EXPANDABLE INTERVERTEBRAL IMPLANT
First Claim
1. An expandable intervertebral implant comprising:
- a front wall;
a back wall spaced apart from the front wall;
two side walls connecting the front wall and the back wall at their respective ends, the front wall, back wall and the two side walls defining a space;
a bottom face;
a top face;
at least one engagement member with an engagement surface configured to engage an end plate of a vertebral body;
a first adjusting element and a second adjusting element which are supported by a first support member and a second support member, respectively, and which cooperate with the respective support member such that the engagement member is reciprocally movable between a first end position and a second end position wherein the engagement surface at least partially projects outwardly beyond the bottom face or the top face, the second end position being different from the first end position;
wherein the first and the second support members are coupled by a coupling mechanism; and
wherein an axis of movement of the first support member and an axis of movement of the second support member define an angle which is different from zero.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An expandable intervertebral implant includes a front wall, a back wall spaced apart from the front wall, and two side walls connecting the front wall and the back wall at their respective ends. The walls define a space. The implant further includes a bottom face, a top face, at least one engagement member with an engagement surface for engagement with the end plate of a vertebral body, a first adjusting element and a second adjusting element which are supported by a first support member and a second support member, respectively, and which cooperate with the respective support member such that the engagement member is reciprocally movable between a first end position and a second end position. In the first end position, the engagement surface does not project beyond the bottom face or the top face and in the second end position, the engagement surface at least partially projects outwardly beyond the bottom face or the top face. The first and the second support members are coupled by a coupling mechanism.
-
Citations
20 Claims
-
1. An expandable intervertebral implant comprising:
-
a front wall; a back wall spaced apart from the front wall; two side walls connecting the front wall and the back wall at their respective ends, the front wall, back wall and the two side walls defining a space; a bottom face; a top face; at least one engagement member with an engagement surface configured to engage an end plate of a vertebral body; a first adjusting element and a second adjusting element which are supported by a first support member and a second support member, respectively, and which cooperate with the respective support member such that the engagement member is reciprocally movable between a first end position and a second end position wherein the engagement surface at least partially projects outwardly beyond the bottom face or the top face, the second end position being different from the first end position; wherein the first and the second support members are coupled by a coupling mechanism; and wherein an axis of movement of the first support member and an axis of movement of the second support member define an angle which is different from zero. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
-
-
19. A method of replacing an intervertebral disk with an intervertebral implant comprising a front wall, a back wall spaced apart from the front wall, two side walls connecting the front wall and the back wall at their respective ends, the front wall, back wall and the two side walls defining a space, the implant further comprising a bottom face, a top face, at least one engagement member with an engagement surface configured to engage an end plate of a vertebral body, a first adjusting element and a second adjusting element which are supported by a first support member and a second support member, respectively, and which cooperate with the respective support member such that the engagement member is reciprocally movable between a first end position and a second end position wherein the engagement surface at least partially projects outwardly beyond the bottom face or the top face, the second end position being different from the first end position, wherein the first and the second support members are coupled by a coupling mechanism, and wherein an axis of movement of the first support member and an axis of movement of the second support member define an angle which is different from zero, the method comprising:
-
inserting the intervertebral implant between two vertebral bodies; and moving the at least one engagement member from the first end position to an implanted position between the first end position and the second end position; wherein the engagement surface of the at least one engagement member engages the end plate of one of the vertebral bodies in the implanted position of the engagement member. - View Dependent Claims (20)
-
Specification