CERVICAL DISTRACTION METHOD

• US 20080208341A1
• Filed: 04/28/2008
• Published: 08/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Providence Medical Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Providence Medical Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: McCormack, Bruce, Smith, Jeff
• Granted Patent: US 7,824,431 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/17.12
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/562 Implants for placement in joint gaps without restricting joint motion, e.g. to reduce arthritic pain
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/7064 Devices acting on, attached to, or simulating the effect of, vertebral facets; Tools therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/681 Alignment, compression, or distraction mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/4405 for apophyseal or facet joints, i.e. between adjacent spinous or transverse processes devices implanted between spinous or transverse processes A61B17/7062
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/441 made of inflatable pockets or chambers filled with fluid, e.g. with hydrogel
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/4611 of spinal prostheses

Abstract

A device and method for a minimally invasive surgical implantation to reduce radicular symptoms by inserting an expandable cervical distraction implant in the facet joint and distracting the adjacent cervical vertebrae to increase the foraminal dimension. The implant, when positioned in the cervical facet joint, expands to via delivery of an inflation medium to increase the space between the vertebrae, thereby increasing the foraminal area or dimension, and reducing pressure on the nerves and blood vessels of the cervical spine.

Claims

1-11. -11. (canceled)

12. A method of minimally invasively distracting first and second adjacent vertebrae, comprising:

inserting an expandable implant into a facet joint bounded by the first and second vertebrae;

wherein the to be expandable implant is delivered to the facet joint in a collapsed configuration;

and expanding the expandable implant within the facet joint to increase a foraminal dimension associated with the first and second vertebrae.

13. A method as recited in claim 12, wherein inserting an expandable implant comprises installing the expandable implant in a facet joint located between at least one cervical vertebra.

14. A method as recited in claim 13:

wherein the facet joint comprises opposing articulating surfaces; and

wherein expanding the expandable implant comprises engaging the articulating surfaces to increase the distance between the articulating surfaces;

said distance correlating to said foraminal dimension.

15. A method as recited in claim 13:

wherein the facet joint comprises a joint capsule that extends beyond the margin of the articulating surfaces;

wherein inserting an expandable implant comprises;

creating an access hole through the joint capsule; and

inserting the expandable implant in a collapsed configuration through the access hole and into the facet joint.

16. A method as recited in claim 15, wherein the access hole is created with an introducer needle.

17. A method as recited in claim 15, wherein the expandable implant, in its expanded configuration, is larger than the access hole such that the expandable implant is retained in the facet joint once expanded.

18. A method as recited in claim 15, further comprising:

plugging the access hole as a result of the expanded implant.

19. A method as recited in claim 14, wherein expanding the expandable implant comprises:

filling an inflatable balloon with an inflation medium;

engaging the articulating surfaces the expandable implant; and

imparting a compressive load on the articulating surfaces to distract the first vertebra from the second vertebra.

20. A method as recited in claim 15, wherein inserting an expandable implant comprises:

feeding a catheter through the access hole and into the facet joint;

wherein the expandable implant is attached to a distal tip of a catheter.

21. A method as recited in claim 20, wherein expanding the expandable implant comprises:

transporting an inflation medium into said expandable implant via the catheter; and

inflating the expandable implant with the inflation medium;

wherein the expandable implant is configured to detach from the catheter once the implant is expanded in the facet joint.

22. A method as recited in claim 14, further comprising:

dynamically stabilizing the facet joint as a result of the expanded implant being disposed between the articulating surfaces of the facet joint.

23. A method as recited in claim 14, further comprising:

maintaining said distance between the articulating surfaces while allowing motion of the first vertebrae with respect to the second vertebrae.

24. A method as recited in claim 21, wherein the extent of inflation of the expandable member is determined via patient feedback while the expandable member is being inflated.

35. A method as recited in claim 12:

wherein the expandable implant has an expanded configuration that is shaped and sized to fit within the facet joint without removing anatomical structure within the facet joint;

wherein the fully expanded implant distracts the first and second adjacent vertebrae to increase the foraminal dimension associated with the first and second adjacent vertebrae.

36. A method as recited in claim 35, wherein the expandable implant in the fully expanded configuration retains the increased foraminal dimension while allowing motion of the first vertebrae with respect to the second vertebrae.

37. A method as recited in claim 35, wherein the facet joint comprises opposing articulating surfaces;

and

wherein the expandable implant, in the expanded configuration, engages the articulating surfaces to increase the distance between the articulating surfaces;

said distance correlating to said foraminal dimension.

38. A method as recited in claim 37, wherein the expandable implant, in the expanded configuration, has a length corresponding to the depth of the facet joint, and a height corresponding to the desired distraction of the facet joint height to achieve said increased foraminal dimension.

25-34. -34. (canceled)

39. A method for increasing foraminal height between first and second adjacent vertebrae, the adjacent vertebrae having a facet joint comprising opposing articulating surfaces of adjacent vertebrae and a joint capsule that extends beyond the margin of the articulating surfaces:

creating an access hole through the joint capsule;

inserting an expandable implant in a collapsed configuration through the access hole and into a facet joint bounded by the first and second vertebrae;

the expandable implant having an expanded configuration that is shaped and sized to fit within the facet joint without removing anatomical structure within the facet joint;

expanding the expandable implant within the facet joint;

engaging the articulating surfaces with the expandable implant; and

imparting a compressive load on the articulating surfaces to distract the first vertebra from the second vertebra to affect a corresponding increase in a foraminal dimension associated with the first and second vertebrae.

40. A method as recited in claim 39, wherein the expandable implant in the fully expanded configuration retains the increased foraminal dimension while allowing motion of the first vertebrae with respect to the second vertebrae.

41. A method as recited in claim 39, wherein the expandable implant, in the expanded configuration, has a length corresponding to the depth of the facet joint, and a height corresponding to the desired distraction of the facet joint height to achieve said increased foraminal dimension.

42. A method as recited in claim 41:

wherein, in the expanded configuration, the length of the expandable implant occupies the majority of the facet joint depth; and

wherein the width of the implant occupies at least the center third of the facet joint width.

43. A method as recited in claim 39, wherein the extent of expansion of the expandable member is determined via patient feedback while the expandable member is being expanded.

44. A method as recited in claim 43, wherein the patient feedback is used to set the fully expanded height of the implant.