Flexible spinal fixation device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016296342-A1
Application number	US-201615094112-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 8, 2016
Priority date	Apr 8, 2015
Publication date	Oct 13, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A spinal fixation assembly includes an intervertebral body and a fixation member. The intervertebral body is positionable between adjacent vertebral bodies. The intervertebral body includes a front surface, a top surface, and a bottom surface. In particular, the top and bottom surfaces engage the respective adjacent vertebral bodies. The intervertebral body defines a through-hole extending from the front surface toward one of the adjacent vertebral bodies. The fixation member is configured to be received through the through-hole, and includes cut features to facilitate flexing of the fixation member.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A spinal fixation assembly comprising:
an intervertebral body positionable between adjacent vertebral bodies, the intervertebral body including a front surface, a top surface, and a bottom surface, the top and bottom surfaces engaging the respective vertebral bodies, the intervertebral body defining a through-hole extending from the front surface toward one of the adjacent vertebral bodies; and a fixation member configured to be received through the through-hole, the fixation member including cut features to facilitate flexing of the fixation member, wherein the cut features define a plurality of circumferential sections, each circumferential section of the plurality of circumferential sections including male and female portions.

2 . The spinal fixation assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the through-hole of the intervertebral body defines a curvature.

3 . The spinal fixation assembly according to claim 2 , wherein the male and female portions are circumferentially arranged such that the male and female portions are alternately arranged along a length of the fixation member.

4 . The spinal fixation assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the fixation member includes a head portion and a shaft extending distally from the head portion.

5 . The spinal fixation assembly according to claim 4 , wherein the head portion includes threads to threadably engage the through-hole of the intervertebral body.

6 . The spinal fixation assembly according to claim 4 , wherein the shaft of the fixation member is bendable transversely with respect to a longitudinal axis of the fixation member.

7 . The spinal fixation assembly according to claim 4 , wherein the shaft of the fixation member includes threads configured to threadably engage one of the adjacent vertebral bodies.

8 . The spinal fixation assembly according to claim 4 , wherein the shaft of the fixation member includes a retaining member.

9 . The spinal fixation assembly according to claim 8 , wherein the retaining member includes a plurality of circumferentially arranged fingers to inhibit proximal displacement of the fixation member.

10 . The spinal fixation assembly according to claim 8 , wherein the retaining member of the shaft is disposed at a distal end of the fixation member.

11 . The spinal fixation assembly according to claim 8 , wherein the fixation member is cannulated.

12 . The spinal fixation assembly according to claim 11 , further comprising a guide wire configured to be received through the fixation member.

13 . The spinal fixation assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the intervertebral body includes a locking member to threadably secure the fixation member thereto.

14 . The spinal fixation assembly according to claim 13 , wherein the fixation member includes threads, and the locking member includes a deformable lip configured to threadably engage the threads of the fixation member.

15 . The spinal fixation assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the head portion of the fixation member includes a first diameter and the shaft of the fixation member includes a second diameter different from the first diameter.

16 . A method of surgery comprising:
positioning an intervertebral body between adjacent vertebral bodies; inserting a fixation member through a front surface and into one of the adjacent vertebral bodies; and locking the fixation member to the intervertebral body.

17 . The method according to claim 16 , further comprising inserting a flexible drill bit through a through-hole of the intervertebral body and creating a path into one of the adjacent vertebral bodies to receive the fixation member therein.

18 . The method according to claim 16 , wherein inserting the fixation member includes flexing the fixation member such that at least a portion of the fixation member is aligned with a longitudinal axis defined by the adjacent vertebral bodies when the fixation member is inserted through the intervertebral body.

19 . The method according to claim 16 , further comprising inserting a guidewire through a channel defined in the fixation member.

20 . The method according to claim 16 , further comprising inserting circumferentially arranged fingers into the one of the adjacent vertebral bodies to inhibit proximal displacement of the fixation member.

Assignees

• K2M Inc

Inventors

• Woods Richard W

Classifications

• A61F2002/30774

  internally-threaded · CPC title

• A61F2/4455 Primary

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

• A61F2002/30593

  hollow · CPC title

• A61F2002/3085

  with a threaded, e.g. self-tapping, bone-engaging surface, e.g. external surface · CPC title

• A61B2017/8655

  with special features for locking in the bone · CPC title