ADJUSTABLE OCCIPITAL PLATE

• US 20080125781A1
• Filed: 11/28/2006
• Published: 05/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zimmer Biomet Spine, Inc. (Zimvie Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Zimmer Spine, Inc. (Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Myers, Mark A., Hoffman, Zachary M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,147,527 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/69
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/7055 connected to sacrum, pelvis or skull
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/80 Cortical plates , i.e. bone plates; Instruments for holding or positioning cortical plates, or for compressing bones attached to cortical plates

Abstract

An occipital plate for use in an occipito-cervico-thoracic (OCT) construct is mounted to a patient'"'"'s occipital bone. The occipital plate includes an elongate central section aligned with a midline of the base and a pair of angled sections that project away from the central section and include attachment assemblies for securing a rod to the occipital plate. The attachment assemblies have multi-adjustability features. At least a portion of the attachment assemblies is rotatable with respect to the base so that the rods may be coupled to the occipital plate at a variety of angles with respect to the midline. The angular adjustability may accommodate any misalignments in the rods. Additionally, the position of the attachment assemblies relative to the midline of the occipital plate is adjustable to thereby provide for medial-lateral adjustability when attaching the rods to the occipital plate as part of the OCT construct.

Claims

1. A fixation system for connecting a stabilization system to a bone, the fixation system comprising:

a base having a midline and adapted to be mounted to the bone;

at least one attachment assembly coupled to the base and having at least a portion rotatable with respect to the base; and

a rod selectively coupled to the base via the attachment member at a variety of angles relative to the midline of the base.

2. The fixation system of claim 1, wherein the attachment assembly is further coupled to the base so as to be movable between a variety of positions relative to the midline of the base.

3. The fixation system of claim 1, wherein the rotatable portion of the attachment assembly rotates over a limited range of angles.

4. The fixation system of claim 3, wherein the rotatable portion of the attachment assembly includes a neutral angular position such that the attachment assembly is adapted to receive a rod that is substantially parallel to the midline when in the neutral angular position, and the rotatable portion of the attachment assembly rotates in both a clockwise and counterclockwise direction when in the neutral angular position.

5. The fixation system of claim 1, wherein the base further comprises:

a central section substantially aligned with the midline; and

an angled section coupled to the central section and forming an angle with respect to the midline, the attachment assembly coupled to the base along the angled section.

6. The fixation system of claim 5 further comprising:

an elongated slot formed in the angled section and extending substantially along a length of the angled section, the attachment assembly being mounted in the slot and movable along the slot,

wherein movement of the attachment assembly along the slot varies the position of the attachment assembly relative to the midline of the base.

7. The fixation system of claim 1, wherein the attachment assembly further comprises:

a slide member coupled to the base;

a post extending from the slide member and adapted to receive the rod and rotate relative to the slide member; and

a set screw threadably coupled to the post and adapted to secure the rod relative to the attachment assembly.

8. The fixation system of claim 7 further comprising:

an angle limiting mechanism,

wherein the angle limiting mechanism limits the range of angles through which the attachment assembly rotates with respect to the base.

9. The fixation system of claim 8, wherein the angle limiting mechanism includes at least one wing extending from the periphery of the slide member, wherein the wing engages a portion of the base to limit the rotation of the attachment assembly relative to the base.

10. An occipito-cervico-thoracic (OCT) construct comprising:

an occipital plate adapted to be mounted to an occipital bone;

a pair of rods releasable secured to the occipital plate; and

a plurality of vertebral mounts each connecting one of the rods to selected vertebrae, the occipital plate further comprising;

a base having a midline and adapted to be mounted to the bone; and

a pair of attachment assemblies each coupled to the base on opposite sides of the midline, each attachment assembly having at least a portion rotatable with respect to the base;

wherein the rods are selectively coupled to the occipital plate via the attachment assemblies at a variety of angles relative to the midline of the base.

11. The OCT construct of claim 10, wherein each attachment assembly is further coupled to the base so as to be movable between a variety of positions relative to the midline of the base.

12. The OCT construct of claim 10, wherein the base further comprises:

a central section substantially aligned with the midline; and

an pair of angled sections coupled to the central section on opposite sides of the midline and each angled section forming an angle with respect to the midline, wherein each attachment assembly is coupled to the base along one of the angled sections.

13. The OCT construct of claim 12, further comprising:

an elongated slot formed in each angled section and extending substantially along a length of the angled section, each attachment assembly being mounted in one of the slots and movable along the slot,

wherein movement of the attachment assembly along the slot varies the position of the attachment assembly relative to the midline of the base.

14. The OCT construct of claim 10, wherein each attachment assembly further comprises:

a slide member coupled to the base;

a post extending from the slide member and adapted to receive the rod; and

a set screw threadably coupled to the post and adapted to secure the rod relative to the attachment assembly.

15. The OCT construct of claim 10, wherein the rotatable portion of each attachment assembly rotates over a limited range of angles.

16. An occipital plate assembly to mount a pair of rods to an occipital bone, the occipital plate assembly comprising:

a base having a midline and adapted to be mounted to the occipital bone; and

a pair of attachment assemblies each coupled to the base and each having at least a portion rotatable with respect to the base,

wherein each attachment assembly is adapted to be secured to one of the rods at a variety of angles relative to the midline of the base, and

wherein each attachment assembly is further coupled to the base so as to be movable between a variety of positions relative to the midline of the base.

17. The occipital plate assembly of claim 16, wherein the base further comprises:

a central section substantially aligned with the midline; and

an pair of angled sections coupled to the central section on opposite sides of the midline and each angled section forming an angle with respect to the midline, wherein each attachment assembly is coupled to the base along one of the angled sections.

18. The occipital plate assembly of claim 16, wherein each attachment assembly further comprises:

a slide member movably coupled to the base;

a post extending from the slide member and adapted to receive the rod and rotatable relative to the slide member; and

a set screw threadably coupled to the post and adapted to secure the rod relative to the attachment assembly.

19. The occipital plate assembly of claim 18 further comprising:

an angle limiting mechanism,

wherein the angle limiting mechanism limits the range of angles through which the attachment assembly rotates with respect to the base.

20. The occipital plate assembly of claim 16, wherein the rotatable portion of each attachment assembly includes a neutral angular position such that each attachment assembly is adapted to receive a rod that is substantially parallel to the midline when in the neutral angular position, the rotatable portion of each attachment assembly rotatable in both a clockwise and counterclockwise direction over a limited range of angles with respect to the base when in the neutral position.