Anterior cervical plating system

• US 20070083203A1
• Filed: 09/16/2005
• Published: 04/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Orthofix US LLC (Orthofix Medical Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Blackstone Medical Incorporated (Orthofix Medical Inc.)
• Inventors: Ribeiro, Helio
• Granted Patent: US 7,662,154 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/279
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1604 Chisels; Rongeurs; Punches; Stamps
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1633 Sleeves, i.e. non-rotating parts surrounding the bit shaft, e.g. the sleeve forming a single unit with the bit shaft A61B17/1644 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1655 for tapping
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1728 for holes for bone plates or plate screws
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1757 for the spine
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/7059 Cortical plates A61B17/7007, A61B17/7058 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/8042 the additional component being a cover over the screw head
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/8863 Apparatus for shaping or cutting osteosynthesis equipment by medical personnel
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/8875 Screwdrivers, spanners or wrenches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/92 Impactors or extractors, e.g. for removing intramedullary devices insertion or extraction of artificial joints A61F2/4603
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00464 for use with different instruments with hole for different instruments A61B2017/22072
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/031 torque limiting
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/036 abutting on tissue or skin

Abstract

The present invention relates to systems and methods for spinal fusion. More particularly, one embodiment of the present invention relates to an anterior cervical plating system.

Claims

1. An implant assembly adapted to be fixed to a spine using at least four bone screws, each bone screw having a shank and a head, wherein the implant assembly comprises:

a plate member, wherein the plate member has at least four apertures extending therethrough, wherein each aperture includes a first region sized to permit the shank of a respective bone screw but not the head of the respective bone screw to pass, and wherein each aperture includes a second region sized to permit both the shank of the respective bone screw and the head of the respective bone screw to pass; and

at least two toggle plates, wherein each toggle plate is slidably attached to the plate member and wherein each toggle plate is operatively associated with two of the bone screws;

wherein each toggle plate is slideable to a first position in which each bone screw associated therewith may be inserted in the aperture such that the shank of the bone screw passes into the first region and the head of the bone screw remains in the second region;

wherein each toggle plate is slideable to a second position in which the head of each bone screw associated therewith is at least partially covered by the toggle plate; and

wherein each toggle plate is pivotally mounted to the plate member such that at least at the second slidable position each toggle plate can pivot relative to the plate member.

2. The implant assembly of claim 1, wherein each bone screw is blocked from being backed-out of the plate member while a toggle plate associated with the screw is in the second slidable position.

3. The implant assembly of claim 2, further comprising at least two toggle plate locking screws.

4. The implant assembly of claim 3, wherein each toggle plate locking screw is adapted to pass through each toggle plate into a respective threaded hole in the plate member.

5. The implant assembly of claim 4, wherein each toggle plate locking screw is adapted to press down on a respective one of the toggle plates to pivot the toggle plate downward when the toggle plate is in the second slidable position and the toggle plate locking screw is rotated in a first direction.

6. The implant assembly of claim 1, wherein the plate member has a top surface and a bottom surface, wherein the first region of the aperture is adjacent the bottom surface of the plate member, and wherein the second region of the aperture is adjacent the top surface of the plate member.

7. The implant assembly of claim 6, wherein each bone screw is inserted from the top surface of the plate member towards the bottom surface of the plate member.

8. The implant assembly of claim 7, wherein the bottom surface of the plate member is contoured to substantially match a contour of the bone to which the plate member is affixed.

9. The implant assembly of claim 8, wherein the bottom surface of the plate member is curved along at least one axis.

10. The implant assembly of claim 9, wherein the bottom surface of the plate member is curved along a first axis and a second axis.

11. The implant assembly of claim 10, wherein the first axis and the second axis are substantially orthogonal to one another.

12. The implant assembly of claim 1, wherein the implant assembly is used for fusing at least two vertebral bodies.

13. The implant assembly of claim 12, wherein the implant assembly is used in an anterior cervical plating procedure.

14. The implant assembly of claim 12, wherein the implant assembly includes between four and ten apertures for receiving therein between four and ten respective bone screws.

15. The implant assembly of claim 12, wherein two of the bone screws are screwed into each of the vertebral bodies through two of the apertures.

16. The implant assembly of claim 1, wherein the shank of each bone screw is threaded.

17. An implant assembly adapted to be fixed to a spine using at least four bone screws, each bone screw having a shank and a head, wherein the implant assembly comprises:

a plate member, wherein the plate member has at least four apertures extending therethrough, wherein each aperture includes a first region sized to permit the shank of a respective bone screw but not the head of the respective bone screw to pass, and wherein each aperture includes a second region sized to permit both the shank of the respective bone screw and the head of the respective bone screw to pass; and

at least two toggle plates;

wherein each toggle plate is attached to the plate member such that each toggle plate is operatively associated with two of the bone screws;

wherein each toggle plate has at least two degrees of freedom of movement relative to the plate member;

wherein the first degree of freedom of movement for each toggle plate is sliding movement between a first position in which each bone screw associated with the toggle plate may be inserted in the aperture such that the shank of each of the bone screws passes into the first region and the head of each of the bone screws remains in the second region and a second position in which the head of each bone screw associated with the toggle plate is at least partially covered by the toggle plate; and

wherein the second degree of freedom of movement for each toggle plate is pivoting movement relative to the plate member at least when the toggle plate is in the second position.

18. The implant assembly of claim 17, wherein each bone screw is blocked from being backed-out of the plate member while a toggle plate associated with the screw is in the second slidable position.

19. The implant assembly of claim 18, further comprising at least two toggle plate locking screws.

20. The implant assembly of claim 19, wherein each toggle plate locking screw is adapted to pass through each toggle plate into a respective threaded hole in the plate member.

21. The implant assembly of claim 20, wherein each toggle plate locking screw is adapted to press down on a respective one of the toggle plates to pivot the toggle plate downward when the toggle plate is in the second slidable position and the toggle plate locking screw is rotated in a first direction.

22. The implant assembly of claim 17, wherein the plate member has a top surface and a bottom surface, wherein the first region of the aperture is adjacent the bottom surface of the plate member, and wherein the second region of the aperture is adjacent the top surface of the plate member.

23. The implant assembly of claim 22, wherein each bone screw is inserted from the top surface of the plate member towards the bottom surface of the plate member.

24. The implant assembly of claim 23, wherein the bottom surface of the plate member is contoured to substantially match a contour of the bone to which the plate member is affixed.

25. The implant assembly of claim 24, wherein the bottom surface of the plate member is curved along at least one axis.

26. The implant assembly of claim 25, wherein the bottom surface of the plate member is curved along a first axis and a second axis.

27. The implant assembly of claim 26, wherein the first axis and the second axis are substantially orthogonal to one another.

28. The implant assembly of claim 17, wherein the implant assembly is used for fusing at least two vertebral bodies.

29. The implant assembly of claim 28, wherein the implant assembly is used in an anterior cervical plating procedure.

30. The implant assembly of claim 28, wherein the implant assembly includes between four and ten apertures for receiving therein between four and ten respective bone screws.

31. The implant assembly of claim 28, wherein two of the bone screws are screwed into each of the vertebral bodies through two of the apertures.

32. The implant assembly of claim 17, wherein the shank of each bone screw is threaded.

33. An implant assembly adapted to be fixed to a spine using at least one bone screw having a shank and a head, wherein the implant assembly comprises:

a plate member, wherein the plate member has at least one aperture, wherein the aperture includes a first region sized to permit the shank of the bone screw but not the head of the bone screw to pass, and wherein the aperture includes a second region sized to permit both the shank of the bone screw and the head of the bone screw to pass; and

at least one toggle plate;

wherein the toggle plate is attached to the plate member such that the toggle plate is operatively associated with the bone screw;

wherein the toggle plate has at least two degrees of freedom of movement relative to the plate member;

wherein the first degree of freedom of movement for the toggle plate is sliding movement between a first position in which the bone screw may be inserted in the aperture such that the shank of the bone screw passes into the first region and the head of the bone screw remains in the second region and a second position in which the head of the bone screw is at least partially covered by the toggle plate; and

wherein the second degree of freedom of movement for the toggle plate is pivoting movement relative to the plate member at least when the toggle plate is in the second position.

34. The implant assembly of claim 33, wherein the bone screw is blocked from being backed-out of the implant member while the toggle plate is in the second slidable position.

35. The implant assembly of claim 34, further comprising at least one toggle plate locking screw.

36. The implant assembly of claim 35, wherein the toggle plate locking screw is adapted to pass through the toggle plate into a threaded hole in the plate member.

37. The implant assembly of claim 36, wherein the toggle plate locking screw is adapted to press down on the toggle plate to pivot the toggle plate downward when the toggle plate is in the second slidable position and the toggle plate locking screw is rotated in a first direction.

38. The implant assembly of claim 33, wherein the plate member has a top surface and a bottom surface, wherein the first region of the aperture is adjacent the bottom surface of the plate member, and wherein the second region of the aperture is adjacent the top surface of the plate member.

39. The implant assembly of claim 38, wherein the bone screw is inserted from the top surface of the plate member towards the bottom surface of the plate member.

40. The implant assembly of claim 39, wherein the bottom surface of the plate member is contoured to substantially match a contour of the bone to which the plate member is affixed.

41. The implant assembly of claim 40, wherein the bottom surface of the plate member is curved along at least one axis.

42. The implant assembly of claim 41, wherein the bottom surface of the plate member is curved along a first axis and a second axis.

43. The implant assembly of claim 42, wherein the first axis and the second axis are substantially orthogonal to one another.

44. The implant assembly of claim 33, wherein the implant assembly is used for fusing at least two vertebral bodies.