Intervertebral disc annulus stent

• US 20060142864A1
• Filed: 02/16/2006
• Published: 06/29/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: KRT Investors, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Anulex Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Cauthen, Joseph C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,670,379 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/17.160
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/04 for suturing wounds; Holders or packages for needles or suture materials suture materials A61L17/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/06166 Sutures suture materials A61L17/00; manufacture of artificial threads D01D; treatment of threads D06M
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0642 for bones, e.g. for osteosynthesis or connecting tendon to bone
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/86 Pins or screws or threaded wires; nuts therefor A61B17/72 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00004 (bio)absorbable, (bio)resorbable, resorptive for implantable prostheses A61F2210/0004
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/06176 with protrusions, e.g. barbs
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0641 having at least three legs as part of one single body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0647 having one single leg, e.g. tacks
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0648 threaded, e.g. tacks with a screw thread
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/0063 Implantable repair or support meshes, e.g. hernia meshes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/30907 Nets or sleeves applied to surface of prostheses or in cement
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/441 made of inflatable pockets or chambers filled with fluid, e.g. with hydrogel
• 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 2/4601 for introducing bone substitute, for implanting bone graft implants or for compacting them in the bone cavity
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/4611 of spinal prostheses
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/2817 Bone stimulation by chemical reactions or by osteogenic or biological products for enhancing ossification, e.g. by bone morphogenetic or morphogenic proteins [BMP] or by transforming growth factors [TGF]
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30062 (bio)absorbable, biodegradable, bioerodable, (bio)resorbable, resorptive
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30092 using shape memory or superelastic materials, e.g. nitinol
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30158 trapezoidal
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30299 umbrella-shaped or mushroom-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30579 : with mechanically expandable devices, e.g. fixation devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30777 : Oblong apertures
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30784 : Plurality of holes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30841 : Sharp anchoring protrusions for impaction into the bone, e.g. sharp pins, spikes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/4435 : Support means or repair of the natural disc wall, i.e. annulus, e.g. using plates, membranes or meshes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/444 : for replacing the nucleus pulposus
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2210/0004 : bioabsorbable
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2210/0019 : operated at only one temperature whilst inside or touching the human body, e.g. constrained in a non-operative shape during surgery, another temperature only occurring before the operation
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0026 : trapezoidal
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0093 : Umbrella-shaped, e.g. mushroom-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2310/00011 : Metals or alloys
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 606/907 : Composed of particular material or coated
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 623/902 : Method of implanting

Abstract

A stent, or device for repair and reconstruction of the spinal disc wall, or annulus fibrosus, after surgical incision or pathologic rupture, which is inserted through an aperture into the subannular space. The stent has radial extensions which are caused or allowed to expand into an expanded configuration to bridge the aperture. The stent thereby occludes the defective region from the inside of the vertebral disc and prevents the migration of nucleus pulposus therethrough, while also providing a scaffold for tissue growth.

Claims

1-44. -44. (canceled)

45. A method of reducing implant migration within a spine comprising:

selecting an implantation site within a spine, wherein said spine has a first spinal region and a second spinal region, wherein said first spinal region is characterized by a mobility or a curvature that is greater than said second spinal region;

providing an implant, wherein said implant has a first implant region and a second implant region, wherein said first implant region and said second implant region are contiguous, wherein said first implant region is more flexible than said second implant region;

implanting said first implant region in the first spinal region; and

implanting said second implant region in the second spinal region, thereby reducing migration of the implant within the spine.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein the implantation site is along an inner surface of an anulus of an intervertebral disc.

47. The method of claim 45, wherein the first spinal region is a posterior anulus bordered by a lateral anulus.

48. The method of claim 45, wherein the first spinal region is an anulus bordered by a vertebral endplate.

49. The method of claim 45, wherein providing an implant further comprises providing a membrane and an expander.

50. The method of claim 45, wherein providing an implant further comprises providing a membrane and an expander, wherein said expander comprises one or more struts or fingers.

51. The method of claim 45, wherein providing an implant further comprises providing an implant that is substantially stiff along at least one axis.

52. The method of claim 45, wherein providing an implant further comprises providing an implant that is substantially flexible along at least one axis.

53. The method of claim 45, wherein providing an implant further comprises providing an implant that comprises at least one slot and at least one strut.

54. The method of claim 45, wherein providing an implant further comprises providing an implant that comprises a patch, an expander, a strut, and a slot, wherein said slot promotes bending of the expander and the finger along a central axis.