Expandable implant

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9561117-B2
Application number	US-201414569105-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 12, 2014
Priority date	Jul 26, 2012
Publication date	Feb 7, 2017
Grant date	Feb 7, 2017

Abstract

An expandable implant for inserting within a skeletal space is provided, and a method for using the implant to expand the skeletal space. The implant is preferably designed to be inserted into an intervertebral space to replace at least part of an intervertebral disc between adjacent vertebral bodies. The expandable implant contains at least one first expansion compartment and at least one second expansion compartments, which compartments can be inflatable balloons that are inflated by a catheter. Inflating the first expansion compartment expands the implant in a first direction and inflating the second expansion compartment expands the implant in a second direction.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An intervertebral implant configured for insertion along a lateral insertion direction into an intervertebral space defined between a superior vertebra and an inferior vertebra, the intervertebral implant comprising:
a first bone contacting member having a first bone contacting surface configured to face the inferior vertebra;
a second bone contacting member spaced from the first bone contacting member along a cranial-caudal direction, the second bone contacting member having a second bone contacting surface configured to face the superior vertebra, wherein the first and second bone contacting members have respective sides that are spaced apart along an anterior-posterior direction that is substantially perpendicular to the cranial-caudal direction, wherein the anterior-posterior direction and the cranial-caudal direction are substantially perpendicular to the lateral insertion direction when the implant is disposed in the intervertebral space;
at least two expansion compartments that are elongate along the lateral insertion direction and disposed between the first and second bone contacting surfaces, the at least two expansion compartments being spaced apart with respect to each other along the anterior-posterior direction, each expansion compartment defining a first side, a second side spaced from the first side along the anterior-posterior direction, and a distance that extends from the first side to the second side along the anterior-posterior direction, each expansion compartment configured to expand so as to increase the distance between the first and second sides, wherein each of the at least two expansion compartments are configured to cooperate with at least one of the first and second bone contacting members to cause the expansion of the implant in the anterior-posterior direction without substantially causing the implant to expand in the cranial-caudal direction.

2. The implant of claim 1 , wherein the first bone contacting member comprises a first contacting component, a second contacting component spaced from the first contacting component along the anterior-posterior direction, and a first expandable connection that links the first and second contacting components, wherein the first and second contacting components define an anterior-posterior dimension that is parallel to the anterior-posterior direction,
wherein the first and second contacting components of the first bone contacting member are arranged such that as the anterior-posterior dimension of the implant increases the first expandable connection expands and the first and second contacting components move apart relative to each other along the anterior-posterior direction.

3. The implant of claim 2 , wherein the second bone contacting member comprises a third contacting component, a fourth contacting component, and a second expandable connection that links the third contacting component with the fourth contacting component.

4. The implant of claim 3 , further comprising two or more additional expansion compartments.

5. The implant of claim 2 , wherein the first expandable connection comprises a wire netting.

6. The implant of claim 5 , wherein the wire netting comprises a plurality of individual link members.

7. The implant of claim 1 , wherein the at least two expansion compartments are first and second expansion compartments, and the first and second expansion compartments are arranged parallel to each other.

8. The implant of claim 7 , wherein the first and second expansion compartments are aligned with each other along the anterior-posterior direction.

9. The implant of claim 1 , wherein each one of the at least two expansion compartments is an inflatable balloon.

10. The implant of claim 9 , wherein the inflatable balloon is an elongated expansion balloon having a length substantially greater than an un-inflated diameter.

11. The implant of claim 10 , wherein the length extends in a direction that is perpendicular to the cranial-caudal direction and the anterior-posterior direction.

12. The implant of claim 1 , wherein the at least two expansion compartments are configured to expand in the cranial-caudal direction.

13. The implant of claim 1 , wherein an axis that is aligned with the anterior-posterior direction extends through the at least two expansion compartments.

14. A method for implanting an intervertebral implant into an intervertebral space defined between a superior vertebra and an inferior vertebra spaced apart along a cranial-caudal direction, each vertebrae including an anterior side and a posterior side spaced from the anterior side along an anterior-posterior direction that is perpendicular to the cranial-caudal direction, the method comprising:
inserting the intervertebral implant into the intervertebral space along a lateral insertion direction that is perpendicular to the cranial caudal direction and the anterior-posterior direction, the intervertebral implant including a first bone contacting member, a second bone contacting member spaced from the first bone contacting member along the cranial-caudal direction; and
after the insertion step, expanding at least two expansion compartments of the intervertebral implant along the anterior-posterior direction, the at least two expansion compartments being spaced apart with respect to each other along the anterior-posterior direction, wherein during the expanding step, the at least two expansion compartments cooperate with at least one of the first and second bone contacting members to expand the intervertebral implant along the anterior-posterior direction without expanding the intervertebral implant in the cranial-caudal direction.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the intervertebral implant is inserted along the lateral insertion direction through a lateral incision disposed laterally with respect to the superior and inferior vertebra.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein at least one of the first and second bone contacting members includes a first contacting component and a second contacting component spaced from the first contacting component along the anterior-posterior direction and defining a first dimension along the anterior-posterior direction, wherein the expanding step includes increasing the first dimension along the anterior-posterior direction.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising an expandable connection that links the first and second contacting components, wherein the expanding step includes expanding the expandable connection.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the expanding step includes inserting a filler material into the at least two expansion compartments.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the at least two expansion compartments are a first expansion compartment and a second expansion compartment, wherein the expanding step includes simultaneously inserting the filler material into the first and second expansion compartments.

20. The method of claim 14 , wherein each of the first and second bone contacting members includes a first end and a second end opposed to the first end, and the at least two expansion compartments are attached to the first end of the first and second bone contacting members, wherein the method further comprises detaching the at least two expansion compartments from the first ends of the first and second bone contacting members.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein each first end includes a respective fixing member, and each expansion compartment includes a hook attached to th

Assignees

• Depuy Synthes Products Inc

Inventors

• Lechmann Beat
• Burkard Dominique
• Schwager Michael

Classifications

• A61F2/442 Primary

  Intervertebral or spinal discs, e.g. resilient (non-disc-shaped intervertebral inflatable pockets A61F2/441; non-disc-shaped intervertebral fusion implants A61F2/4455) · CPC title

• A61F2002/3055

  for adjusting length · CPC title

• A61F2002/30179

  X-shaped · CPC title

• A61F2002/30828

  parallel · CPC title

• A61F2310/00017

  Iron- or Fe-based alloys, e.g. stainless steel · CPC title