Axial spinal implant and method and apparatus for implanting an axial spinal implant within the vertebrae of the spine
First Claim
1. A method of treating a series of adjacent vertebrae located within a human lumbar and sacral spine having an anterior aspect, a posterior aspect and an axial aspect, the vertebrae separated by intact or damaged spinal discs, the method comprising the steps of:
- accessing a posterior sacral position of a posterior surface of a sacral vertebra;
boring a curved posterior axial bore extending along a visualized, axial instrumentation/fusion line extending in said axial aspect through the series of adjacent vertebral bodies to be fused, the trans-sacral axial bore having a posterior axial bore opening through the posterior sacrum and extending cephalad through at least two vertebral bodies, comprising at least cephalad and caudal vertebral bodies, and any intervening spinal discs following the curvature of the spine cephalad from the posterior axial bore opening cephalad to the cephalad axial bore end within a lumbar vertebral body;
providing a spinal implant comprising an elongated spinal implant body formed of a bio-compatible material extending between a cephalad spinal implant body end that is dimensioned and configured to be inserted through said posterior axial bore opening and advanced in the cephalad direction to be seated in the cephalad bore end and a caudal spinal implant body portion that is dimensioned and configured with a curvature to fit the curved posterior axial bore and engage the vertebral bodies traversed by the curved posterior axial bore;
aligning the curved spinal implant body with the curvature of the curved posterior axial bore; and
inserting the curved spinal implant into the curved posterior axial bore seating the cephalad spinal implant body end within a cephalad end portion of the curved posterior axial bore traversing a cephalad vertebrae and a caudal spinal implant body portion within a caudal end portion of the curved anterior axial bore traversing a caudal vertebrae, whereby the elongated spinal implant fits within the curved posterior axial bore and extends cephalad and axially through the vertebral bodies of the series of adjacent vertebrae and any intervening spinal discs.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Spinal implants for fusing and/or stabilizing spinal vertebrae and methods and apparatus for implanting one or more of such spinal implants axially within one or more axial bore within vertebral bodies in alignment with a visualized, trans-sacral axial instrumentation/fusion (TASIF) line in a minimally invasive, low trauma, manner are disclosed. Attachment mechanisms are provided that attach or affix or force the preformed spinal implants or rods to or against the vertebral bone along the full length of a TASIF axial bore or bores or pilot holes or at the cephalad end and/or caudal end of the TASIF axial bore or bores or pilot holes. The engagement of the vertebral body is either an active engagement upon implantation of the spinal implant into the TASIF axial bore or a passive engagement of the external surface configuration with the vertebral bone caused by bone growth about the external surface configuration. A plurality of such spinal implants can be inserted axially in the same TASIF axial bore or pilot hole or separately in a plurality of TASIF axial bores or pilot holes that extend axially and in a side-by-side relation through the vertebrae and discs, if present, between the vertebrae. Discectomies and/or vertebroblasty can be performed through the TASIF axial bore or bores or pilot holes prior to insertion of the spinal implants. Vertebroblasty is a procedure for augmentation of collapsed vertebral bodies by pumped-in materials, e.g., bone cement or bone growth materials. Materials or devices can also be delivered into the disc space to separate the adjoining vertebrae and/or into damaged vertebral bodies or to strengthen them.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. A method of treating a series of adjacent vertebrae located within a human lumbar and sacral spine having an anterior aspect, a posterior aspect and an axial aspect, the vertebrae separated by intact or damaged spinal discs, the method comprising the steps of:
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accessing a posterior sacral position of a posterior surface of a sacral vertebra;
boring a curved posterior axial bore extending along a visualized, axial instrumentation/fusion line extending in said axial aspect through the series of adjacent vertebral bodies to be fused, the trans-sacral axial bore having a posterior axial bore opening through the posterior sacrum and extending cephalad through at least two vertebral bodies, comprising at least cephalad and caudal vertebral bodies, and any intervening spinal discs following the curvature of the spine cephalad from the posterior axial bore opening cephalad to the cephalad axial bore end within a lumbar vertebral body;
providing a spinal implant comprising an elongated spinal implant body formed of a bio-compatible material extending between a cephalad spinal implant body end that is dimensioned and configured to be inserted through said posterior axial bore opening and advanced in the cephalad direction to be seated in the cephalad bore end and a caudal spinal implant body portion that is dimensioned and configured with a curvature to fit the curved posterior axial bore and engage the vertebral bodies traversed by the curved posterior axial bore;
aligning the curved spinal implant body with the curvature of the curved posterior axial bore; and
inserting the curved spinal implant into the curved posterior axial bore seating the cephalad spinal implant body end within a cephalad end portion of the curved posterior axial bore traversing a cephalad vertebrae and a caudal spinal implant body portion within a caudal end portion of the curved anterior axial bore traversing a caudal vertebrae, whereby the elongated spinal implant fits within the curved posterior axial bore and extends cephalad and axially through the vertebral bodies of the series of adjacent vertebrae and any intervening spinal discs. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. Apparatus for effecting an implantation of a spinal implant through a series of adjacent vertebrae located within a human lumbar and sacral spine having an anterior aspect, a posterior aspect and an axial aspect, the vertebrae separated by intact or damaged spinal discs, the apparatus comprising:
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means operable from an accessed sacral position of a sacral vertebra for boring a trans-sacral axial bore extending along a visualized, axial instrumentation/fusion line extending in said axial aspect through the series of adjacent vertebral bodies to be fused, the trans-sacral axial bore having a caudal axial bore opening through the sacrum and extending cephalad through at least two vertebral bodies, comprising at least cephalad and caudal vertebral bodies, and any intervening spinal discs, to a cephalad bore end, the axial bore having a curvature following the curvature of the spine cephalad from the caudal axial bore opening and maintaining the curved axial bore within the sacral and vertebral bodies;
an elongated spinal implant formed of a bio-compatible material having a spinal implant body that extends between a cephalad spinal implant body end and a caudal spinal implant body end, the spinal implant body dimensioned and configured with a curvature that enables insertion into the curved axial bore through said caudal axial bore opening and advancement in the cephalad direction to seat a cephalad spinal implant body portion in the cephalad bore end and to dispose a caudal spinal implant body portion in the axial bore traversing the caudal vertebral body; and
means for inserting said elongated spinal implant into said axial bore to extend cephalad and axially through the vertebral bodies of the series of adjacent vertebrae and any intervening spinal discs. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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Specification