Pedicle punch with cannula

• US 20080071302A1
• Filed: 08/14/2006
• Published: 03/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ortho Impact Corporation
• Original Assignee: Ortho Impact Corporation
• Inventors: Castillo, Hector, Sinicropi, Stefano, Astwood, Larry
• Granted Patent: US 7,846,164 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/167
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1604 Chisels; Rongeurs; Punches; Stamps
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1671 for the spine
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/32 Surgical cutting instruments A61B18/042 takes precedence; suture cutters A61B17/0467; instruments for ligaturing or cutting A61B17/128; instruments for rupturing the amniotic membrane A61B17/4208; specially adapted knives for eye surgery A61F9/0133
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00902 transparent or translucent
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/39 Markers, e.g. radio-opaque or breast lesions markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/178 Syringes

Abstract

The present invention relates to pedicle implements, in particular pedicle implants that involve screws. The present invention includes a handle, a pointy tip, a shaft, a cannula located therethrough and mini protrusions used to prevent toggling. The crux of the present invention is the ability of the user to create an accurate pilot hole via the pointy tip. In addition, the present invention allows the user the ability to insert a pedicle probe through the cannula out through the pointy tip. This allows the user to perform the cannulation portion of the procedure without the use of any thrombatic agents.

Claims

1. A pedicle punch for establishing pilot holes in vertebra pedicles when deployed thereon during pedicle screw insertion processes, said punch comprising:

a proximal end and a distal end;

a shaft distally projecting from generally about said proximal end and terminating in a truncated conical spike at said distal end;

a lip outwardly projecting from and fixedly connected to said shaft, adjacent to said sharp conical spike and concentric thereto;

a radiation opaque center core running longitudinally along the entire length of the pedicle punch, from said proximal end, through said shaft and lip outwardly projecting therefrom, to the very tip of said distal end;

said radiation opaque center core having an orifice extending through said core from said proximal end to said truncated conical spike and;

a radiation translucent outer layer concentrically surrounding and encasing said radiation opaque center core, running along the entire length of the pedicle punch but stopping short a short distance from the very tip of said distal end to allow said radiation opaque center core to extend sufficiently beyond the distal edge of said radiation translucent outer layer and form the bottom of said truncated conical spike of said shaft.

2. The pedicle punch according to claim 1, wherein said radiation translucent material is selected from the group of radiation translucent materials consisting of plastics, metals, and ceramics.

3. The pedicle punch according to claim 1, wherein said radiation translucent material is plastic.

4. The pedicle punch according to claim 1, wherein said radiation opaque material is metal.

5. The pedicle punch according to claim 1, wherein said lip further comprises at least two mini-protrusions to stabilize the pedicle punch as it is deployed into the vertebra pedicle.

6. The pedicle punch according to claim 5, wherein said mini-protrusions are radiation opaque.

7. The pedicle punch according to claim 1, wherein the lip further comprises four mini-protrusions to stabilize the pedicle punch as it is deployed into the vertebra pedicle.

8. The pedicle punch according to claim 7, wherein said four mini-protrusions are radiation opaque.

9. The pedicle punch according to claim 5 wherein said protrusions have a sharp point on a surface thereof.

10. The pedicle punch according to claim 7 wherein said protrusions have a sharp point on a surface thereof.

11. The pedicle punch according to claim 1 further comprising a tethering means attached to said pedicle punch for easy retrieval of said pedicle punch.

12. The pedicle punch according to claim 1, wherein said truncated conical spike further comprises means for stabilizing the pedicle punch once deployed on the vertebra pedicle.

13. The pedicle punch according to claim 12, wherein said means for stabilizing said pedicle punch are one or more barbs.

14. The pedicle punch according to claim 13, wherein said means for stabilizing said pedicle punch are serrations.

15. The pedicle punch according to claim 1, wherein said lip has a composite shape with a proximal circumferentially narrow end, a distal circumferentially wide end and an angled edge there between;

said proximal circumferentially narrow end having a relatively short outer edge parallel to the central longitudinal axis of said radiation opaque center core with an upper end and a lower end;

said distally circumferentially wide end having a relatively short outer edge parallel to the central longitudinal axis of said radiation opaque center core with an upper end and a lower end;

said lower end of said proximal outer edge and said upper end of said distal outer edge being connected with said angled edge, such that said angled edge is angularly transverse to the central longitudinal center axis of said center core to form a slightly sloped shoulder towards said distal circumferentially wide end.

16. A pedicle punch for establishing pilot holes in vertebra pedicles when deployed thereon during pedicle screw insertion processes, said punch comprising:

a proximal end and a distal end;

a shaft distally projecting from generally about the center of said proximal end and terminating in a truncated conical spike at said distal end, said spike having a sharp edge, said truncated conical spike being provided with means for stabilizing the pedicle punch once deployed on the vertebra pedicle;

a lip outwardly projecting from and fixedly connected to said shaft, adjacent to said truncated conical spike and concentric thereto, said lip having a composite shape with a proximal circumferentially narrow end, a distal circumferentially wide end and an angled edge there between;

said proximal circumferentially narrow end having a relatively short outer edge parallel to the central longitudinal axis of said radiation opaque center core with an upper end and a lower end;

said distally circumferentially wide end having a relatively short outer edge parallel to the central longitudinal axis of said radiation opaque center core with an upper end and a lower end;

said lower end of said proximal outer edge and said upper end of said distal outer edge being connected with said angled edge;

such that said angled edge is angularly transverse to the central longitudinal center axis of said center core to form a slightly sloped shoulder towards said distal circumferentially wide end;

a radiation opaque core running longitudinally along the entire length of the pedicle punch, from said proximal end, through said shaft and lip outwardly projecting therefrom, to the very tip of said distal end, said radiation opaque center core having an orifice extending through said core from said proximal end to said truncated conical spike; and

a radiation translucent outer layer concentrically surrounding and encasing said radiation opaque center core, running along the entire length of the pedicle punch but stopping short a short distance from the very tip of said distal end to allow said radiation opaque center core to extend sufficiently beyond the distal edge of said radiation translucent outer layer and form the bottom of said truncated conical spike of said shaft.

17. A pedicle punch for establishing pilot holes in vertebra pedicles when deployed thereon during pedicle screw insertion processes, said punch comprising:

a proximal end and a distal end;

a shaft distally projecting from generally about the center of said proximal end and terminating in a truncated conical spike at said distal end, said spike having a sharp edge;

a lip outwardly projecting from and fixedly connected to said shaft, adjacent to said truncated conical spike and concentric thereto, said lip having a composite shape with a proximal circumferentially narrow end, a distal circumferentially wide end and an angled edge there between;

said proximal circumferentially narrow end having a relatively short outer edge parallel to the central longitudinal axis of said radiation opaque center core with an upper end and a lower end;

said distally circumferentially wide end having a relatively short outer edge parallel to the central longitudinal axis of said radiation opaque center core with an upper end and a lower end;

said lower end of said proximal outer edge and said upper end of said distal outer edge being connected with said angled edge, such that said angled edge is angularly transverse to the central longitudinal center axis of said center core to form a slightly sloped shoulder towards said distal circumferentially wide end;

a radiation opaque center core running longitudinally along the entire length of the pedicle punch, from said proximal end, through said shaft and lip outwardly projecting therefrom, to the very tip of said distal end, said radiation opaque outer core having an orifice extending through said core from said proximal end to said truncated conical spike;

a radiation translucent outer layer concentrically surrounding and encasing said radiation opaque center core, running along the entire length of the pedicle punch but stopping short a short distance from the very tip of said distal end to allow said radiation opaque center core to extend sufficiently beyond the distal edge of said radiation translucent outer layer and form the bottom of said truncated conical spike of said shaft; and

at least two radiation opaque mini-protrusions to stabilize the pedicle punch as it is deployed into the vertebra pedicle, said at least two mini-protrusions fixedly attached to and distally extending from said lip.

18. A method for the creation of pilot holes in pedicle vertebrae during pedicle screw insertion processes, comprising the steps of:

(a) accurately mapping the outer perimeter of the pedicle and the axis thereof;

(b) placing a pedicle punch on the pedicle just mapped, said pedicle punch comprising a proximal end and a distal end, a shaft distally projecting from generally about the center of said proximal end and terminating in a truncated conical spike at said distal end, said spike having a sharp edge, a lip outwardly projecting from and fixedly connected to said shaft, adjacent to said truncated conical spike and concentric thereto, a radiation opaque center running longitudinally along the entire length of the pedicle punch, said radiation opaque center core having an orifice extending through said core from said proximal end through said truncated conical spike, through said proximal end, through said shaft and lip outwardly projecting therefrom, to the very tip of said distal end and a radiation translucent outer layer concentrically surrounding and encasing said radiation opaque center core, running along the entire length of the pedicle punch but stopping short a short distance from the very tip of said distal end to allow said radiation opaque center core to extend sufficiently beyond the distal edge of said radiation translucent outer layer and form the bottom of said sharp conical spike of said shaft;

(c) moving and positioning said pedicle punch until said radiation opaque center core and the pedicle'"'"'s perimeter are bulls'"'"' eyed;

(d) once said radiation opaque center core and said pedicle perimeter are bulls'"'"' eyed, deploying the pedicle punch into the mapped vertebrae pedicle using an appropriate force to form a pilot hole having a diameter wide enough to accommodate the instrumentation of the next step in the pedicle screw insertion process and a trajectory path vector that is as closely aligned to the pedicle axis of the vertebrae pedicle as possible.

19. A pedicle punch, the pedicle punch used to establish pilot holes in vertebra pedicles when deployed thereon during pedicle screw insertion processes comprising:

a head portion at the proximal end of said punch, said head portion having a first cross section;

a waist portion having a second cross section smaller than the first cross section of said head portion;

a body portion extending from said waist portion, said body portion having a third cross section larger than said second cross section;

a skirt portion extending from said body portion and a base portion ending in a distal end, said punch having a shaft distally projecting from the center of said proximal end and terminating to a truncated conical spike at said distal end;

a radiation opaque center core running longitudinally along the entire length of the pedicle punch, through said proximal end, through said shaft and lip outwardly projecting therefrom, to the very tip of said distal end;

said radiation opaque center core having an orifice extending through said core from said proximal end to said distal end, said spike having a sharp edge about said orifice and;

a radiation translucent outer layer concentrically surrounding and encasing said radiation opaque center core, running along the entire length of the pedicle punch but stopping short a short distance from the very tip of said distal end to allow said radiation opaque center core to extend sufficiently beyond the distal edge of said radiation translucent outer layer and form the bottom of said sharp conical spike of said shaft.

20. The pedicle punch according to claim 19 wherein said first cross section is generally the same as said third cross section.