Expandable Vertebral Prosthesis

• US 20070191954A1
• Filed: 08/15/2006
• Published: 08/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Globus Medical, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Globus Medical, Inc.
• Inventors: Lee, Andrew, Karpowicz, Edward, Hansell, Noah, Hansell, Matthew, Billman, Craig, Boyer, Michael, Rhoda, William, Millhouse, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 7,811,327 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/17.15
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/30744 End caps, e.g. for closing an endoprosthetic cavity
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/44 for the spine, e.g. vertebrae, spinal discs
• 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 2/4611 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 2002/30112 Rounded shapes, e.g. with rounded corners
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30235 tubular, e.g. sleeves
• 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 2002/30364 Rotation about the common longitudinal axis
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30365 with additional means for limiting said rotation
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30367 with additional means for preventing said rotation
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30372 with additional means for limiting said translation
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30378 Spherically-shaped protrusion and recess
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30405 made by screwing complementary threads machined on the parts themselves
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30408 Conical threadings
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30462 retained or tied with a rope, string, thread, wire or cable
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30471 connected by a hinged linkage mechanism, e.g. of the single-bar or multi-bar linkage type
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30476 locked by an additional locking mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30481 using a locking clip
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30492 using a locking pin
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30495 : using a locking ring
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/305 : Snap connection
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30507 : using a threaded locking member, e.g. a locking screw or a set screw
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30517 : using a locking plate
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30523 : by means of meshing gear teeth
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30525 : Worm gears
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30538 : for adjusting angular orientation
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/3055 : for adjusting length
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30601 : telescopic
• 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 2002/4627 : 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 2002/4628 : with linear motion along or rotating motion about an axis transverse to the instrument axis or to the implantation direction, e.g. clamping
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/4629 : connected to the endoprosthesis or implant via a threaded connection
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0025 : Connections or couplings between prosthetic parts, e.g. between modular parts; Connecting elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0033 : made by longitudinally pushing a protrusion into a complementary-shaped recess, e.g. held by friction fit
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0091 : connected by a hinged linkage mechanism, e.g. of the single-bar or multi-bar linkage type
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0004 : Rounded shapes, e.g. with rounded corners
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0069 : cylindrical

Abstract

The present invention relates to an expandable prosthetic implant device for engagement between vertebrae generally comprising an inner member, outer member, and gear member positioned coaxial with respect to each other such that the inner and outer members are moveable relative to each other along an axis. The gear member is axially fixed to the outer member and freely rotatable with respect to the outer member and the gear member threadedly engages a threaded portion of the inner member to translate inner member along the axis. The implant is configured to engage the vertebrae in a predetermined alignment and the gear member includes gear teeth exposed to the exterior and configured to be accessible by a tool member at a plurality of angular positions around the perimeter of the implant device.

Claims

1. An expandable prosthetic implant device for engagement between vertebrae, comprising:

a first member including a first end portion configured to engage a first vertebral body, the first end portion multi-axially articulatable with respect to the first member;

a second member including a second end portion configured to engage a second vertebral body, the second end portion multi-axially articulatable with respect to the second member, and wherein the first and second members are moveable relative to each other along a longitudinal axis;

wherein the first and second end portions are fixable at a user selected orientation and the implant is configured to engage the vertebrae such that first and second end portions are oriented in the user selected orientation with respect to the first and second vertebral bodies.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the inner member, outer member, and gear member are made of a PEEK plastic material.

3. The device of claim 1, further comprising a locking member for fixing the first member with respect to the second member.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the first member is rotationally fixed with respect to the second member.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the first end portion comprises a first plate having a generally oblong shape when viewed along the longitudinal axis, the first plate extending a width distance in a medial-lateral direction along a long axis and a depth distance in a anterior-posterior direction along a short axis, wherein the width distance is larger than the depth distance.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the second end portion comprises a second plate having a generally oblong shape when along the longitudinal axis, the second plate extending a width distance in a medial-lateral direction along a long axis and a depth distance in a anterior-posterior direction along a short axis, wherein the width distance is larger than the depth distance.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the first and second end plates include at least one bone engaging member extending longitudinally from the end plates.

8. The device of claim 5, wherein the first end portion has a thickness in the longitudinal direction and the thickness is variable in the anterior-posterior direction along the short axis.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the thickness varies gradually in the anterior-posterior direction such that the first end portion defines a general wedge-shaped profile.

10. The device of claim 8, wherein the first end portion extends in the anterior-posterior direction from an anterior side to a posterior side and the first end portion has a first thickness at an anterior side and a second thickness at a posterior side, wherein the first thickness is greater than the second thickness.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the first end portion includes a bone engaging surface and a plane tangent to the bone engaging surface intersects a plane normal to the longitudinal axis at a first angle.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the first angle is between about −

16 degrees and about 16 degrees.

13. The device of claim 6, wherein the second end portion has a thickness in the longitudinal direction and the thickness is variable in the anterior-posterior direction along the short axis.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the thickness varies gradually in the anterior-posterior direction such that the second end portion defines a general wedge-shaped profile.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the second end portion extends in the anterior-posterior direction from an anterior side to a posterior side and the second end portion has a first thickness at an anterior side and a second thickness at a posterior side, wherein the first thickness is greater than the second thickness.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the second end portion includes a bone engaging surface and a plane tangent to the bone engaging surface intersects a plane normal to the longitudinal axis at a second angle.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the second angle is between about −

16 degrees and about 16 degrees.

18. An expandable prosthetic implant device for engagement between vertebrae, comprising:

an inner member having a hollow interior portion and a threaded external portion and including a first end portion configured to engage a first vertebral body, the first end portion multi-axially articulatable with respect to the inner member;

an outer member having a hollow interior portion configured to coaxially receive the inner member therein and including a second end portion configured to engage a second vertebral body, a second member including a second end portion configured to engage a second vertebral body, the second end portion multi-axially articulatable with respect to the outer member, wherein the inner and outer members are moveable relative to each other along a longitudinal axis;

a gear member positioned coaxial to the inner member and outer member and axially fixed to the outer member and freely rotatable with respect to the outer member, wherein the gear member threadedly engages the threaded portion of the inner member,

wherein the first and second end portions have a generally oblong shape when viewed along the longitudinal axis and wherein the first and second end portions are fixable at a user selected orientation and the implant is configured to engage the vertebrae such that first and second end portions are oriented in the user selected orientation with respect to the first and second vertebral bodies, and

wherein the gear member includes gear teeth extending around the perimeter and configured to be accessible by a tool member at a plurality of angular positions around the perimeter.