Stabilizing vertebrae with articulating implants

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12478480-B2
Application number	US-202217729132-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 26, 2022
Priority date	Dec 20, 2019
Publication date	Nov 25, 2025
Grant date	Nov 25, 2025

Abstract

A bone joint spacer has two endplates which have a bone engaging surface on one side, and ramps extending from an opposite side. A shaft has a threaded end, and another end which has ramp followers which mate with the endplate ramps of both endplates. A collar slides over the threaded end of the shaft, and also has ramp followers which mate with the endplate ramps of both endplates. A nut threads onto the end of the shaft and pushes the collar towards the ramp followers of the shaft. This movement causes the ramp followers to slide the ramp followers of the collar and the shaft against the endplate ramps, pushing the endplates apart. Two of these spacers can be combined by a link plate so that the spacers can be aligned or curved into a U-shape to be inserted into the body and positioned between bony surfaces, respectively.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A spacer for separating bones of a joint, the spacer comprising:
first and second driven modules, each including:
first and second endplates, each having:
a first side forming a bone engaging surface,
a second side opposite to the first side, and
first and second angled sides extending from the first side in the direction of the second side,

a single-piece shaft having:
a first end, and
a second end opposite to the first end and mateable with the second side of one of the first and second endplates;

a collar slidably disposed upon the shaft proximate the shaft first end, the collar mateable with the second side of one of the first and second endplates; and
a nut threadably engaged with the shaft first end, the nut configured to push the collar in the direction of the shaft second end to thereby push the first and second endplates apart relative to each other from a collapsed position to an expanded position; and
a pair of link plates each having first and second spaced apart opposed ends pivotally joined to one of the first and second endplates of the first and second driven modules by a hinge connection, each link plate having a bone engaging surface such that when the first and second driven modules are vertically expanded, the link plates also expand vertically in the same direction such that the bone engaging surfaces of the link plates push against the bones to separate the bones of the joint,
wherein in the collapsed position the first angled side of the first endplate engages the first angled side of the second endplate and in the expanded position the first angled side of the first endplate is separated from the first angled side of the second endplate, and
wherein in the collapsed position the first angled side of the first endplate extends to the first side of the second endplate and the first angled side of the second endplate extends to the first side of the first endplate.

2 . The spacer of claim 1 , the link plate having first and second spaced apart opposed ends, a hinge including a pin connecting a driven module at each of the first and second ends.

3 . The spacer of claim 1 , wherein each link plate joined to each first endplate has bilateral symmetry with each link plate joined to each second endplate.

4 . The spacer of claim 1 , the first and second modules and the link plates are alignable relative to each other to form a linear spacer, the linear spacer thereby being insertable through a cannula into the body.

5 . The spacer of claim 1 , the first and second modules each pivotable about the hinge connection to form the spacer into a U-shaped configuration, the U-shaped configuration formable when the spacer is between two bony surfaces.

6 . The spacer of claim 1 , the hinge connection including a pin affixed to one of an endplate and link plate, the pin movably connected to the other of the endplate and link plate.

7 . The spacer of claim 6 , the pin forming a curved surface where the pin is movably connected.

8 . The spacer of claim 1 , the collar of each of the two driven modules including an external threaded sleeve engageable by a surgical tool to couple the spacer and the tool.

9 . The spacer of claim 1 , the collar including at least two ramp followers, each ramp follower including a dovetail portion mateable with a ramp of an endplate second side.

10 . A spacer for separating bones of a joint, the spacer comprising:
first and second driven modules, each including:
first and second endplates, each having
a first side forming a bone engaging surface,
a second side opposite to the first side, and
first and second angled sides extending from the first side in the direction of the second side,
a single-piece shaft having
a first end having threads, and
a second end opposite to the first end and mateable with the second side of one of the first and second endplates;

a collar slidably disposed upon the shaft proximate the shaft first end; and
a nut threadably engaged with the shaft first end, the nut rotatable to push the collar in the direction of the shaft second end to move first and second endplates from a collapsed position to an expanded position, wherein in the expanded position the first and second endplates are spaced apart relative to each other; and
a pair of link plates each having first and second spaced apart opposed ends pivotally joined to one of the first and second endplates of the first and second driven modules by a hinge connection, each link plate having a bone engaging surface such that when the first and second driven modules are vertically expanded, the link plates also expand vertically in the same direction such that the bone engaging surfaces of the link plates push against the bones to separate the bones of the joint,
wherein in the collapsed position the first angled side of the first endplate engages the first angled side of the second endplate and in the expanded position the first angled side of the first endplate is separated from the first angled side of the second endplate, and
wherein in the collapsed position the first angled side of the first endplate extends to the first side of the second endplate and the first angled side of the second endplate extends to the first side of the first endplate.

11 . A spacer for separating bones of a joint, the spacer comprising:
first and second endplates, each having
a first side forming a bone engaging surface,
a second side opposite to the first side, and
first and second angled sides extending from the first side in the direction of the second side,
a shaft having
a first end, and
a second end opposite to the first end and mateable with the second side of one of the first and second endplates;

a collar slidably disposed upon the shaft proximate the shaft first end; and
a nut threadably engaged with the shaft first end,
a pair of link plates each having first and second spaced apart opposed ends pivotally joined to one of the first and second endplates of the first and second driven modules by a hinge connection, each link plate having a bone engaging surface such that as the first and second driven modules are vertically expanded, the link plates also expand vertically in the same direction such that the bone engaging surfaces of the link plates push against the bones to separate the bones of the joint,
wherein in the collapsed position the first angled side of the first endplate engages the first angled side of the second endplate and in the expanded position the first angled side of the first endplate is separated from the first angled side of the second endplate,
wherein the collar includes a threaded sleeve engageable by a surgical tool to couple the spacer and the tool, and
wherein the threaded sleeve being an external threaded sleeve.

12 . The spacer of claim 11 , the nut and the collar connected by a split ring.

13 . The spacer of claim 11 , each endplate including an opening into which a portion of a ramp of another endplate can pass to reduce a height of the spacer.

14 . The spacer of claim 11 , wherein the second end of the shaft includes ramp followers, each ramp follower including a dovetail portion mateable with a ramp of an endplate second side.

15 . The spacer of claim 11 , wherein the collar includes ramp followers, each ramp follower including a dovetail portion mateable with a ramp of an endplate second side.

16 . The spacer of claim 11 , the at least two ramps of the second side of each of the endplates including two pairs of ramps.

17 . The spacer

Assignees

• Globus Medical Inc

Inventors

• Weiman Mark
• Glerum Chad
• Hessler Ty
• Hill Albert

Classifications

• A61F2002/30131

  horseshoe- or crescent- or C-shaped or U-shaped · CPC title

• A61F2002/3008

  radio-opaque, e.g. radio-opaque markers · CPC title

• A61F2002/30092

  using shape memory or superelastic materials, e.g. nitinol · CPC title

• A61F2002/307

  Prostheses for animals · CPC title

• A61F2002/30624

  Hinged joint, e.g. with transverse axle restricting the movement · CPC title