Expandable intervertebral implant

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9782271-B2
Application number	US-201314056293-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 17, 2013
Priority date	Feb 28, 2008
Publication date	Oct 10, 2017
Grant date	Oct 10, 2017

Abstract

A method of inserting an expandable intervertebral implant is disclosed. The implant preferably includes first and second members capable of being expanded upon movement of first and second wedges. The first and second wedges, while being capable of moving with respect to each other and the first and second members are also preferably attached to the first and second members. In addition, the first and second wedges are preferably capable of moving only in a first direction, while movement in a second direction is inhibited. The first and second wedges are also preferably prevented from torsionally moving with respect to the first and second members.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of inserting a spinal implant into an intervertebral disc space, comprising the steps of:
providing an expandable implant for implantation between adjacent vertebral bodies separated by a disc space, the implant having an expanded state and a contracted state and including first and second members having angled surfaces in contact with first and second wedges;
directly coupling a rod to the first wedge of the expandable implant;
placing a sleeve over the rod and directly engaging the sleeve with the second wedge of the expandable implant, wherein the step of placing the sleeve over the rod includes engaging deformable fingers of the sleeve with the first and second members of the expandable implant;
fixing the rod and the sleeve with respect to each other so that the first and second wedges are spaced apart by a fixed distance;
implanting the expandable implant in the disc space between the adjacent vertebral bodies while the first and second wedges are spaced apart by the fixed distance;
subsequent to the implanting step, uncoupling the rod from the first wedge of the expandable implant;
subsequent to the implanting step, disengaging the sleeve from the second wedge of the expandable implant; and
expanding the expandable implant from its contracted state to its expanded state and leaving the expandable implant implanted within the disc space.

2. The method of inserting a spinal implant of claim 1 , wherein the placing step includes expanding the deformable fingers of the sleeve.

3. The method of inserting a spinal implant of claim 1 , wherein the rod includes a rod shoulder and a tapered portion, the step of directly coupling the rod to the first wedge of the expandable implant including placing the rod shoulder in contact with the first wedge.

4. The method of inserting a spinal implant of claim 1 , wherein the sleeve includes a sleeve shoulder, the step of placing the sleeve over the rod including placing the sleeve shoulder in contact with the second wedge.

5. The method of inserting a spinal implant of claim 2 , wherein the tapered portion of the rod expands the deformable fingers of the sleeve.

6. The method of inserting a spinal implant of claim 1 , wherein the step of implanting the expandable implant into the disc space includes utilizing a hammer to apply an impaction force to the rod and sleeve to insert the expandable implant into the disc space.

7. A method of inserting a spinal implant into an intervertebral disc space, comprising the steps of:
providing an expandable implant for implantation between adjacent vertebral bodies separated by a disc space, the implant including first and second members each having an interior surface, and first and second wedges each having a wedge surface, wherein movement of the first and second wedges towards one another expands the first and second members away from one another;
directly coupling a rod of an impaction instrument to the first wedge and directly engaging a sleeve of the impaction instrument with the second wedge to fix the wedges with respect to each other in a first orientation, such that the first and second wedges are spaced apart by a fixed distance and the first and second members are fixed with respect to each other in an expansion direction;
engaging deformable fingers of the sleeve with the first and second members;
implanting the expandable implant into the disc space with the first and second wedges in the first orientation;
subsequent to the implanting step, disengaging the impaction instrument from both of the first and second wedges; and
subsequent to the implanting step, moving the first and second wedges to expand the first and second members away from one another, wherein a size of a contact area between the wedge surface of at least one of the first and second wedges and the interior surface of at least one of the first and second members changes as the first and second members expand away from one another.

8. The method of inserting a spinal implant of claim 7 , wherein the step of directly coupling the rod to the first wedge includes placing a rod shoulder in contact with the first wedge.

9. The method of inserting a spinal implant of claim 7 , wherein the step of directly engaging the sleeve with the second wedge includes placing a sleeve shoulder in contact with the second wedge.

10. The method of inserting a spinal implant of claim 7 , wherein the moving step includes actuating a trigger of a deployment tool to move the first and second wedges towards one another, thereby causing the first and second members to move away from one another.

11. A method of inserting a spinal implant into an intervertebral disc space, comprising the steps of:
providing an expandable implant for implantation between adjacent vertebral bodies separated by a disc space, the implant including top and bottom portions each having protuberances and anterior and posterior portions each having channels, wherein the protuberances are disposed within the channels to maintain the alignment of the top and bottom portions and the anterior and posterior portions, and wherein the expandable implant includes an open interior extending longitudinally from the posterior portion to the anterior portion;
directly coupling a rod to the anterior portion of the expandable implant, such that the rod traverses the entire open interior of the expandable implant;
placing a sleeve over the rod and directly engaging the sleeve with the posterior portion of the expandable implant, wherein the step of placing the sleeve over the rod includes contacting the top and bottom portions of the expandable implant with deformable fingers of the sleeve;
fixing the rod and the sleeve with respect to each other so that each of the top and bottom portions and anterior and posterior portions are fixed relative to each other and spaced apart by a fixed distance; and
implanting the expandable implant into the disc space after the fixing step.

12. The method of inserting a spinal implant of claim 11 , wherein the placing step includes expanding the deformable fingers of the sleeve.

13. The method of inserting a spinal implant of claim 11 , wherein the rod includes a rod shoulder and a tapered portion, the step of directly coupling the rod to the anterior portion of the expandable implant including placing the rod shoulder in contact with the anterior portion.

14. The method of inserting a spinal implant of claim 11 , wherein the sleeve includes a sleeve shoulder, the step of placing the sleeve over the rod including placing the sleeve shoulder in contact with the posterior portion.

15. The method of inserting a spinal implant of claim 13 , wherein the tapered portion of the rod expands the deformable fingers of the sleeve.

16. The method of inserting a spinal implant of claim 7 , wherein moving the first and second wedges to expand the first and second members occurs after the fixing step.

Assignees

• Stryker Spine
• Stryker European Holdings I Llc

Inventors

• Cipoletti Robert
• Alheidt Thomas A

Classifications

• A61F2250/0009

  for adjusting thickness · CPC title

• A61F2230/0004

  Rounded shapes, e.g. with rounded corners · CPC title

• A61F2220/0075

  sutured, ligatured or stitched, retained or tied with a rope, string, thread, wire or cable · CPC title

• A61F2220/0025

  Connections or couplings between prosthetic parts, e.g. between modular parts; Connecting elements · CPC title

• A61F2002/4629

  connected to the endoprosthesis or implant via a threaded connection · CPC title