Expandable intervertebral implant

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9993350-B2
Application number	US-201614988501-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 5, 2016
Priority date	Apr 5, 2008
Publication date	Jun 12, 2018
Grant date	Jun 12, 2018

Abstract

An expandable intervertebral implant is provided for insertion into an intervertebral space defined by adjacent vertebrae. The expandable intervertebral implant includes a pair of outer sleeve portions and an inner core disposed between the outer sleeve portions. Movement of the inner core relative to the outer sleeve portions causes the outers sleeve portions to deflect away from each other, thereby engaging the expandable intervertebral implant with the vertebrae and adjusting the height of the intervertebral space.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. An intervertebral implant comprising:
an upper portion having an upwardly-facing vertebral engagement surface that is configured to abut an upper vertebra, and an opposed inner surface;
a lower portion having a downwardly-facing vertebral engagement surface that is configured to abut a lower vertebra, and an opposed inner surface;
an inner core longitudinally movable with respect to the upper and lower portions, the inner core including a pair of first sloped engagement surfaces longitudinally spaced from each other in their respective entireties, each of the pair of first sloped engagement surfaces configured to engage a respective engagement surface of the upper portion and a pair of second sloped engagement surfaces longitudinally spaced from each other in their respective entireties, each of the pair of second sloped engagement surfaces configured to engage a respective engagement surface of the lower portion, such that movement of the inner core causes at least one of the upwardly-facing vertebral engagement surface and the downwardly-facing vertebral engagement surface to move away from the other, thereby maintaining an intervertebral space defined by the upper and lower vertebrae at a height,
an actuation member that is engaged with the inner core;
wherein the first sloped engagement surfaces are separated from each other by a structure that extends along a longitudinal length of the inner core;
wherein the first sloped engagement surfaces are parallel to each other and sloped in the same direction, and
wherein the implant is configured to maintain the intervertebral space at the height while the implant is under compressive forces, and while 1) each of the pair of first sloped engagement surfaces of the inner core are engaged with the respective engagement surface of the upper portion, and 2) each of the pair of second sloped engagement surfaces of the inner core are engaged with the respective engagement surface of the lower portion.

2. The intervertebral implant of claim 1 , wherein;
the inner core is received between the upper portion and the lower portion, and
movement of the inner core causes one of the first sloped engagement surfaces to ride along the engagement surface of the upper portion and cause the upper portion to deflect away from the lower portion, and one of the second sloped engagement surfaces to ride along the engagement surface of the lower portion and cause the lower portion to deflect away from the upper portion, thereby moving the implant to an expanded position.

3. The intervertebral implant of claim 1 , wherein the upper portion defines a first opening, and the lower portion defines a second opening.

4. The intervertebral implant of claim 1 , wherein the actuation member is configured to move the inner core longitudinally with respect to the upper and lower portions so as to expand the implant along a direction that separates the upwardly-facing vertebral engagement surface and the downwardly-facing vertebral engagement surface to a fully expanded position, whereby when the implant is in the fully expanded position each of the pair of first sloped engagement surfaces remain engaged with the respective engagement surface of the upper portion, and each of the pair of second sloped engagement surfaces remain engaged with the respective engagement surface of the lower portion.

5. An intervertebral implant comprising:
an upper portion having an upwardly-facing vertebral engagement surface and an opposed inner surface;
a lower portion having a downwardly-facing vertebral engagement surface and an opposed inner surface;
an inner core received between the upper portion and the lower portion, the inner core including a pair of first sloped engagement surfaces that are spaced from each other in their respective entireties along a longitudinal direction, one of the pair of first sloped engagement surfaces configured to engage an engagement surface of the upper portion and a pair of second sloped engagement surfaces that are spaced from each other in their respective entireties along the longitudinal direction, one of the pair of second sloped engagement surfaces configured to engage an engagement surface of the lower portion,
an actuation member that is engaged with the inner core and configured to apply a force to the inner core that moves the inner core along the longitudinal direction;
wherein movement of the inner core along the longitudinal direction causes one of the first sloped engagement surfaces to ride along the engagement surface of the upper portion and one of the second sloped engagement surfaces to ride along the engagement surface of the lower portion, thereby moving the implant to an expanded position whereby the upper portion and the lower portion deflect away from each other,
wherein the first sloped engagement surfaces are parallel to each other and parallel to the engagement surface of the upper portion, and the first sloped engagement surfaces are sloped in the same direction as each other and the engagement surface of the upper portion, and
wherein the implant is configured to remain in the expanded position under compressive forces while 1) the one of the first sloped engagement surfaces engages the engagement surface of the upper portion, and 2) the one of the second sloped engagement surfaces engages the engagement surface of the lower portion.

6. The intervertebral implant of claim 5 , wherein each of the pair of first sloped engagement surfaces is configured to engage a respective engagement surface of the upper portion, and each of the pair of second sloped engagement surfaces is configured to engage a respective engagement surface of the lower portion.

7. The intervertebral implant of claim 6 , wherein the first sloped engagement surfaces are connected to each other by a structure that extends along a longitudinal length of the inner core.

8. The intervertebral implant of claim 5 , wherein the first sloped engagement surfaces are separated from each other by a structure that extends along a longitudinal length of the inner core.

9. The intervertebral implant of claim 5 , wherein movement of the inner core causes one of the first sloped engagement surfaces to push against the engagement surface of the upper portion and one of the second sloped engagement surfaces to push against the engagement surface of the lower portion.

10. The intervertebral implant of claim 7 , wherein the actuation member comprises a biasing member that is in abutment with the inner core.

11. The intervertebral implant of claim 8 , wherein the actuation member comprises a biasing member that is in abutment with the inner core.

12. The intervertebral implant of claim 9 , wherein the actuation member comprises a biasing member that is in abutment with the inner core.

13. The intervertebral implant of claim 5 , wherein the actuation member comprises a biasing member that is in abutment with the inner core.

14. The intervertebral implant of claim 5 , wherein the ones of the pairs of first and second sloped engagement surfaces remain engaged with the engagement surfaces of the upper and lower portions, respectively, when the implant is in a fully expanded position.

15. An intervertebral implant comprising:
an upper portion having a substantially flat upwardly-facing vertebral engagement surface and an opposed inner surface, wherein the upper portion defines a first groove and teeth that project out from the upwardly-facing vertebral engagement surface;
a lower portion having a substantially flat downwardly-facing vertebral engagement surface and an opposed inner surface, w

Assignees

• Depuy Synthes Products Inc

Inventors

• Cain Christopher Marden John

Classifications

• A61F2002/2835

  Bone graft implants for filling a bony defect or an endoprosthesis cavity, e.g. by synthetic material or biological material · CPC title

• A61F2002/4415

  elements of the prosthesis being arranged in a chain like manner · CPC title

• A61F2002/30495

  using a locking ring · CPC title

• A61F2002/30538

  for adjusting angular orientation · CPC title

• A61F2002/30537

  adjustable · CPC title