Posterior intervertebral disc inserter and expansion techniques

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9687354-B2
Application number	US-201514922360-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 26, 2015
Priority date	Mar 26, 2008
Publication date	Jun 27, 2017
Grant date	Jun 27, 2017

Abstract

Insertion and expansion devices for use in inserting motion discs, and associated methods of use.

First claim

We claim:

1. An intervertebral implant, comprising:
a) a central body having a longitudinal axis, a proximal endportion and a distal endportion, wherein the proximal endportion is offset from the distal endportion in a proximal direction,
b) a first leg pivotally attached to the proximal endportion,
wherein the first leg has a first orientation substantially in-line with the longitudinal axis of the central body to provide a footprint of the implant,
wherein the first leg is pivotable from the first orientation to a second orientation that is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the central body,
wherein the second orientation changes the footprint of the implant,
wherein the first leg defines an external concave surface and an external convex surface opposite the concave surface, and the concave surface faces a distal direction in the second orientation, the distal direction opposite the proximal direction, and an entirety of the convex surface translates as the first leg pivots from the first orientation to the second orientation, and
wherein when the first leg is in the second orientation, a proximal-most surface of the first leg is offset from the central body in the proximal direction.

2. The implant of claim 1 , wherein the longitudinal axis of the central body is a curvilinear longitudinal axis.

3. The implant of claim 1 , wherein the leg contacts an adjacent vertebral body.

4. The implant of claim 1 , wherein the central body has an intermediate portion comprising a convex sidewall and a concave sidewall, wherein the convex sidewall is substantially parallel to the concave sidewall.

5. The implant of claim 1 , wherein the first leg constitutes an upper surface of the implant.

6. A method of inserting the intervertebral implant of claim 1 into a disc space, comprising the steps of:
a) attaching an inserter to the first leg of the intervertebral implant,
b) after the attaching step, inserting the intervertebral implant into the disc space using the inserter,
c) pivoting the first leg of the inserted implant.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the inserting step includes initially inserting the implant so that the longitudinal axis of the central body has a substantially anterior-posterior orientation in the disc space.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the inserting step comprises causing the longitudinal axis of the central body to have a substantially lateral orientation in the disc space.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first leg resides substantially anterior to the central body after step c).

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the leg contacts a vertebral body adjacent the disc space.

11. The method of claim 6 , wherein the pivoting step comprises pivoting the first leg from the first orientation to the second orientation.

12. The method of claim 6 , wherein the central body has an intermediate portion comprising a convex sidewall and a concave sidewall, wherein the convex sidewall is substantially parallel to and anterior to the concave sidewall.

13. The intervertebral implant of claim 1 , wherein the central body defines a body width along a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, the first leg defines a leg width along the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, and in the first orientation the leg width is less than the body width.

14. A system comprising:
the intervertebral implant of claim 1 ; and
a pedicle screw.

15. An intervertebral implant, comprising:
a) a central body having a longitudinal axis, a proximal endportion and a distal endportion, wherein the central body defines a central body width along a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis,
b) a first leg pivotally attached to the proximal endportion,
wherein the first leg has an external concave face and an external convex face opposite the concave face and spaced from the concave face along a central leg axis of the first leg,
wherein the first leg is pivotable between a first orientation whereby the central leg axis is angularly offset from the longitudinal axis, and a second orientation whereby the central leg axis extends substantially in a common direction as the longitudinal axis, and
wherein the first leg defines a distance from the concave face to the convex face along the central leg axis, the distance less than the central body width.

16. The implant of claim 15 , wherein the longitudinal axis of the central body is a curvilinear longitudinal axis.

17. The implant of claim 15 , wherein the leg is configured to contact an adjacent vertebral body.

18. The implant of claim 15 , wherein the central body has an intermediate portion comprising a convex sidewall and a concave sidewall, wherein the convex sidewall is substantially parallel to the concave sidewall.

19. The implant of claim 15 , wherein the first leg constitutes an upper surface of the implant.

20. The intervertebral implant of claim 15 , wherein the first leg defines a leg width along the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, and the leg width is less than the body width when the first leg is in the first orientation.

21. A system comprising:
the intervertebral implant of claim 15 ; and
a pedicle screw.

22. The intervertebral implant of claim 15 , wherein the central leg axis is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis when the first leg is in the first orientation.

23. An assembly intervertebral implant comprising:
a) a central body having endplates spaced from each other along a transverse direction, a longitudinal axis and proximal and distal endportions spaced from each other along the longitudinal axis, wherein the central body has a body width along a direction perpendicular to both the longitudinal axis and the transverse direction, and
b) a first leg pivotally attached to the proximal endportion, the first leg having an external concave surface and an external convex surface opposite the concave surface,
wherein the first leg has a first orientation substantially in-line with the longitudinal axis of the central body to provide a first implant footprint,
wherein the first leg is pivotable between the first orientation and a second orientation, whereby the first leg is angularly offset with respect to the longitudinal axis of the central body so as to produce a second implant footprint that is different than the first implant footprint, and
wherein when the leg is in the first orientation, 1) the first leg has a leg width along the direction perpendicular to both the longitudinal axis and the transverse direction, and 2) the leg width along an entirety of the first leg is less than the body width along an entirety of the central body.

24. The implant of claim 23 , wherein the longitudinal axis of the central body is a curvilinear longitudinal axis.

25. The implant of claim 23 , wherein the leg contacts an adjacent vertebral body.

26. The assembly of claim 23 , wherein the distal endportion is offset from the proximal endportion in a distal direction, and the concave surface faces the distal direction in the second orientation.

27. The intervertebral implant of claim 23 , wherein the first leg defines a first leg distance from the concave surface to the convex surface, and the first leg distance is less than the body width.

28. The intervertebral implant of claim 23 , wherein the proximal endporti

Assignees

• Depuy Synthes Products Inc

Inventors

• Bellas Jonathan
• Kwak Seungkyu Daniel
• O'Neil Michael J
• Hawkins John Riley

Classifications

• A61F2/4611 Primary

  of spinal prostheses · CPC title

• A61F2220/0091

  connected by a hinged linkage mechanism, e.g. of the single-bar or multi-bar linkage type · CPC title

• A61F2002/30116

  partial circles, i.e. circular segments · CPC title

• A61F2230/0006

  circular · CPC title

• A61F2002/30579

  with mechanically expandable devices, e.g. fixation devices · CPC title