Intervertebral implant

• US 10,660,765 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2018
• Issued: 05/26/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Depuy Synthes Products Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Depuy Synthes Products Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Lechmann, Beat, Burkard, Dominique, Cain, Christopher Marden John, Mathieu, Claude
• Primary Examiner(s): Summitt, Lynnsy M
• Application Number:
  US16/101,980
• Publication Number:
  US 20180344477A1
• Time in Patent Office: 652 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/86 Pins or screws or threaded wires; nuts therefor A61B17/72 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/442 Intervertebral or spinal discs, e.g. resilient non-disc-shaped intervertebral inflatable pockets A61F2/441; non-disc-shaped intervertebral fusion implants A61F2/4455
• 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 2/4465 having a circular or kidney shaped cross-section substantially perpendicular to the axis of the spine
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30383 made by laterally inserting a protrusion, e.g. a rib into a complementarily-shaped groove
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30426 Bayonet coupling
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/305 Snap connection
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30517 using a locking plate
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30593 hollow
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30774 internally-threaded
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30777 Oblong apertures
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30843 Pyramidally-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0025 Connections or couplings between prosthetic parts, e.g. between modular parts; Connecting elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2310/00023 Titanium or titanium-based alloys, e.g. Ti-Ni alloys

Abstract

An intervertebral implant includes a three-dimensional body and a securing plate. The three-dimensional body includes a front surface and a rear surface. The three-dimensional body further includes a plurality of boreholes for accommodating fixation elements. The intervertebral implant also includes a front plate disposed at the front surface of the three-dimensional body and has a plurality of boreholes. A securing plate can be fastened to the front plate.

Claims

1. A method of implanting an intervertebral implant, the method comprising the steps of:

coupling a plate of the intervertebral implant to a body of the intervertebral implant such that a borehole defined by the plate is aligned with a partial borehole defined by the body, wherein the coupling step includes the step of restricting movement of the plate relative to the body in at least one degree of freedom;

after the coupling step, moving the plate and body along a first direction into an intervertebral disc space, the intervertebral disc space defined between a first vertebral body and a second vertebral body spaced vertically from the first vertebral body;

inserting a bone fixation element through the borehole and into the first vertebral body such that a portion of the bone fixation element faces the partial borehole, wherein the borehole extends along a central axis that is angled vertically with respect to the first direction.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein after the moving step and before the inserting step the partial borehole faces the first vertebral body.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the coupling step includes the step of aligning a top surface of the plate with a top surface of the body with respect to a second direction, the second direction perpendicular to the first direction, such that the top surface of the plate and the top surface of the body both face one of the first vertebral body and the second vertebral body during the moving step.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the coupling step includes the step of aligning a bottom surface of the plate with a bottom surface of the body with respect to the second direction, such that the bottom surface of the plate and the bottom surface of the body both face the other of the first vertebral body and the second vertebral body during the moving step.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the coupling step includes the step of moving the plate relative to the body in a second direction, the second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the coupling step includes the step of inserting a rail of one of the plate and the body into a recess of the other of the plate and the body.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the borehole is a first borehole, the partial borehole is a first partial borehole, and the coupling step includes the step of aligning a second borehole defined by the plate with a second partial borehole defined by the body.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the bone fixation element is a first bone fixation element, the method further comprising the step of inserting a second bone fixation element through the second borehole and into the first vertebral body such that a portion of the second bone fixation element faces the second partial borehole.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the bone fixation element is a first bone fixation element, the method further comprising the step of inserting a second bone fixation element through the second borehole and into the second vertebral body such that a portion of the second bone fixation element faces the second partial borehole.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

securing the first bone fixation element within the first borehole; and

securing the second bone fixation element within the second borehole such that at least a portion of the first bone fixation element is aligned with the second bone fixation element with respect to a second direction, the second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the coupling step includes the step of aligning a third borehole defined by the plate with a third partial borehole defined by the body.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the bone fixation element is a first bone fixation element, the method further comprising the steps of:

inserting a second bone fixation element through the second borehole and into the first vertebral body such that a portion of the second bone fixation element faces the second partial borehole; and

inserting a third bone fixation element through the third borehole and into the second vertebral body such that a portion of the third bone fixation element faces the third partial borehole.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising, after the inserting step, the step of blocking the bone fixation element from backing out of the first borehole.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the blocking step includes the step of coupling a securing element to the plate such that movement of the securing element in a direction opposite the first direction is restricted.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the inserting step includes the step of rotating the bone fixation element about an axis.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the inserting step includes moving the bone fixation element through the borehole at an oblique angle with respect to the first direction.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one degree of freedom includes the first direction and a direction opposite the first direction.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the at least one degree of freedom includes a second direction and a third direction opposite the second direction, the second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one degree of freedom includes a second direction and a third direction opposite the second direction, the second direction perpendicular to the first direction.