Non-soft tissue repair

• US 20060184246A1
• Filed: 12/09/2005
• Published: 08/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Spinal Ventures, LLC
• Original Assignee: Spinal Ventures, LLC
• Inventors: Zwirkoski, Paul A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,682,400 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/11.110
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/686 Plugs, i.e. elements forming interface between bone hole and implant or fastener, e.g. screw
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/7094 Solid vertebral fillers; devices for inserting such fillers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/7097 Stabilisers comprising fluid filler in an implant, e.g. balloon; devices for inserting or filling such implants disc prostheses made of inflatable chambers or pockets filled with fluid A61F2/441; replacing the nucleus pulposus A61F2002/444
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/8635 Tips of screws
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/8863 Apparatus for shaping or cutting osteosynthesis equipment by medical personnel
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/30749 Fixation appliances for connecting prostheses to the body
• 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 2/4425 made of articulated components
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/46 Special tools or methods for implanting or extracting artificial joints, accessories, bone grafts or substitutes, or particular adaptations therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/4611 of spinal prostheses
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/2835 Bone graft implants for filling a bony defect or an endoprosthesis cavity, e.g. by synthetic material or biological material
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/302 toroidal, e.g. rings
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30331 made by longitudinally pushing a protrusion into a complementarily-shaped recess, e.g. held by friction fit
• 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 2002/30462 retained or tied with a rope, string, thread, wire or cable
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30495 using a locking ring
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30604 modular
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30662 with rotation-limiting means
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30663 multiaxial, e.g. biaxial; multipolar, e.g. bipolar or having an intermediate shell articulating between the ball and the socket
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/4415 elements of the prosthesis being arranged in a chain like manner
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/443 : having two transversal endplates and at least one intermediate component
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/444 : for replacing the nucleus pulposus

Abstract

An implant for filling and/or distracting a body region, particularly a non-soft tissue cavity, has a plurality of segments wherein at least two of the segments are flexibly connected. The segments have a crush-strength sufficient to create and/or maintain the distraction of two or more non-soft tissue body surfaces, and to maintain the stability of the body region. The implant may be inserted into a cavity by an applicator having a cannula with a distal opening, and a rotary driver for applying force to move the implant within the cannula.

Claims

1. An implant for insertion into a non-soft body region, comprising:

a first flexible elongate tube having an inner region; and

a plurality of segments within the inner region of the first flexible elongate tube, wherein the implant is configured to fill a cavity within a non-soft body region.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of segments comprise a linear array.

3. The device of claim 1, further comprising a flexible outer tube surrounding the first flexible, elongate tube.

4. The device of claim 1, further comprising a fluent material within the first flexible material.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the fluent material comprises activatable cement.

6. The device of claim 4, wherein the fluent material comprises cement that is activated by electromagnetic energy.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the segments are flexibly connected by a filament.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the segments are configured to interlock.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the first flexible, elongate tube is at least partially porous and configured to pass fluent material from within the first flexible elongate tube.

10. An implant for insertion into a non-soft body region, comprising:

a first flexible elongate tube having an inner region;

a second, flexible elongate tube having an inner region, wherein the second flexible elongate tube is at least partly contained within the first flexible elongate tube; and

a plurality of segments within the inner region of the second flexible elongate tube.

11. The implant of claim 10, wherein the first flexible elongate tube is porous.

12. The implant of claim 10, wherein the second flexible elongate tube is porous.

13. The implant of claim 10, further comprising a settable fluent material.

14. The implant of claim 13, wherein the settable fluent material is contained between the first and second flexible elongate tubes.

15. An implant for insertion into a non-soft body region, comprising:

a first flexible elongate tube having an inner region;

a plurality of segments within the inner region of the first flexible elongate tube;

a fluent material within the inner region of the first flexible elongate tube; and

a transmission path configured to transmit electromagnetic energy to harden the fluent material.

16. The implant of claim 15, wherein the passage comprises a filament.

17. The implant of claim 15, wherein the linear array of segments comprises a material configured to transmit light.

18. A method of filling a cavity within a body comprising:

inserting an implant into a cavity, wherein the implant comprises;

a first flexible elongate tube having an inner region; and

a plurality of segments within the inner region of the first flexible elongate tube;

activating a fluent material within the implant to harden the fluent material.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

adding a settable fluent material to the implant.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of activating the fluent material comprises:

applying electromagnetic energy to the fluent material.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the electromagnetic energy comprises ultraviolet light.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of activating the fluent material comprises:

combining the fluent material with a catalyst.

23. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

inserting a second implant into the cavity, wherein the second implant comprises a first flexible elongate tube having an inner region; and

a plurality of segments within the inner region of the first flexible elongate tube.

24. An applicator for use with an implant having flexibly connected segments, the applicator comprising:

an inner cannula having a channel configured to hold at least a portion of the implant;

a stiff member having a releasable engagement region configured to engage at least some of the segments of the implant, wherein the stiff member is slideably and rotatably coupled to the channel of the inner cannula; and

an outer sheath surrounding at least a portion of the inner cannula.

25. The applicator of claim 24, further comprising a handle attached to the stiff member, the handle configured to be manipulated to engage the releasable engagement region of the stiff member with the implant.

26. The applicator of claim 24, further comprising a lock for securing the stiff member within the channel of the inner cannula so that the stiff member may not slide within the inner cannula.

27. The applicator of claim 26, wherein the lock comprises a locking pin.

28. The applicator of claim 24, wherein the outer sheath comprises a grip region.

29. The applicator of claim 24, wherein the channel of the inner cannula comprises a first and a second groove, so that the stiff member fits within the first groove and the implant fits within the second groove.

30. The applicator of claim 29, wherein the stiff member is configured to rotate within the first groove of the channel to engage the implant within the second groove.

31. The applicator of claim 24, wherein the engagement region comprises a toothed region for engaging at least some of the segments of the implant.

32. The applicator of claim 24, further comprising an external cannula located at the distal end of the applicator, and configured so that an implant within the inner cannula may pass through a channel in the external cannula.

33. A method of applying an implant into a target site within a body comprising:

loading an implant into an applicator, wherein the applicator comprises;

an inner cannula having a channel configured to hold at least a portion of the implant; and

a stiff member within channel of the inner cannula having a releasable engagement region configured to engage at least a portion of the implant;

placing the distal portion of the applicator near the target site; and

advancing the implant from the applicator into the target site.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the step of advancing the implant comprises:

engaging the engagement region of the stiff member with the implant; and

sliding the stiff member distally.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the step of engaging the implant with the stiff member comprises rotating the stiff member axially within the applicator.

36. The method of claim 34, further comprising:

disengaging the engagement region of the stiff member from the implant;

sliding the stiff member proximally;

engaging the engagement region of the stiff member with the implant; and

sliding the stiff member distally.

37. The method of claim 33, further comprising cutting the implant.

38. The method of claim 33, further comprising withdrawing the implant from the target site.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the step of withdrawing the implant comprises:

engaging the engagement region of the stiff member with the implant; and

sliding the stiff member proximally.

40. A locking device for securing within non-soft body tissue, comprising:

an elongate threaded body having a distal end and a proximal end; and

at least one implant coupled near the distal end of the threaded body, wherein the implant comprises an array of flexibly connected segments.

41. The device of claim 40, wherein the elongate threaded body is configured as a bone screw.

42. The device of claim 40, further comprising a plurality of implants coupled near the distal end of the threaded body.

43. The device of claim 40, further comprising a loop, wherein the at least one implant is attached to the loop, and the loop is coupled near the distal end of the elongate body.

44. The device of claim 40, wherein the implant extends proximally from the distal end of the device.

45. The device of claim 40, wherein the segments of the implant are configured to couple with the threads of the threaded body to secure the device within a non-soft body tissue.

46. An anchor for securing a fastener within a body comprising:

a plurality of flexibly connected segments;

a coupler attached to the flexibly connected segments, wherein the coupler is configured to attach to a region of the fastener so that the flexibly connected segments will abut the fastener when the fastener is inserted within the body.

47. The anchor of claim 46, wherein the coupler comprises a loop configured to fit over a screw.

48. A method of securing an implant within a body comprising:

inserting a locking device coupled to at least one implant into the body, wherein the implant comprises a plurality of flexibly connected segments;

fastening the locking device by engaging the implant between at least a portion of the locking device and the side of a cavity within the body.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein the step of fastening comprises screwing the locking device into the body tissue.

50. The method of claim 49, wherein the body tissue comprises bone.