Intervertebral disc prosthesis

• US 20050065609A1
• Filed: 11/19/2002
• Published: 03/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Grampian Health Board (Scottish Government)
• Original Assignee: Aberdeen Orthopaedic Developments Limited
• Inventors: Wardlaw, Douglas
• Application Number:
  US10/496,215
• Publication Number:
  US 20050065609A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/17.120
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/441 made of inflatable pockets or chambers filled with fluid, e.g. with hydrogel
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/4611 of spinal prostheses
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/445 Intervertebral disc tissue harvest sites
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/4627 with linear motion along or rotating motion about the instrument axis or the implantation direction, e.g. telescopic, along a guiding rod, screwing inside the instrument

Abstract

A flexible prosthetic cover (12) shaped to form a replacement nucleus pulposis for an intervetebral disc comprises an aperture for the introduction of filling material therein, and an elongate introducer member (28) configured to pass into the aperture. The cover has a strengthened portion (26) substantially opposite the aperture for engaging the distal end (42) of the member, the strenghtened portion and the said distal end being arranged to interlock, for facilitating orientation of the cove, for example so as to prevent relative rotation there between.

Claims

1. A flexible prosthetic cover shaped to form a replacement nucleus pulposis for an intervertebral disc and comprising an aperture for the introduction of filling material therein, and an elongate introducer member configured to pass into the aperture, the cover having a strengthened portion substantially opposite the aperture for engaging the distal end of the member, the strengthened portion and the said distal end being arranged to interlock, for facilitating orientation of the cover.

2. The flexible prosthetic cover of claim 1 wherein the strengthened portion and the distal end interlock so as to prevent relative rotation there between.

3. The flexible prosthetic cover of claim 1, wherein the aperture comprises an internal flap valve.

4. The flexible prosthetic cover of claim 1 wherein the strengthened portion comprises a radio opaque marker for indicating the orientation of the strengthened portion.

5. The flexible prosthetic cover of claim 1 wherein the introducer member has an internal channel communicating with an aperture at or adjacent the distal end therefore for allowing the injection of filling material into the cover.

6. The flexible prosthetic cover of claim 1 wherein the aperture is arranged to accept an introducer tube shaped to pass over the introducer member and to form a channel there between after removal of the introducer member for allowing the injection of filling material into the cover.

7. The flexible prosthetic cover of claim 1 further comprising a deformable porous body or mesh or coil shaped to fit within the cover.

8. The flexible prosthetic cover of claim 1 further comprising an edge portion being a resiliently deformable annular sleeve shaped to fit within a disc annulus, the aperture and the strengthened portion being provided in the edge portion.

9. The flexible prosthetic cover of claim 8 further comprising a pair of opposed flexible central portions each joining an edge of the sleeve.

10. The flexible prosthetic cover of claim 9, wherein the central portions are arranged, when the cover is filled with a filling material, to allow filling material to pass there 20 through.

11. The flexible prosthetic cover of claim 9 wherein the central portions are formed of a material arranged to break under filling pressure.

12. The flexible prosthetic cover of claim 9 wherein the central portions are formed of a material which is absorbable by the body.

13. The flexible prosthetic cover of claim 1 wherein the strengthened portion comprises a shaped recess or protrusion, and the distal end of the introducer rod is correspondingly shaped to interlock therewith.

14. The flexible prosthetic cover of claim 1 wherein the aperture comprises a valve structure formed of an imaging transparent material.

15. The flexible prosthetic cover of claim 1 further comprising obturating means operatively associated with the aperture.

16. A prosthetic cover for an intervertebral disc comprising an edge portion being a resiliently deformable annular sleeve shaped to fit within a disc annulus, and a pair of opposed flexible central portions each joining an edge of the sleeve, the edge portion including an aperture for the introduction of a filling material.

17. The flexible prosthetic cover of claim 16 further comprising a flexible balloon catheter shaped to fit within the cover when inflated, and arranged to fit through the aperture when deflated.