Low profile intervertebral implant

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9744049-B2
Application number	US-201514635480-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 2, 2015
Priority date	Nov 16, 2007
Publication date	Aug 29, 2017
Grant date	Aug 29, 2017

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a low profile intervertebral implant for implantation in an intervertebral disc space in-between adjacent vertebral bodies. The intervertebral implant includes a plate preferably coupled to a spacer. The plate is preferably formed from a first material and the spacer is preferably formed from a second material, the first material being different from the second material. The plate is preferably sized and configured so that the plate does not extend beyond the perimeter of the spacer. In this manner, the plate preferably does not increase the height profile of the spacer and the plate may be implanted within the intervertebral disc space in conjunction with the spacer.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An intervertebral implant configured to be inserted in a first direction into an intervertebral disc space that is defined by a first vertebral body and a second vertebral body, the intervertebral implant comprising:
a spacer including a first end and a second end, the first end opposite the second end in the first direction, the spacer further including a first spacer surface and a second spacer surface opposite the first spacer surface in a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction, wherein the first spacer surface is configured to face the first vertebral body when the intervertebral implant is implanted in the intervertebral disc space, and the second spacer surface is configured to face the second vertebral body when the intervertebral implant is implanted in the intervertebral disc space; and
a plate configured to be mounted to the spacer such that the plate includes a first plate surface that defines a location which overlaps a portion of the spacer with respect to the second direction and is configured to abut the first vertebral body when the intervertebral implant is implanted in the intervertebral disc space.

2. The intervertebral implant of claim 1 , wherein the portion of the spacer includes a third spacer surface that is: 1) positioned closer to the first spacer surface than the second spacer surface is positioned to the first spacer surface, and 2) positioned closer to the second spacer surface than the first spacer surface is positioned to the second spacer surface.

3. The intervertebral implant of claim 2 , wherein the plate includes a plate body that has a front surface that faces the second end of the spacer when the plate is mounted to the spacer, the plate further includes an arm that extends out from the plate body in the first direction beyond the front surface of the plate body, and the first plate surface is defined by at least a portion of the arm.

4. The intervertebral implant of claim 3 , wherein the portion of the spacer is a first portion of the spacer, and the plate is configured to be mounted to the spacer such that a second plate surface overlaps a second portion of the spacer with respect to the second direction.

5. The intervertebral implant of claim 4 , wherein the arm is a first arm, the plate includes a second arm that extends out from the plate body in the first direction beyond the front surface of the plate body, and the second portion of the plate includes at least a portion of the second arm.

6. The intervertebral implant of claim 3 , wherein the plate is configured to be mounted to the spacer such the portion of the arm abuts the third spacer surface.

7. The intervertebral implant of claim 6 , wherein the plate body includes a rear surface opposite the front surface of the plate body in the first direction, and the plate defines a first through hole and a second through hole each configured to receive a fastener, and each of the first and second through holes has an opening defined by the rear surface of the plate body.

8. The intervertebral implant of claim 7 , wherein the opening is an entry opening, and each of the first and second through holes has an exit opening defined by the plate.

9. The intervertebral implant of claim 7 , wherein the opening is an entry opening, and each of the first and second through holes has an exit opening defined by the spacer.

10. The intervertebral implant of claim 1 , further comprising a coupling mechanism configured to secure the plate to the spacer when the plate is mounted to the spacer, wherein the spacer defines a first hole, the plate defines a second hole, the plate is configured to be mounted to the spacer such that the first and second holes are aligned, and the coupling mechanism includes a screw configured to be inserted into both of the aligned first and second holes to secure the plate to the spacer.

11. The intervertebral implant of claim 10 , wherein the aligned first and second holes extend through the spacer and the plate, respectively, substantially in the first direction.

12. An intervertebral implant configured to be inserted into an intervertebral disc space that is defined by a first vertebral body and a second vertebral body, the intervertebral implant comprising:
a spacer; and
a plate including a plate body and a pair of arms that each extend out from the plate body in a first direction, the plate defining a first through hole that defines a first opening in a rear surface of the plate and a second opening in a first surface of the plate, the plate further defining a second through hole that defines a third opening in the rear surface of the plate and a fourth opening in a second surface of the plate, the first surface opposite the second surface along a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction;
wherein the spacer includes a portion defined at least partially by a recess that extends into the spacer in a third direction that is perpendicular to both the first direction and the second direction, and the plate is configured to be mounted to the spacer such that: 1) a portion of the plate overlaps the portion of the spacer with respect to the second direction, 2) a straight line oriented in the second direction passes through both the portion of the plate and the portion of the spacer such that the straight line intersects the spacer no more than once.

13. The intervertebral implant of claim 12 , wherein the intervertebral implant is configured to be inserted in the first direction into the intervertebral disc space.

14. The intervertebral implant of claim 13 , wherein the spacer includes a first end and a second end, the first end opposite the second end in the first direction when the plate is mounted to the spacer, the spacer further includes a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface in the second direction, the first surface is configured to face the first vertebral body when the intervertebral implant is implanted in the intervertebral disc space, and the second surface is configured to face the second vertebral body when the intervertebral implant is implanted in the intervertebral disc space.

15. The intervertebral implant of claim 12 , wherein the portion of the spacer is a first portion of the spacer, the portion of the plate is a first portion of the plate, the plate is configured to be mounted to the spacer such that a second portion of the plate overlaps with a second portion of the spacer, one of the pair of arms is spaced from the other of the pair of arms in a third direction that is perpendicular to both the first direction and the second direction, at least a portion of one of the pair of arms defines the first portion of the plate, and at least a portion of the other of the pair of arms defines the second portion of the plate.

16. The intervertebral implant of claim 12 , further comprising a coupling mechanism configured to secure the plate to the spacer when the plate is mounted to the spacer, wherein the spacer defines a first hole, the plate defines a second hole, the plate is configured to be mounted to the spacer such that the first and second holes are aligned, and the coupling mechanism includes a screw configured to be inserted into both of the aligned first and second holes to secure the plate to the spacer.

17. The intervertebral implant of claim 16 , wherein the aligned first and second holes extend through the spacer and the plate, respectively, substantially in the first direction.

18. An intervertebral implant configured to be inserted into an intervert

Assignees

• Depuy Synthes Products Inc

Inventors

• Kueenzi Thomas
• Walsh Ryan T
• Pepe Thomas
• Hunziker Markus
• Koch David

Classifications

• A61F2230/0073

  Quadric-shaped · CPC title

• A61F2002/30578

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

• A61F2/28

  Bones · CPC title

• A61F2310/00323

  containing titanium nitride · CPC title

• A61B17/86

  Pins or screws {or threaded wires; nuts therefor (A61B17/72 take precedence)} · CPC title