Intervertebral implant

• US 10,390,963 B2
• Filed: 06/21/2017
• Issued: 08/27/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Depuy Synthes Products Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Depuy Synthes Products Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Olmos, Fausto, Culbert, Brad S., Flower, Bob
• Primary Examiner(s): Snow, Bruce E
• Application Number:
  US15/628,785
• Publication Number:
  US 20170290674A1
• Time in Patent Office: 797 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A01H 5/12 Leaves
• CPC Class Codes: A24B 13/00 Tobacco for pipes, for cigars, e.g. cigar inserts, or for cigarettes; Chewing tobacco; Snuff reconstituted tobacco products A24B3/14
• CPC Class Codes: A24B 15/18 Treatment of tobacco products or tobacco substitutes
• CPC Class Codes: A24D 1/00 Cigars; Cigarettes
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 47/00 Smokers' requisites not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/025 Joint distractors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0256 for the spine
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/30771 applied in original prostheses, e.g. holes or grooves
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/4455 for the fusion of spinal bodies, e.g. intervertebral fusion of adjacent spinal bodies, e.g. fusion cages intervertebral discs A61F2/442
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/447 substantially parallelepipedal, e.g. having a rectangular or trapezoidal cross-section
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/46 Special tools or methods for implanting or extracting artificial joints, accessories, bone grafts or substitutes, or particular adaptations therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/4611 of spinal prostheses
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/4657 Measuring instruments used for implanting artificial joints for surgical instruments A61B90/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30062 (bio)absorbable, biodegradable, bioerodable, (bio)resorbable, resorptive
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30092 using shape memory or superelastic materials, e.g. nitinol
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30387 Dovetail connection
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30507 using a threaded locking member, e.g. a locking screw or a set screw
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30522 releasable, e.g. using a releasable ratchet
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30523 by means of meshing gear teeth
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/3055 for adjusting length
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30579 : with mechanically expandable devices, e.g. fixation devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30593 : hollow
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30677 : Means for introducing or releasing pharmaceutical products, e.g. antibiotics, into the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30785 : parallel
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30892 : parallel
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/448 : comprising multiple adjacent spinal implants within the same intervertebral space or within the same vertebra, e.g. comprising two adjacent spinal implants
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/4629 : connected to the endoprosthesis or implant via a threaded connection
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/4659 : for measuring a diameter
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/4661 : for measuring thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/4667 : for measuring torque
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2210/0004 : bioabsorbable
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0025 : Connections or couplings between prosthetic parts, e.g. between modular parts; Connecting elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2310/00017 : Iron- or Fe-based alloys, e.g. stainless steel
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2310/00023 : Titanium or titanium-based alloys, e.g. Ti-Ni alloys
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 50/10 : Biofuels, e.g. bio-diesel

Abstract

An adjustable spinal fusion intervertebral implant is provided that can comprise upper and lower body portions that can each have proximal and distal wedge surfaces disposed at proximal and distal ends thereof. An actuator shaft disposed intermediate the upper and lower body portions can be actuated to cause proximal and distal protrusions to converge towards each other and contact the respective ones of the proximal and distal wedge surfaces. Such contact can thereby transfer the longitudinal movement of the proximal and distal protrusions against the proximal and distal wedge surfaces to cause the separation of the upper and lower body portions, thereby expanding the intervertebral implant. The upper and lower body portions can have side portions that help facilitate linear translational movement of the upper body portion relative to the lower body portion.

Claims

1. A method of implanting an expandable intervertebral implant comprising:

positioning the implant between two vertebral bodies via a transforaminal approach, wherein the implant comprises;

a one-piece upper body portion;

a one-piece lower body portion that generally faces the upper body portion along a transverse direction;

a threaded shaft disposed between the upper and lower body portions, the threaded shaft having a first end and a second end spaced from the first end in a unidirectional first direction;

a first wedge member threadedly coupled to the first end of the threaded shaft, wherein the first wedge member defines respective upper and lower guide members; and

a second wedge member supported by the threaded shaft at a location spaced from the first wedge member in the unidirectional first direction that is perpendicular to the transverse direction, wherein the second wedge member defines respective upper and lower guide members,

wherein each of the upper and lower guide members of the first wedge member has respective outermost lateral ends spaced from each other along a lateral direction that is perpendicular to each of the unidirectional first direction and the transverse direction, the first wedge member has second respective outermost lateral ends that are spaced from each other along the lateral direction and coplanar with the threaded shaft in a plane that is perpendicular to the transverse direction, and the outermost ends of the upper and lower guide members of the first wedge member are inwardly recessed with respect to the second respective outermost ends along the lateral direction;

after the positioning step, rotating the threaded shaft about a shaft axis so as to increase a distance between the upper and lower body portions, wherein the rotating step causes

1) the first wedge member to threadedly move along the threaded shaft toward the second wedge member as

a) the upper guide member of the first wedge member rides in a first slot of the upper body portion and

b) the first wedge member pushes against the upper and lower body portions, and

2) the second wedge member to push against the upper and lower body portions.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the shaft axis is oriented along a longitudinal direction that includes the unidirectional first direction,

the distance is defined along the transverse direction that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction,

the upper guide member of the first wedge member defines a respective projection that

     1) extends out along the lateral direction into the first slot of the upper body portion, and

     2) rides in the first slot during the rotating step, wherein an upper portion of the first wedge member rides in a first opening defined by the upper body portion, and the first slot extends out from the first opening along the lateral direction.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the rotating step causes the upper guide member of the second wedge member to ride in a second slot of the upper body portion.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the upper guide member of the second wedge member defines a respective projection that 1) extends out along the lateral direction into the second slot of the upper body portion, and 2) rides in the second slot during the rotating step, wherein an upper portion of the second wedge member rides in a second opening defined by the upper body portion, and the second slot extends out along the lateral direction from the second opening defined by the upper body portion.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the upper body portion defines respective first and second sloped surfaces that are disposed at first and second ends thereof, the lower body portion defines respective first and second sloped surfaces that are disposed at first and second ends thereof, and the rotating step causes;

the first wedge member to push against the first sloped surfaces of the upper and lower body portions, respectively; and

the second wedge member to push against the second sloped surfaces of the upper and lower body portions, respectively.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of, after the rotating step, maintaining a separation between the upper and lower body portions while 1) the first wedge member abuts the first sloped surface of the upper body portion;

2) the first wedge member abuts the first sloped surface of the lower body portion,

     3) the second wedge member abuts the second sloped surface of the upper body portion, and

     4) the second wedge member abuts the second sloped surface of the lower body portion.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein:

the shaft axis is oriented along a longitudinal direction that includes the unidirectional first direction,

the distance is defined along the transverse direction that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction,

the upper guide member of the first wedge member defines a respective projection that

     1) extends out along the lateral direction into the first slot of the upper body portion, and

     2) rides in the first slot during the rotating step, wherein an upper portion of the first wedge member rides in an opening defined by the upper body portion, and the first slot extends out along the lateral direction from the opening defined by the upper body portion.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the rotating step causes the upper guide member of the second wedge member to ride in a second slot of the upper body portion, wherein an upper portion of the second wedge member rides in a second opening defined by the upper body portion, and the second slot extends out from the second opening.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the upper guide member of the second wedge member defines a respective projection that 1) extends out along the lateral direction into the second slot of the upper body portion, and 2) rides in the second slot of the upper body portion during the rotating step.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the lower guide member of the second wedge member defines a respective projection that 1) extends out in the lateral direction into a second slot of the lower body portion, and 2) rides in the second slot of the lower body portion during the rotating step, wherein a lower portion of the second wedge member rides in a second opening defined by the lower body portion, and the second slot extends out along the lateral direction from the second opening defined by the lower body portion.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the lower guide member of the first wedge member defines a respective projection that 1) extends out in the lateral direction into a first slot of the lower body portion, and 2) rides in the first slot of the lower body portion during the rotating step, wherein a lower portion of the first wedge member rides in a first opening defined by the lower body portion, and the first slot of the lower body portion extends out along the lateral direction from the first opening defined by the lower body portion.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the upper and lower guide members of the second wedge member has respective outermost lateral ends spaced from each other along the lateral direction, the second wedge member has second respective outermost lateral ends that are spaced from each other along the lateral direction and coplanar with the threaded shaft in the plane, and the outermost ends of the upper and lower guide members of the second wedge member are inwardly recessed with respect to the second respective outermost ends of the second wedge member along the lateral direction.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein no portion of the upper and lower body portions surrounds either of second respective outermost lateral ends of either of the first and second wedges.