Expandable intervertebral interbody implants

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12427038-B2
Application number	US-202318393932-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 22, 2023
Priority date	Jun 27, 2023
Publication date	Sep 30, 2025
Grant date	Sep 30, 2025

Abstract

Expandable fusion devices, systems, instruments, and methods thereof. The expandable fusion implant may include an upper endplate and a lower endplate configured to engage adjacent vertebrae, an expansion gear configured to adjust a height of the upper endplate, a locking collar configured to attach to an inserter instrument at multiple orientations for a desired surgical approach, and an actuation ram configured to lock, unlock, or change insertion orientation of the locking collar. The expandable fusion device is attachable to the inserter instrument to reorient the locking collar and expand the upper endplate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An expandable implant comprising:
an upper endplate and a lower endplate configured to engage adjacent vertebrae;
an expansion gear configured to adjust a height of the upper endplate, the expansion gear is coupled to the lower endplate and engaged with the upper endplate;
a locking collar positioned between the expansion gear and the lower endplate and configured to attach to an inserter instrument at multiple orientations for a desired surgical approach;
a spring received in a recess in the locking collar; and
an actuation ram housed in the locking collar configured to lock, unlock, or change insertion orientation of the locking collar.

2. The expandable implant of claim 1 , wherein in a first position, the locking collar is locked against the lower endplate and the expansion gear, thereby fully locking the implant, wherein in a second position, the locking collar is permitted to freely spin about the lower endplate for the desired surgical approach, and wherein in a third position, the locking collar locks against the lower endplate and is translated away from the expansion gear, thereby allowing for expansion of the upper endplate.

3. The expandable implant of claim 1 , wherein the lower endplate includes a ring of teeth configured to interface with corresponding mating surfaces in the locking collar.

4. The expandable implant of claim 1 , wherein the spring is an elongated tab with a curved central section, which deforms under force.

5. The expandable implant of claim 1 , wherein the actuation ram includes a body with two enlarged ends with a narrowed middle section.

6. The expandable implant of claim 1 , wherein the spring is located opposite to the actuation ram.

7. The expandable implant of claim 1 , wherein the expansion gear includes a disk with a plurality of teeth projecting radially outward therefrom and a threaded central opening configured to threadedly mate with the upper endplate.

8. The expandable implant of claim 7 , wherein the locking collar includes a pair of vertically projecting beams each having an inner-facing surface configured to engage with the plurality of teeth of the expansion gear.

9. The expandable implant of claim 1 , wherein the upper endplate includes an annular body with a bone-engaging surface and an inferiorly protruding cylinder configured to mate with the expansion gear, wherein the inferiorly protruding cylinder of the upper endplate includes exterior threads and a vertical slot bisecting the exterior threads, and the lower endplate includes a pillar receivable in the vertical slot.

10. An implantable system comprising:
an expandable implant comprising an upper endplate configured to engage a superior vertebra, a lower endplate configured to engage an inferior vertebra, an expansion gear configured to adjust a height of the upper endplate, a locking collar configured to rotate about the lower endplate for a desired surgical approach, a spring for biasing the locking collar toward or away from the lower endplate and the expansion gear, and an actuation ram housed in the locking collar configured to lock, unlock, or change insertion orientation of the locking collar; and
an inserter instrument having an attachment assembly configured to engage the locking collar and an expansion assembly configured to expand the implant, wherein the inserter instrument is attachable to the locking collar in a first position for fully locking the implant, a second position permitting the locking collar to freely spin for the desired surgical approach, and a third position allowing for expansion of the upper endplate.

11. The implantable system of claim 10 , wherein the locking collar includes a central opening, which is internally threaded, and a pair of openings positioned on opposite sides of the central opening, which are non-threaded.

12. The implantable system of claim 11 , wherein the actuation ram is located inside a pocket in the locking collar, the actuation ram includes a body with two enlarged ends and a narrowed middle section, wherein the two enlarged ends are aligned with the non-threaded openings and the narrowed middle section is aligned with the central opening.

13. The implantable system of claim 12 , wherein the narrowed middle section defines a notch partially aligned with the central threaded opening.

14. The implantable system of claim 12 , wherein the inserter instrument includes a central threaded shaft configured to engage the central opening, and a pair of non-threaded shafts configured to engage the pair of openings.

15. The implantable system of claim 14 , wherein in the first position, the inserter instrument is attached to the implant such that the inserter instrument is not threaded into the locking collar, the spring biases the locking collar against the lower endplate and the expansion gear, thereby fully locking the implant.

16. The implantable system of claim 14 , wherein in the second position, the inserter instrument is attached to the implant such that the inserter instrument is threaded into the locking collar to a pre-determined position, the non-threaded shafts push against the actuation ram, and the locking collar releases from the lower endplate, thereby permitting the locking collar to freely spin for the desired surgical approach.

17. The implantable system of claim 14 , wherein in the third position, the inserter instrument is attached to the implant such that the inserter instrument is fully threaded into the locking collar, the non-threaded shafts push against the actuation ram overpowering the spring, and the locking collar releases the expansion gear, thereby allowing for expansion of the upper endplate.

18. A method of installing an expandable implant comprising:
providing an expandable implant having an upper endplate, a lower endplate, an expansion gear configured to adjust a height of the upper endplate, a locking collar configured to rotate about the lower endplate for a desired surgical approach, a spring for biasing the locking collar toward or away from the lower endplate and the expansion gear, and an actuation ram housed in the locking collar configured to lock, unlock, or change insertion orientation of the locking collar;
attaching an inserter instrument to the expandable implant;
controlling the position and orientation of the locking collar through the inserter instrument to determine a desired trajectory;
inserting the expandable implant in a collapsed position between adjacent vertebrae along the desired trajectory; and
expanding the expandable implant through the inserter instrument.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein in an unengaged state, the implant is locked such that the locking collar and the expansion gear are fully locked.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the desired trajectory is selected from direct anterior, direct lateral, or a non-specified oblique approach between direct anterior and direct lateral.

Assignees

• Globus Medical Inc

Inventors

• Gupta Munish
• Mclaughlin Colm
• Andraka Matthew

Classifications

• A61F2/4611

  of spinal prostheses · CPC title

• A61F2230/0082

  parallelepipedal · CPC title

• A61F2250/0008

  for adjusting a position by translation along an axis or two perpendicular axes · CPC title

• A61F2002/305

  Snap connection · CPC title

• A61F2002/30571

  Leaf springs · CPC title