moveable piece of the awl from a locked position to an unlocked position and applying a second axial impaction force to a proximal end of the awl while the moveable piece is in the unlocked position such that a shaft of the awl disposed within a cannulation of the plate holder extends out of a distal end of the plate holder and through the hole in the plate to create a hole in the vertebral body.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein in the engaging step, the gripper of the plate holder is a pair of arms and the engagement surface of the plate is a pair of recessed surfaces such that the respective arms of the pair of arms engage in the respective recesses of the pair of recesses.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein engaging the pair of arms onto the respective pair of recessed surfaces includes causing an outer shaft of the plate holder to advance distally toward the pair of arms that extend from an inner shaft of the plate holder, the outer shaft pressing the pair of arms toward each other.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein actuating the moveable piece from the locked position to the unlocked position is independent of axial translation of the awl that results from applying the second axial impaction force.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein actuating the moveable piece causes the moveable piece to translate such that less of the moveable piece is external to a housing of the awl through which the shaft passes while the moveable piece is in the unlocked position compared to a neutral condition of the moveable piece in the locked position.

20. The method of claim 15 , wherein applying the second axial impaction force to the proximal end of the awl causes a slot in the shaft of the awl to slide over a portion of the moveable piece passing through the slot.

Assignees

• K2M Inc

Inventors

• Artaki Alexander Horia
• Meyer Joseph Michael
• Hutton Pauline Patricia
• Rubin Joshua David
• Harrod Christopher Chambliss
• Tolhurst Stephen

Classifications

• A61B17/8042

  the additional component being a cover over the screw head · CPC title

• A61B17/1604

  Chisels; Rongeurs; Punches; Stamps · CPC title

• A61B17/92

  Impactors or extractors, e.g. for removing intramedullary devices {(insertion or extraction of artificial joints A61F2/4603)} · CPC title

• A61B17/7059

  Cortical plates (A61B17/7007, A61B17/7058 take precedence) · CPC title

• A61B17/1728

  for holes for bone plates or plate screws · CPC title