Bone treatment systems and methods
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention relates in certain embodiments to medical devices for treating vertebral compression fractures. More particularly, embodiments of the invention relate to instruments and methods for controllably restoring vertebral body height by controlling the flow of bone cement into the interior of a vertebra and the application of forces causes by the cement flow. An exemplary system utilizes Rf energy in combination a conductive bone cement for selectively polymerizing the inflow plume to increase the viscosity of the cement. In one aspect of the invention, the system utilizes a controller to control bone cement flow parameters to either allow or disallow cement interdigitation into cancellous bone. A method of the invention includes pulsing the flows of bone cement wherein high acceleration of the flow pulses can apply expansion forces across the surface of the cement plume to reduce a vertebral fracture.
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Citations
68 Claims
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1-35. -35. (canceled)
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36. A method of treating an abnormal vertebra, comprising:
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flowing a volume of bone fill material into a vertebral body under flow parameters sufficient to allow at least a portion of the volume of bone fill material to interdigitate with cancellous bone; and
adjusting at least one of said flow parameters so that flowing an additional volume of bone fill material into the vertebral body substantially prevents interdigitation of the bone fill material with cancellous bone, the additional volume of bone fill material thereby applying forces to the cancellous bone and interdigitated fill material about a surface of the bone fill material. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49)
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50. A method of treating an abnormal vertebra, comprising:
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providing a flow source configured to provide bone fill material inflows into an interior of a vertebra through an introducer and a controller configured to control the bone fill material inflows; and
inflowing the bone fill material in pulses into the interior of the vertebra. - View Dependent Claims (51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56)
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57. A method of treating an abnormal vertebra, comprising:
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injecting a flow of bone fill material into a vertebral body, said flow being injected under parameters sufficient to allow the flow to interdigitate with cancellous bone; and
continuing the flow of bone fill material into the vertebral body, wherein the continued flow expands the cancellous bone with the interdigitated bone fill material. - View Dependent Claims (58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63)
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64. A system for treating an abnormal vertebra comprising:
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an elongated introducer configured for insertion into a vertebra;
a source of flowable bone fill material coupled to the introducer, the source configured to provide a pressurized flow of bone fill material through the introducer; and
a controller configured to control at least one flow parameter of the bone fill material into the vertebra, the controller being adjustable between a first setting wherein the bone fill material is capable of interdigitating with cancellous bone and a second setting wherein the bone fill material is substantially prevented from interdigitating with cancellous bone. - View Dependent Claims (65, 66, 67, 68)
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Specification