Spinal implants, spinal implant kits, and surgical methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9572680-B2
Application number	US-201313750496-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 25, 2013
Priority date	Jan 25, 2013
Publication date	Feb 21, 2017
Grant date	Feb 21, 2017

Abstract

A spinal implant includes a body, plate, and bone screws. The body includes a first wall having second and third walls joined thereto to define legs. In an embodiment, the body and plate are of unitary construction. In alternative embodiments, the body is formed from a first material and is configured for positioning between vertebral bodies. In other embodiments, the body is separate from the plate. The plate has a main portion and a flange. The main portion has a first screw hole oriented towards the first vertebral body at an oblique angle relative to the horizontal axis of the body. The flange has a second screw hole oriented towards the second vertebral body and substantially parallel to the horizontal axis. The flange is coupled to the main portion and extends past the main portion. Each bone screw is insertable through a screw hole of the plate for attachment to bone. A kit including a body, bone screws, and a plurality of different plates is also provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A spinal implant comprising:
a substantially U-shaped body defining an upper body surface, a lower body surface, an inner body surface, and an outer body surface, the substantially U-shaped body having a first wall, a second wall, and a third wall, a first end of each of the second wall and the third wall joined to the first wall at opposing ends of the first wall such that the second wall and the third wall define legs of the substantially U-shaped body, a second, free end of each of the second wall and the third wall defining a face, each face defining an uninterrupted planar wall surface bounded by and occupying an entire area defined between the upper body surface, the lower body surface, the inner body surface, and the outer body surface, the substantially U-shaped body configured and dimensioned to be positioned between a first vertebral body and a second vertebral body;
a plate having a main portion and a flange portion, the main portion having:
a first face oriented away from the substantially U-shaped body,
a second face oriented towards the substantially U-shaped body, the second face defining a first uninterrupted planar plate surface and a second uninterrupted planar plate surface, the first uninterrupted planar plate surface and the second uninterrupted planar plate surface configured for positioning adjacent to and in opposed relation relative to the first uninterrupted planar wall surface and the second uninterrupted planar wall surface, respectively, so as to enable slidable repositioning of the plate and the substantially U-shaped body relative to each other along a plane parallel to the uninterrupted planar wall surfaces and the uninterrupted planar plate surfaces,
an upper plate surface and a lower plate surface, and
a first screw hole oriented towards the first vertebral body at an oblique angle relative to a horizontal axis of the substantially U-shaped body,

the flange portion having a second screw hole oriented towards the second vertebral body with the second screw hole oriented substantially parallel to the horizontal axis of the substantially U-shaped body, the flange portion coupled to the main portion such that the flange portion extends past the upper plate surface of the main portion; and
a plurality of bone screws, each bone screw of the plurality of bone screws insertable through a corresponding screw hole of a plurality of screw holes of the plate and capable of attaching to bone.

2. The spinal implant of claim 1 , wherein the plate further comprises at least one locking mechanism, such that when a bone screw of the plurality of bone screws is inserted through a screw hole of the plurality of screw holes, the locking mechanism maintains the bone screw within the screw hole.

3. The spinal implant of claim 2 , wherein the locking mechanism comprises a locking ring positionable in the screw hole for retaining the bone screw.

4. The spinal implant of claim 3 , wherein the locking mechanism comprises a locking ring positioned in each screw hole of the plurality of screw holes to retain the plurality of bone screws.

5. The spinal implant of claim 2 , wherein the locking mechanism comprises a lip formed in each screw hole of the plurality of screw holes, with the plate made of a first material and the plurality of bone screws made of a second, harder material such that each bone screw of the plurality of bone screws locks to the lip upon engagement of the bone screw of the plurality of bone screws with the lip.

6. The spinal implant of claim 1 , wherein the substantially U-shaped body is configured and dimensioned so that when the substantially U-shaped body is inserted between the first vertebral body and the second vertebral body, the upper body surface contacts the first vertebral body and the lower body surface contacts the second vertebral body.

7. The spinal implant of claim 1 , wherein the upper body surface and the lower body surface are substantially coplanar with the upper plate surface and the lower plate surface, respectively.

8. The spinal implant of claim 1 , wherein the first uninterrupted planar plate surface and the second uninterrupted planar plate surface are spaced from the uninterrupted planar wall surfaces of the faces of the second wall and the third wall, respectively, of the substantially U-shaped body to define a gap therebetween when the substantially U-shaped body and the plate main portion are disposed between the first vertebral body and the second vertebral body.

9. The spinal implant of claim 1 , wherein the first uninterrupted planar surface and the second uninterrupted planar surface of the main portion of the plate and the uninterrupted planar wall surfaces of the faces of the second wall and the third wall, respectively, of the substantially U-shaped body are disposed in slidable contact with each other when the substantially U-shaped body and the plate main portion are disposed between the first vertebral body and the second vertebral body.

10. The spinal implant of claim 1 , wherein the substantially U-shaped body is formed from a first material and the plate is formed from a second material different from the first material.

11. The spinal implant of claim 1 , wherein the bone screw of the plurality of bone screws that is insertable through a first screw hole of the plurality of screw holes into the first vertebral body is configured for insertion at an oblique angle relative to the horizontal axis of the substantially U-shaped body, and wherein the bone screw of the plurality of bone screws that is insertable through a second screw hole of the plurality of screw holes into the second vertebral body is configured for insertion substantially parallel to the horizontal axis of the substantially U-shaped body.

12. The spinal implant of claim 1 , wherein the plate and the substantially U-shaped body are slidably repositionable relative to each other along a plane parallel to both the uninterrupted planar wall surfaces and the uninterrupted planar plate surfaces in a direction transverse to the horizontal axis of the substantially U-shaped body.

13. The spinal implant of claim 12 , wherein the plate and the substantially U-shaped body are slidably repositionable relative to each other along a plane parallel to both the uninterrupted planar wall surfaces and the uninterrupted planar plate surfaces in a direction perpendicular to the horizontal axis of the substantially U-shaped body.

14. A spinal implant comprising:
a substantially U-shaped body defining an upper body surface, a lower body surface an inner body surface, and an outer body surface, the substantially U-shaped body and configured and dimensioned so that when the substantially U-shaped body is inserted between a first vertebral body and a second vertebral body, the upper body surface contacts the first vertebral body and the lower body surface contacts the second vertebral body, the substantially U-shaped body defining a first leg and a second leg each having a free end, the free end of the first leg defining a first uninterrupted planar leg surface bounded by and occupying an entire first area defined between the upper body surface, the lower body surface, the inner body surface, and the outer body surface, the free end of the second leg defining a second uninterrupted planar leg surface bounded by and occupying an entire second area defined between the upper body surface, the lower body surface, the inner body surface, and the outer body surface; and
a plate including:
a main portion including:
an upper main portion surface and a lower main portion surface;
a first face oriented away from the substa

Assignees

• K2M Inc

Inventors

• Theofilos Charles
• Jones Scott
• Moore Jennifer

Classifications

• 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

• A61F2002/30578

  having apertures, e.g. for receiving fixation screws · CPC title

• A61F2002/30787

  inclined obliquely with respect to each other · CPC title

• A61F2002/30604

  modular · CPC title

• A61F2002/30904

  serrated profile, i.e. saw-toothed · CPC title