Adjustable occipital plate

• US 20070118121A1
• Filed: 10/06/2006
• Published: 05/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alphatec Spine Incorporated (Alphatec Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Alphatec Spine Incorporated (Alphatec Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Purcell, Thomas, Eismont, Frank
• Granted Patent: US 8,900,276 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/261
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/7055 connected to sacrum, pelvis or skull
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/7058 Plates mounted on top of bone anchor heads or shoulders

Abstract

Embodiments of an adjustable occipital plate is provided. The plate includes a fixation plate, at least one lateral rod configured to be coupled to the fixation plate, at least one sliding link configured to be coupled to the at least one lateral rod, and at least one posterior cervical rod configured to be coupled to the at least one sliding link using at least one rod connector.

Claims

1. An adjustable occipital plate, comprising:

a fixation plate;

at least one lateral rod configured to be coupled to said fixation plate;

at least one sliding link configured to be coupled to said at least one lateral rod; and

at least one posterior cervical rod configured to be coupled to said at least one sliding link using at least one rod connector.

2. The adjustable occipital plate according to claim 1, further comprising at least one setscrew and at least one washer configured to couple said at least one posterior cervical rod, said at least one sliding link and said at least one rod connector.

3. The adjustable occipital plate according to claim 1, wherein said fixation plate is configured to be coupled to two lateral rods.

4. The adjustable occipital plate according to claim 1, further comprising a first sliding link and a second sliding link.

5. The adjustable occipital plate according to claim 4, further comprising:

a first rod connector configured to be coupled to said first sliding link; and

a second rod connector configured to be coupled to said second sliding link.

6. The adjustable occipital plate according to claim 5, further comprising:

a first posterior cervical rod configured to be coupled to said first rod connector; and

a second posterior cervical rod configured to be coupled to said second rod connector.

7. The adjustable occipital plate according to claim 4, wherein said fixation plate is configured to be coupled between said first sliding link and said second sliding link.

8. The adjustable occipital plate according to claim 1, wherein said fixation plate is coupled to two lateral rods and the combination of said fixation plate and said two lateral rods is configured to form a curvature.

9. The adjustable occipital plate according to claim 1, wherein said at least one sliding link is configured to translate along said at least one lateral rod.

10. The adjustable occipital plate according to claim 9, wherein said translation is a medial lateral translation.

11. The adjustable occipital plate according to claim 1, wherein said at least one sliding link is configured to rotate about said at least one lateral rod.

12. The adjustable occipital plate according to claim 1, wherein said at least one rod connector is configured to rotate about an axis substantially perpendicular to said sliding link.

13. The adjustable occipital plate according to claim 1, wherein said fixation plate is configured to include at least one opening for receiving screws.

14. The adjustable occipital plate according to claim 13, wherein said fixation plate is configured to include two openings for receiving screws.

15. The adjustable occipital plate according to claim 13, wherein said fixation plate is configured to include three openings for receiving screws.

16. The adjustable occipital plate according to claim 1, further comprising a graft containment member.

17. The adjustable occipital plate according to claim 16, wherein said graft containment member is configured to secure a bone graft to the adjustable occipital plate.

18. The adjustable occipital plate according to claim 16, further comprising a bone graft.

19. The adjustable occipital plate according to claim 18, wherein the bone graft is selected from the group consisting of:

PEEK, allograft tissue, and titanium.

20. The adjustable occipital plate according to claim 16, further comprising a bone graft and wherein a distal end of the bone graft is configured to correspond to one or more posterior elements of the cervical spine and a proximal end of the bone graft is configured to correspond to at least one of:

a portion of the bone containment member and the occiput.

21. An adjustable occipital plate, comprising:

a fixation plate;

two lateral rods configured to be coupled to said fixation plate;

two sliding links, each is configured to be coupled to each of said two lateral rods; and

two posterior cervical rods, each is configured to be coupled to each of said two sliding links using rod two connectors.

22. The adjustable occipital plate according to claim 21, further comprising two setscrews and two washers configured to couple said two posterior cervical rods, said two sliding links and said two rod connectors.

23. The adjustable occipital plate according to claim 21, further comprising a first sliding link and a second sliding link.

24. The adjustable occipital plate according to claim 23, further comprising:

a first rod connector configured to be coupled to said first sliding link; and

a second rod connector configured to be coupled to said second sliding link.

25. The adjustable occipital plate according to claim 24, further comprising:

a first posterior cervical rod configured to be coupled to said first rod connector; and

a second posterior cervical rod configured to be coupled to said second rod connector.

26. The adjustable occipital plate according to claim 23, wherein said fixation plate is configured to be coupled between said first sliding link and said second sliding link.

27. The adjustable occipital plate according to claim 21, wherein said fixation plate further includes a curvature.

28. The adjustable occipital plate according to claim 21, wherein each of said two sliding links is configured to translate along each of said two lateral rods.

29. The adjustable occipital plate according to claim 28, wherein said translation is a medial lateral translation.

30. The adjustable occipital plate according to claim 21, wherein each of said two sliding links is configured to rotate about each of said two lateral rods.

31. The adjustable occipital plate according to claim 21, wherein each of said two rod connectors is configured to rotate about an axis substantially perpendicular to each of said two sliding links.

32. The adjustable occipital plate according to claim 21, wherein said fixation plate is configured to include at least one opening for receiving screws.

33. The adjustable occipital plate according to claim 32, wherein said fixation plate is configured to include two openings for receiving screws.

34. The adjustable occipital plate according to claim 32, wherein said fixation plate is configured to include three openings for receiving screws.

35. The adjustable occipital plate according to claim 21, further comprising a graft containment member.

36. The adjustable occipital plate according to claim 35, further comprising a bone graft wherein said graft containment member is configured to secure the bone graft to the adjustable occipital plate.

37. The adjustable occipital plate according to claim 36, wherein said bone graft is manufactured from a biocompatible material.

38. The adjustable occipital plate according to claim 36, wherein a distal end of the bone graft is configured to correspond to one or more posterior elements of the cervical spine and a proximal end of the bone graft is configured to correspond to at least one of:

a portion of the bone containment member and the occiput.

39. A method assembling an adjustable occipital plate, comprising:

providing a fixation plate and at least one lateral rod;

slidably coupling at least one sliding link to the at least one lateral rod;

connecting the fixation plate to the at least one lateral rod; and

coupling at least one posterior cervical rod to the at least one sliding link using at least one rod connector.

40. The method according to claim 39, further comprising translating the at least one sliding link along the at least one lateral rod.

41. The method according to claim 39, further comprising rotating the at least one sliding link about the at least one lateral rod.

42. The method according to claim 39, further comprising rotating the at least one rod connector and the at least one posterior cervical rod around an axis substantially perpendicular to the at least one sliding link.

43. The method according to claim 39, further comprising securing the at least one sliding link to the at least one lateral rod.

44. The method according to claim 39, further comprising securing the at least one posterior cervical rod to the at least one sliding link.

45. The method according to claim 39, further comprising installing the adjustable occipital plate into a patient.

46. The method according to claim 39, further comprising connecting a bone graft to the adjustable occipital plate.