PERCUTANEOUS SPINAL IMPLANTS AND METHODS

• US 20080288072A1
• Filed: 05/27/2008
• Published: 11/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyphon SARL (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Kyphon SARL (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Kohm, Andrew C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,568,461 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/17.11
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/025 Joint distractors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/7065 Devices with changeable shape, e.g. collapsible or having retractable arms to aid implantation; Tools therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00557 inflatable A61B2017/22051 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0256 for the spine

Abstract

Medical devices and related methods for the treatment of spinal conditions are described herein. In one embodiment, a method includes disposing at least a portion of a support member into a space between adjacent spinous processes. The support member defines a lumen between a proximal end and a distal end of the support member. An expandable member is inserted through the lumen of the support member such that a distal end portion of the expandable member is disposed outside a distal end of the lumen and a proximal end portion of the expandable member is disposed outside a proximal end of the lumen. The distal end portion and the proximal end portion of the expandable member are then expanded such that each of the distal end portion and the proximal end portion of the expandable member has an outer diameter greater than an outer diameter of the support member.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

disposing at least a portion of a support member into a space between adjacent spinous processes, the support member defining a lumen between a proximal end of the support member and a distal end of the support member;

inserting an expandable member through the lumen of the support member such that a distal end portion of the expandable member is disposed outside a distal end of the lumen of the support member and a proximal end portion of the expandable member is disposed outside a proximal end of the lumen of the support member; and

after the disposing and the inserting, expanding the distal end portion of the expandable member and the proximal end portion of the expandable member such that each of the distal end portion of the expandable member and the proximal end portion of the expandable member has an outer diameter greater than an outer diameter of the support member.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the expanding includes injecting a medium into an interior of the expandable member.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the disposing includes disposing the support member at a first location within a space between adjacent spinous processes, the method further comprising:

after the expanding, collapsing the distal end portion of the expandable member and the proximal end portion of the expandable member; and

disposing the support member at a second location within a space between adjacent spinous processes, the second location being different than the first location.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

after the expanding, collapsing the distal end portion of the expandable member and the proximal end portion of the expandable member; and

removing the expandable member from the support member.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

after the expanding, collapsing the distal end portion of the expandable member and the proximal end portion of the expandable member;

removing the expandable member from the support member; and

after the removing, removing the support member from the space between the adjacent spinous processes.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the support member includes a first portion coupled to a second portion, the expandable member includes a central portion between the distal end portion of the expandable member and the proximal end portion of the expandable member,

during the expanding, the central portion of the support member expands such that the first portion of the support member moves relative to the second portion of the support member.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the support member includes a first portion coupled to a second portion, the expandable member includes a central portion between the distal end portion of the expandable member and the proximal end portion of the expandable member,

during the expanding, the central portion of the support member expands such that the first portion of the support member moves relative to the second portion of the support member and the adjacent spinous processes are distracted.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the inserting the expandable member is after the disposing.

9. A method, comprising:

disposing a support member of a spinal implant at least partially within a space between adjacent spinous processes, the support member having a first portion coupled to a second portion;

inserting an expandable member at least partially into a lumen of the support member when the expandable member is in a collapsed configuration; and

moving the expandable member to an expanded configuration while disposed within the lumen of the support member such that the first portion of the support member and the second portion of the support member are moved from a collapsed configuration to an expanded configuration and a proximal end portion of the expandable member and a distal end portion of the expandable member each has an outer diameter greater than an outer diameter of the support member.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

prior to the disposing, inserting a guide wire into the space between adjacent spinous processes,

the disposing includes passing the support member of the spinal implant over the guidewire via the lumen of the support member.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the inserting includes inserting the expandable member such that the distal end portion of the expandable member is disposed outside a distal end of the lumen of the support member and the proximal end portion of the expandable member is disposed outside a proximal end of the lumen of the support member.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

after the expanding, collapsing the distal end portion of the expandable member and the proximal end portion of the expandable member;

after the collapsing, removing the expandable member from the support member while the support member is at least partially disposed in the space between the adjacent spinous processes; and

after the removing, removing the support member from the space between the adjacent spinous processes.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the disposing includes disposing the support member at a first location within a space between adjacent spinous processes, the method further comprising:

after the expanding, collapsing the distal end portion of the expandable member and the proximal end portion of the expandable member; and

disposing the support member at a second location within the space between adjacent spinous processes, the second location being different than the first location.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the expanding includes injecting a medium into an interior of the expandable member.

15. An apparatus, comprising:

a support member configured to be disposed in a space between adjacent spinous processes, the support member defining a lumen therethrough; and

an expandable member configured to be disposed at least partially within the lumen of the support member, the expandable member being movable between a collapsed configuration and an expandable configuration while disposed within the lumen of the support member.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein when in the expanded configuration a distal end portion of the expandable member is disposed outside a distal end of the lumen of the support member and a proximal end portion of the expandable member is disposed outside a proximal end of the lumen of the support member,

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein when in the expanded configuration, the distal end portion of the expandable member and the proximal end portion of the expandable member each have an outer perimeter greater than an outer perimeter of the support member.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the support member includes a first portion coupled to a second portion, the first portion and the second portion configured to move relative to each other when the expandable member is moved between the collapsed configuration and the expanded configuration while disposed within the lumen of the support member.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the support member includes a first portion coupled to a second portion, the first portion and the second portion configured to move relative to each other when the expandable member is moved between the collapsed configuration and the expanded configuration while disposed within the lumen of the support member and when the support member is disposed in the space between adjacent spinous processes such that the support member distracts the adjacent spinous processes.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the support member includes a first portion hingedly coupled to a second portion, the first portion and the second portion configured to move relative to each other when the expandable member is moved between the collapsed configuration and the expanded configuration while disposed within the lumen of the support member.

21. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein when in the expanded configuration, the distal end portion of the of the expandable member and the proximal end portion of the expandable member are collectively configured to limit lateral movement of the support member.