Spinal rod connector system and method for a bone anchor

• US 20070270805A1
• Filed: 04/07/2006
• Published: 11/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Warsaw Orthopedic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: SDGI Holdings Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Miller, Keith, Rezach, William
• Granted Patent: US 7,867,255 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/255
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/7032 Screws or hooks with U-shaped head or back through which longitudinal rods pass
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/7041 with single longitudinal rod offset laterally from single row of screws or hooks A61B17/7044 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/705 for linking adjacent ends of longitudinal elements

Abstract

A spinal rod system includes a first rod and a second rod engaged to a connector with the first and second rods extending axially therefrom in opposite directions from one another. The connector is mountable to a mounting anchor and securable thereto with an engaging member. The connector secures the first rod in the mounting anchor and the connector is clampingly engaged between the engaging member and the first rod. The second rod is engageable in a receiving portion of the connector adjacent to the mounting anchor.

Claims

1. A spinal rod system, comprising:

a mounting anchor including a first portion for engaging a bony structure and a receiver defining a first receptacle;

a first elongated spinal rod in said receptacle of said mounting anchor, said first spinal rod being positionable along a spinal column when said first portion of said mounting anchor is engaged to bony structure;

a connector including a body extending along a longitudinal axis oriented transversely to said first spinal rod, said body including a mounting portion and a receiving portion along said longitudinal axis, wherein said mounting portion is positioned about said receiver and engaged thereto with an engaging member and said receiving portion is positioned adjacent said receiver of said mounting anchor, said receiving portion defining a second receptacle; and

a second spinal rod engaged to said receiving portion of said connector in said second receptacle and extending from said receiving portion in generally parallel relation with said first spinal rod.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said first spinal rod extends in a first direction away from said connector and said second spinal rod extends in a second direction away from said connector opposite said first direction.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said receiver of said mounting anchor includes a pair of arms extending along said first receptacle and said engaging member is threadingly engaged to said pair of arms.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said engaging member includes a distal threaded body threadingly engaging said pair of arms and a flange proximal of said body positioned in contact with a proximally oriented surface of said body of said connector.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said connector includes at least one contact member extending therefrom adjacent to said receiver, said contact member including a distal contact surface positioned in contact with said first spinal rod and seating said first spinal rod in said receiver of said mounting anchor.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said connector includes at least one contact member extending therefrom adjacent to said receiver and outside of said first receptacle of said mounting anchor, said contact member including a distal contact surface positioned in contact with said first spinal rod and seating said first spinal rod in said receiver of said mounting anchor.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said engaging member contacts a proximally oriented surface of said body of said connector and is movably engageable with said receiver to place said contact surface into contact with said first spinal rod.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said receiving portion of said connector includes a bore in communication with said second receptacle and a second engaging member in said bore securing said second spinal rod to said body of said connector.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said bore is defined between a pair of arms extending from said second receptacle along said bore and defining an opening therebetween configured to receive said second spinal rod therethrough in a side-loading orientation.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein said bore extends along a bore axis that is obliquely oriented to said longitudinal axis of said connector when said body of said connector is viewed in section along said longitudinal axis.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein said first portion of said mounting anchor includes an elongated, threaded shaft and said receiver extends proximally from said threaded shaft.

12. A spinal rod system, comprising:

a mounting anchor including a first portion for engaging a bony structure and a receiver defining a first receptacle;

a first elongated spinal rod in said receiver of said mounting anchor, said first spinal rod being positionable along a spinal column when said first portion of said mounting anchor is engaged to bony structure;

a connector including a body extending along a longitudinal axis oriented transversely to said first spinal rod, said body including a mounting portion and a receiving portion along said longitudinal axis, wherein said mounting portion is positioned about said receiver and is clampingly engaged between said first spinal rod and an engaging member engaged to said receiver of said mounting anchor, and further wherein said receiving portion defines a second receptacle adjacent said mounting portion; and

a second spinal rod engaged to said receiving portion of said connector in said second receptacle and extending from said receiving portion in generally parallel relation with said first spinal rod.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said mounting portion includes a wall that extends around and defines a window, and said receiver of said mounting anchor is received in said window in form-fitting and non-rotating engagement therewith.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said mounting portion includes at least one contact member along said wall, said at least one contact member including a distal surface contacting said first spinal rod outside said first receptacle of said receiver of said mounting anchor.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein said contact surface includes a concave curvature to extend at least partially around a convex outer surface of said first spinal rod.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein said engaging member includes a distal threaded body threadingly engaging said receiver and a flange extending about said body proximally thereof that is positioned in contact with a proximally oriented surface of said body of said connector.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein said receiving portion of said connector includes a bore in communication with said second receptacle and a second engaging member in said bore securing said second spinal rod to said body of said connector.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein said first spinal rod extends long a central axis located a first depth below a proximal-most surface of said connector body and said second spinal rod extends along a second axis located a second depth below said proximal-most surface, wherein said first depth is substantially the same as said second depth.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein said first portion of said mounting anchor includes an elongated, threaded shaft and said receiver extends proximally from said threaded shaft, said receiver includes a U-shaped head having a pair of arms extending alongside one another and defining said first receptacle therebetween.

20. A method for assembling a spinal rod system, comprising:

positioning a first spinal rod into a first receptacle defined by a receiver of a mounting anchor;

positioning a mounting portion of a connector body about the receiver of the mounting anchor;

securing an engaging member to the receiver of the mounting anchor with a flange of the engaging member in contact with the connector body and the connector body in contact with the first spinal rod outside the first receptacle;

advancing the engaging member into the receiver thereby advancing the connector body and spinal rod in contact therewith until the spinal rod is seated against the receiver of the mounting anchor; and

engaging a second spinal rod to the connector body with the second spinal rod extending from the connecting body in a direction opposite to the first spinal rod.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the second spinal rod is axially offset from and generally parallel to the first spinal rod.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the second spinal rod extends from the first spinal rod in end-to-end relation and in generally axial alignment therewith.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the receiving portion of the connecting body is positioned adjacent the receiver when the connector body is positioned about the receiver of the mounting anchor.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein advancing the engaging member includes threadingly engaging the engaging member along a threaded profile extending along the receiver.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein the connecting body includes at least one contact member extending to a distal contact surface in contact with the first spinal rod, the distal contact surface including a concave curvature to conform to an outer surface profile of the first spinal rod.

26. The method of claim 20, wherein engaging the second spinal rod includes positioning the second spinal rod in a second receptacle defined by a receiving portion of the connector body, and further comprising advancing a second engaging member into a bore of the receiving portion to secure the second spinal rod thereto.

27. A spinal rod system, comprising:

a mounting anchor including a first portion for engaging a bony structure and a receiver defining a first receptacle;

a first elongated spinal rod in said receptacle of said mounting anchor, said first spinal rod being positionable along a spinal column when said first portion of said mounting anchor is engaged to bony structure;

a connector including a body extending along a longitudinal axis oriented in general alignment with said first spinal rod, said body including a mounting portion and a receiving portion along said longitudinal axis, wherein said mounting portion is positioned about said receiver and engaged thereto with an engaging member and said receiving portion is positioned adjacent said receiver of said mounting anchor, said receiving portion defining a second receptacle; and

a second spinal rod engaged to said receiving portion of said connector in said second receptacle and extending from said receiving portion in end-to-end relation with said first spinal rod and in axial alignment therewith.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein said receptacle of said receiving portion extends along said longitudinal axis and said receiving portion includes at least one bore in communication with said second receptacle, and further comprising a second engaging member in said at least one bore in engagement with said second rod in said second receptacle.

29. The system of claim 27, wherein said receptacle of said receiving portion extends along said longitudinal axis and said receiving portion includes a pair of bores spaced along said longitudinal axis and in communication with said second receptacle, and further comprising a second engaging member in each of said pair of bores, each of said second engaging members in engagement with said second rod in said second receptacle.

30. The system of claim 27, wherein said receiver of said mounting anchor includes a pair of arms extending along said first receptacle and said engaging member is threadingly engaged to said pair of arms.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein said engaging member includes a distal threaded body threadingly engaging said pair of arms and a flange proximal of said body positioned in contact with a proximally oriented surface of said body of said connector.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein said connector includes at least one contact member extending therefrom adjacent to said receiver, said contact member including a distal contact surface positioned in contact with said first spinal rod and seating said first spinal rod in said receiver of said mounting anchor.

33. The system of claim 27, wherein said connector includes at least one contact member extending therefrom adjacent to said receiver and outside of said first receptacle of said mounting anchor, said contact member including a distal contact surface positioned in contact with said first spinal rod and seating said first spinal rod in said receiver of said mounting anchor.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein said engaging member contacts a proximally oriented surface of said body of said connector and is movably engageable with said receiver to place said contact surface into contact with said first spinal rod.

35. The system of claim 27, wherein said mounting portion includes a wall that extends around and defines a window, and said receiver of said mounting anchor is received in said window in form-fitting and non-rotating engagement therewith.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein said mounting portion includes first and second contact members along said wall on opposite sides of said window, said first and second contact members each including a distal surface contacting said first spinal rod outside said first receptacle of said receiver of said mounting anchor.

37. The system of claim 27, wherein said first portion of said mounting anchor includes an elongated, threaded shaft and said receiver extends proximally from said threaded shaft, said receiver includes a U-shaped head having a pair of arms extending alongside one another and defining said first receptacle therebetween.