Vertebral implants having predetermined angular correction and methods of use

• US 20070270957A1
• Filed: 04/13/2006
• Published: 11/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Warsaw Orthopedic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: SDGI Holdings Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Heinz, Eric
• Granted Patent: US 8,366,776 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/17.110
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/28 Bones joints A61F2/30
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/44 for the spine, e.g. vertebrae, spinal discs
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/4465 having a circular or kidney shaped cross-section substantially perpendicular to the axis of the spine
• 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 2002/30131 horseshoe- or crescent- or C-shaped or U-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30133 kidney-shaped or bean-shaped
• 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 2002/30387 Dovetail connection
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/305 Snap connection
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30599 stackable
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30616 Sets comprising a plurality of prosthetic parts of different sizes or orientations
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/3071 Identification means; Administration of patients
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30772 Apertures or holes, e.g. of circular cross section
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30841 Sharp anchoring protrusions for impaction into the bone, e.g. sharp pins, spikes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/448 comprising multiple adjacent spinal implants within the same intervertebral space or within the same vertebra, e.g. comprising two adjacent spinal implants
• 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 2230/0013 Horseshoe-shaped, e.g. crescent-shaped, C-shaped, U-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0015 Kidney-shaped, e.g. bean-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0063 Nested prosthetic parts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0085 : Identification means; Administration of patients
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2310/00017 : Iron- or Fe-based alloys, e.g. stainless steel
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2310/00023 : Titanium or titanium-based alloys, e.g. Ti-Ni alloys
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2310/00029 : Cobalt-based alloys, e.g. Co-Cr alloys or Vitallium
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2310/00359 : Bone or bony tissue

Abstract

A vertebral implant for use in establishing desired spinal curvatures includes separate implant bodies. Each body may include an associated angle between inferior and superior surfaces of the body. Further, the implant bodies may be stacked so that the associated angles are oriented in different anatomical planes. The implant bodies may be secured to one another with a connector. The implant bodies may be used either independently or in conjunction with one another to achieve a desired spinal curvature. Each implant body may include bone engagement features that extend outward from the superior and inferior surfaces of the implant body. The implant bodies may include recesses that are positioned to correspond to the bone engagement protrusions in other implant bodies to allow contact between the inferior and superior surfaces of the respective implant bodies.

Claims

1. An intervertebral implant for insertion into a patient between vertebral bodies comprising:

a first body including an inferior surface and a superior surface, the body including a tapered shape with the inferior and superior surfaces of the first body forming a first angle that is aligned in a first direction; and

a second body including an inferior surface and a superior surface, the body including a tapered shape with the inferior and superior surfaces of the second body forming a second angle that is aligned in a second direction;

the first and second bodies stackable for insertion between the vertebral bodies in the patient with the first and second directions respectively oriented in first and second anatomical planes.

2. The intervertebral implant of claim 1 wherein the first and second anatomical planes include a coronal plane and a sagittal plane associated with the patient.

3. The intervertebral implant of claim 1 wherein the first and second bodies are stackable with the inferior surface of the first body contacting the superior surface of the second body.

4. The intervertebral implant of claim 3 further comprising a connector that engages the first and second bodies to substantially maintain contact between the inferior surface of the first body and the superior surface of the second body.

5. The intervertebral implant of claim 4 wherein the connector comprises enlarged portions disposed on opposite sides of an intermediate portion, each of the enlarged portions insertable into a correspondingly sized aperture in the first and second bodies.

6. The intervertebral implant of claim 4 further comprising a retainer disposed on at least one of the first and second bodies, the retainer securing the connector to the first and second bodies.

7. The intervertebral implant of claim 1 further comprising a spacer that engages the first and second bodies to establish a desired spacing between the superior surface of the first body and the inferior surface of the second body.

8. An intervertebral implant for insertion into a patient between vertebral bodies comprising:

a coronal angle implant including an inferior surface and a superior surface, the body including a tapered shape with the inferior and superior surfaces of the coronal angle implant forming a coronal angle correction; and

a sagittal angle implant including an inferior surface and a superior surface, the sagittal angle implant including a tapered shape with the inferior and superior surfaces of the sagittal angle implant forming a sagittal angle correction; and

the inferior surface of one of the coronal angle implant and sagittal angle implant contacting the superior surface of the other of the coronal angle implant and sagittal angle implant.

9. The intervertebral implant of claim 8 wherein the coronal angle correction and the sagittal angle correction are substantially perpendicular to each other.

10. The intervertebral implant of claim 8 wherein the coronal angle implant and the sagittal angle implant comprise bone engagement protrusions extending from their respective inferior and superior surfaces.

11. The intervertebral implant of claim 8 further comprising a connector that engages the coronal angle implant and the sagittal angle implant to substantially maintain contact between the inferior surface and the superior surface.

12. An intervertebral implant for insertion into a patient between vertebral bodies comprising:

a first body including a first angle formed between a first inferior surface and a first superior surface, the first body including one or more first bone engagement protrusions extending outward from the first inferior surface; and

a second body including a second angle formed between a second inferior surface and a second superior surface, the second body including one or more first recesses in the second superior surface;

the first and second bodies stackable for insertion between the vertebral bodies with the first and second angles respectively oriented in first and second anatomical planes, the one or more first recesses positioned to accept the one or more first bone engagement protrusions with the first inferior surface and the second superior surface being in contact when the first and second bodies are stacked together for insertion between the vertebral bodies.

13. The intervertebral implant of claim 12 wherein the first body includes one or more second recesses in the first inferior surface, the second body includes one or more second bone engagement protrusions in the second superior surface, the one or more second recesses positioned to accept the one or more second bone engagement protrusions.

14. The intervertebral implant of claim 12 wherein the first body includes one or more third bone engagement protrusions in the first superior surface, the second body includes one or more fourth bone engagement protrusions in the second inferior surface, the one or more third and fourth recesses positioned to engage the vertebral bodies.

15. The intervertebral implant of claim 12 wherein the first angle is oriented in a coronal plane associated with the patient.

16. The intervertebral implant of claim 12 wherein the first angle is oriented in a sagittal plane associated with the patient.

17. A method of inserting a vertebral implant into a patient between vertebral bodies, the method comprising the steps of:

identifying a desired coronal angle correction and selecting a tapered coronal angle implant with a first angle that corresponds to the desired coronal angle correction;

identifying a desired sagittal angle correction and selecting a tapered sagittal angle implant with a second angle that corresponds to the desired sagittal angle correction;

assembling the coronal angle implant to the sagittal angle implant; and

inserting the assembled coronal angle implant and sagittal angle implant into the patient with the first angle and the second angle substantially and respectively aligned with an anatomical coronal plane and an anatomical sagittal plane associated with the patient.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising removing the coronal angle implant and selecting a second coronal angle implant with a third angle that corresponds to the desired coronal angle correction and inserting the second coronal angle implant into the patient with the third angle substantially aligned with the anatomical coronal plane.

19. The method of claim 17 further comprising removing the sagittal angle implant and selecting a second sagittal angle implant with a fourth angle that corresponds to the desired sagittal angle correction and inserting the second sagittal angle implant into the patient with the fourth angle substantially aligned with the anatomical sagittal plane.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein the step of selecting a tapered coronal angle implant with the first angle that corresponds to the desired coronal angle correction comprises selecting one of a plurality of tapered coronal angle implants, each of the plurality of tapered coronal angle implants including a different angle.

21. The method of claim 17 wherein the step of selecting a tapered sagittal angle implant with the second angle that corresponds to the desired sagittal angle correction comprises selecting one of a plurality of tapered sagittal angle implants, each of the plurality of tapered sagittal angle implants including a different angle.

22. The method of claim 17 wherein the step of assembling the coronal angle implant to the sagittal angle implant comprises stacking one of the coronal angle implant and the sagittal angle implant on top of the other of the coronal angle implant and the sagittal angle implant.

23. The method of claim 17 wherein the step of assembling the coronal angle implant to the sagittal angle implant comprises connecting the coronal angle implant and the sagittal angle implant using a connector member.

24. A method of inserting a vertebral implant into a patient between vertebral bodies, the method comprising the steps of:

selecting a first implant including a first correction angle in a first anatomical plane;

selecting a second implant including a second correction angle in a second anatomical plane;

assembling the first implant to the second implant by inserting bone protrusion features extending outward from an inferior surface of the first implant into corresponding recesses in the superior surface of the second implant;

securing the inferior surface of the first implant against the superior surface of the second implant; and

inserting the assembled first implant and second implant into the patient with the first and second correction angles substantially and respectively aligned with a first anatomical plane and a second anatomical plane associated with the patient.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the first anatomical plane is a coronal plane associated with the patient.

26. The method of claim 24 wherein the second anatomical plane is a sagittal plane associated with the patient.

27. The method of claim 24 wherein the step of securing the inferior surface of the first implant against the superior surface of the second implant comprises inserting a connector that simultaneously engages the first and second implants.

28. The method of claim 24 wherein the step of securing the inferior surface of the first implant against the superior surface of the second implant comprises inserting a spacer that simultaneously engages the first and second implants.

29. The method of claim 24 further comprising inserting bone protrusion features extending outward from a superior surface of the second implant into corresponding recesses in the inferior surface of the first implant.

30. The method of claim 24 wherein the step of selecting the first implant including the first correction angle comprises selecting from a first plurality of implants, each of the first plurality of implants including a different angle.

31. The method of claim 24 wherein the step of selecting the second implant including the second correction angle comprises selecting from a second plurality of implants, each of the second plurality of implants including a different angle.