Cervical plate system having an insertable rotating element

• US 20080027439A1
• Filed: 07/31/2006
• Published: 01/31/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Orthopaedic International, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Orthopaedic International, Inc.
• Inventors: Sasing, Jude L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,172,842 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/69
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1655 for tapping
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1671 for the spine
• 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 17/8047 wherein the additional element surrounds the screw head in the plate hole A61B17/8052 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/861 specially shaped for gripping driver
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

A cervical plate system which includes a cervical plate having a thickness between a top surface and an opposite bottom surface, and at least one slot extending through the thickness of the plate. The system further includes a first rotating element positionable within a first slot of the cervical plate, the first rotating element including at least one threaded hole, and at least one bone screw insertable into the at least one threaded hole of the first rotating element.

Claims

1. A cervical plate system, comprising:

a cervical plate having a thickness between a top surface and an opposite bottom surface, and at least one slot extending through the thickness of the plate;

a first rotating element positionable within a first slot of the cervical plate, the first rotating element comprising at least one threaded hole; and

at least one bone screw insertable into the at least one threaded hole of the first rotating element.

2. The cervical plate system of claim 1, wherein the rotating element has a maximum length that is at least slightly larger than a width of the first slot at a top surface of the cervical plate.

3. The cervical plate system of claim 1, wherein the first rotating element has a first end and an opposite second end, wherein at least one of the first and second ends has a convex profile.

4. The cervical plate system of claim 1, wherein at least one of a first end and a second end of the first slot in which the first rotating element is positionable comprises a concave profile to cooperatively engage with at least one of the first and second ends of the first rotating element.

5. The cervical plate system of claim 1, wherein the cervical plate comprises a first edge, an opposite second edge located on opposite sides across a width of the plate, and a first curvature between the first and second edges, and wherein each rotating element comprises a curvature across its width that generally matches the first curvature of the cervical plate.

6. The cervical plate system of claim 1, wherein each bone screw is positionable so that it extends beyond the bottom surface of the cervical plate and so that each bone screw is in a fixed position relative to the rotatable element and is rotatable relative to the cervical plate.

7. The cervical plate system of claim 1, wherein the first rotating element comprises first and second threaded holes spaced from each other.

8. The cervical plate system of claim 7, wherein a first bone screw is insertable in the first threaded hole of the first rotating element, a second bone screw is insertable in the second threaded hole of the first rotating element, and the first and second bone screws are fixed relative to each other and rotatable relative to the first cervical plate about a first axis.

9. The cervical plate system of claim 1, wherein the at least one bone screw is threaded along its entire length.

10. The cervical plate system of claim 9, wherein the at least one bone screw comprises a head portion that is enlarged relative to a base portion of the screw for preventing rotation of the bone screw beyond a predetermined position.

11. The cervical plate system of claim 1, wherein the at least one bone screw comprises a head portion, a tip opposite the head portion, and a minor diameter that increases from the tip toward the head portion.

12. The cervical plate system of claim 1, wherein the at least one bone screw comprises threads having a helix that matches a helix of threads in a bone into which the bone screw will be threaded.

13. The cervical plate system of claim 1, further comprising multiple slots in the cervical plate and a corresponding number of rotating elements positionable within each of the multiple slots.

14. A rotating element for use within a cervical plate, the cervical plate having a thickness between a top surface and an opposite bottom surface and at least one slot extending through the thickness of the plate, wherein the rotating element is rotatably positionable within a slot of the cervical plate about a first axis and wherein the rotating element comprises at least one threaded hole through its thickness.

15. The rotating element of claim 14, wherein the rotating element further comprises a bone screw threaded into each of the at least one threaded holes in the rotating element.

16. The rotating element of claim 14, wherein the rotating element includes two threaded holes through its thickness and a bone screw threaded into each of the two threaded holes, wherein both of the bone screws are fixedly attached to the rotating element so that they are rotatable about the first axis with the rotating element.

17. A method of assembling a cervical plate system, comprising the steps of:

providing a cervical plate having a thickness between a top surface and an opposite bottom surface, and a first slot extending through the thickness of the plate;

providing a first rotating element comprising a top surface, an opposite bottom surface, and at least one threaded hole extending from the top to the bottom surface of the rotating element;

orienting the first rotating element so that its top and bottom surfaces are generally perpendicular to the top and bottom surfaces of the cervical plate; and

pressing the first rotating element into the first slot.

18. A method of implanting a cervical plate system onto the vertebrae of a patient, comprising the steps of:

selecting a cervical plate system for the patient, the system comprising;

a cervical plate having a thickness between a top surface and an opposite bottom surface, and at least one slot extending through the thickness of the plate and corresponding to the vertebra to which it will be attached; and

at least one rotating element positioned within at least one slot of the cervical plate, the at least one rotating element comprising at least one threaded hole;

positioning the cervical plate on top of the vertebrae of the patient;

attaching a drill sleeve to each of the at least one threaded holes of the at least one rotating element;

rotating the at least one rotating element within the at least one slot until the at least one rotating element is in a desired position relative to the vertebra;

inserting a drill into each drill sleeve and drilling a screw hole into the vertebrae;

inserting a bone tap through the at least one threaded hole of the rotating element and into the screw hole in the vertebrae;

tapping a hole in the vertebrae that has threads that match threads of the threaded hole of the at least one rotating element; and

inserting a bone screw into the threaded hole of the at least one rotating element and into the corresponding hole in the vertebra.