Instrument and method for reducing and securing spinal rods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9943343-B2
Application number	US-201615276059-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 26, 2016
Priority date	Aug 3, 2012
Publication date	Apr 17, 2018
Grant date	Apr 17, 2018

Abstract

A method for reducing a fixation rod is provided. The method minimizes the surgical corridor by performing fixation within the surgical corridor defined by the screw extender. The screw extender is attached to the spinal implant. The method includes the steps of coupling the proximal end of a first cannulated body with the screw extender and rotating a second cannulated body within the first cannulated body. The method proceeds to the step of actuating a rod pusher with a first driving feature so as to engage the rod pusher with the fixation rod. The rod pusher includes a bore. The method proceeds to the step of rotating an inserter shaft within first cannulated body, second cannulated body and bore of the rod pusher, the inserter shaft including a proximal end with a second driving feature and a distal end with a setscrew attachment feature.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for reducing a fixation rod within a screw extender that attaches to a spinal implant, comprising:
coupling a proximal end of a first cannulated body with the screw extender;
rotating a second cannulated body within the first cannulated body, the second cannulated body including a first driving feature;
actuating a rod pusher with the first driving feature so as to engage the rod pusher with the fixation rod, the rod pusher having a bore and a pair of cantilever arms extending distally therefrom; and
rotating an inserter shaft within the first cannulated body, second cannulated body and bore of the rod pusher, the inserter shaft including a proximal end with a second driving feature and a distal end with a setscrew attachment feature for engaging a setscrew.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein rotating the second cannulated body positions the rod pusher to reduce the fixation rod within at least one of the screw extender and the spinal implant.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising retaining a setscrew on the setscrew attachment feature of the inserter shaft and engaging the setscrew with the spinal implant for securing the fixation rod within the spinal implant.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pair of cantilever arms terminate in contoured tips.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the contoured tips conform to the radius of the fixation rod.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising attaching a removable handle to the first driving feature and rotating the second cannulated body.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising coupling the first cannulated body with the screw extender by a threaded connection.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising engaging a ridge of the rod pusher with a slot within the screw extender.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising engaging a curved engagement surface of the rod pusher with a curved surface of the fixation rod.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising coupling the first cannulated body with the screw extender with a quick connect sleeve.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising engaging a first actuation feature of a handle with the first driving feature of the second cannulated body and a second actuation feature of the handle with the second driving feature of the inserter shaft.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of providing a third cannulated body, the third cannulated body disposed on the proximal end of the rod pusher, wherein the distal end of the second cannulated body includes an internal threaded portion and engaging the proximal end of the third cannulated body with the internal threaded portion so as to actuate the rod pusher.

Assignees

• Alphatec Spine Inc

Inventors

• Meyer Nathan
• Parikh Anand

Classifications

• A61B17/7091 Primary

  for applying, tightening or removing longitudinal element-to-bone anchor locking elements, e.g. caps, set screws, nuts or wedges · CPC title

• A61B17/7086

  Rod reducers, i.e. devices providing a mechanical advantage to allow a user to force a rod into or onto an anchor head other than by means of a rod-to-bone anchor locking element; rod removers · CPC title

• A61B17/7085 Primary

  for insertion of a longitudinal element down one or more hollow screw or hook extensions, i.e. at least a part of the element within an extension has a component of movement parallel to the extension's axis · CPC title