Intervertebral implant with fixation geometry
First Claim
1. An intervertebral implant comprising:
- a spacer having upper and lower surfaces configured to face a superior vertebra and an inferior vertebra, respectively, wherein the upper and lower surfaces are opposite each other along a transverse direction; and
a dovetail shaped keel that extends out from the upper surface, the keel having first and second side surfaces and an end surface that extends between the first and second side surfaces at a location spaced from the upper surface, wherein the first and second side surfaces flare away from each other as they extend from the upper surface to the end surface, and the dovetail shaped keel assists in maintaining contact between the upper surface of the spacer and an endplate of the vertebra,wherein the implant defines a front face and an end face opposite the front face along an anterior-posterior direction that is perpendicular to the transverse direction, the keel extends from the front face to the end face, and a tapered leading end of the keel is defined by each of the first and second side surfaces tapered toward the other of the first and second side surfaces to a blunt tip as the first and second side surfaces extend in the anterior-posterior direction to the end face, such that the keel defines a first width and a second width that is greater than the first width,wherein the first width is defined as a first distance from the first side surface to the second side surface along a lateral direction that is perpendicular to each of the anterior-posterior direction and the transverse direction
1) at the tapered leading end of the keel, and
2) in a plane that is defined by the anterior-posterior direction and the lateral direction,wherein the second width is defined as a second distance from the first side surface to the second side surface along the lateral direction
1) at a keel location between the tapered leading end and the front face, and
2) in the plane,wherein the keel has a height from the upper surface to the end surface, and the height at the tapered leading end is constant and equal to the height at the keel location,wherein the upper surface defines a continuous and uninterrupted path from the first side surface to the second side surface, andwherein the height is constant from the front face to the end face and the second width is constant from the front face to the tapered leading end.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An intervertebral spacer implant (80) is provided with a retention mechanism (86) to help alleviate expulsion and movement of the implant when placed in the spine while providing an implant that is easier to insert in the spine. In one embodiment the retention mechanism comprises a keel on at least one of the inferior or superior faces of the spacer implant preferably extending in an anterior-posterior direction. In another embodiment the implant comprises a spacer (84) and a plate (82), the plate comprising a supplemental or alternative retention mechanism. In one embodiment the retention mechanism comprises one or more holes (88) in the anterior end of the plate. In yet another embodiment, the retention mechanism comprises one or more blades that are in a first position when inserted and are preferably rotated to a second position that engages the superior and inferior vertebrae.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. An intervertebral implant comprising:
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a spacer having upper and lower surfaces configured to face a superior vertebra and an inferior vertebra, respectively, wherein the upper and lower surfaces are opposite each other along a transverse direction; and a dovetail shaped keel that extends out from the upper surface, the keel having first and second side surfaces and an end surface that extends between the first and second side surfaces at a location spaced from the upper surface, wherein the first and second side surfaces flare away from each other as they extend from the upper surface to the end surface, and the dovetail shaped keel assists in maintaining contact between the upper surface of the spacer and an endplate of the vertebra, wherein the implant defines a front face and an end face opposite the front face along an anterior-posterior direction that is perpendicular to the transverse direction, the keel extends from the front face to the end face, and a tapered leading end of the keel is defined by each of the first and second side surfaces tapered toward the other of the first and second side surfaces to a blunt tip as the first and second side surfaces extend in the anterior-posterior direction to the end face, such that the keel defines a first width and a second width that is greater than the first width, wherein the first width is defined as a first distance from the first side surface to the second side surface along a lateral direction that is perpendicular to each of the anterior-posterior direction and the transverse direction
1) at the tapered leading end of the keel, and
2) in a plane that is defined by the anterior-posterior direction and the lateral direction,wherein the second width is defined as a second distance from the first side surface to the second side surface along the lateral direction
1) at a keel location between the tapered leading end and the front face, and
2) in the plane,wherein the keel has a height from the upper surface to the end surface, and the height at the tapered leading end is constant and equal to the height at the keel location, wherein the upper surface defines a continuous and uninterrupted path from the first side surface to the second side surface, and wherein the height is constant from the front face to the end face and the second width is constant from the front face to the tapered leading end. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification