IMPLANTABLE BONE PLATE SYSTEM AND RELATED METHOD FOR SPINAL REPAIR

• US 20090043340A1
• Filed: 09/13/2007
• Published: 02/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Globus Medical, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Holland Surgical Innovations, Inc.
• Inventors: Veldman, Roger, Tuinstra, Scott, Lowry, David, O'Farrell, Desmond
• Granted Patent: US 7,867,263 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/280
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/7059 Cortical plates A61B17/7007, A61B17/7058 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/8028 Cushions, i.e. elements forming interface between bone plate and bone
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/8042 the additional component being a cover over the screw head
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0256 for the spine
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/4455 for the fusion of spinal bodies, e.g. intervertebral fusion of adjacent spinal bodies, e.g. fusion cages intervertebral discs A61F2/442

Abstract

A system for performing surgical repair of the spine includes a distractor and a permanently implanted bone plate system. A surgical repair methodology is also disclosed that employs an implanted bone plate system with a substantially void internal volume which is attached to adjacent vertebrae subsequent to the distraction and adjustment of curvature of said vertebrae and prior to the excision of end plate tissue there-through. The device further facilitates the subsequent delivery of an interbody repair device for the purpose of either fusion or dynamic stabilization, such as by disc arthroplasty. The plate may be permanently implanted, such as when a fusion between the attached vertebral bodies is desired, but it need not be permanently implanted

Claims

1. A system for establishing and securing adjacent vertebrae in a defined spacial relationship prior to the excision and repair of damaged tissue, said system comprising:

at least one distraction device configured for temporary placement between adjacent vertebrae for achieving a desired spatial relationship between the vertebrae;

at least one implantable vertebral frame configured to span between the adjacent vertebrae, the frame being configured to attach to each of the adjacent vertebra while the distraction device is in place to postoperatively maintain the desired spatial relationship between the vertebrae after the distraction device is removed, the frame having at least one internal operating aperture there-through for providing access to at least one intervertebral disk space;

at least one interbody repair implant sized in relationship to the aperture of the frame to fit there-through and into the intervertebral space; and

at least one retention member attachable to the frame to cover at least a portion of the aperture.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said frame is configured to span between and remain postoperatively attached to at least three adjacent vertebrae.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said frame comprises external walls having integrally manufactured retractor blade engaging features.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said frame has a plurality of through holes to facilitate attachment of said frame to adjacent vertebrae by means of bone screws.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said frame has a plurality of protrusions thereon to facilitate attachment of said frame to the adjacent vertebrae by means of impingement into the bone tissue of the adjacent vertebrae.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said frame has one or more receiving elements to accept a locking member for securing the retention member.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said locking member is a threaded screw device.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the locking member is a snap lock device.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the locking member is a cam lock device.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the one or more receiving elements for the retention member accommodate the temporary location of at least one tissue retractor pin.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein said retention member is configured to retain the interbody implant in its surgically established position.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the frame is configured to receive bone screws there-through to attach the frame to the vertebrae, the retention member adapted to cover the bone screws when the member is attached to the frame to prevent back-out of said screws.

13. A method for applying the system in claim 1, wherein the adjacent vertebrae are distracted and spacially oriented with the distraction device, the vertebral frame is secured to the adjacent vertebrae, the damaged tissue is excised through the operating aperture in the vertebral frame, the vertebral interspace is prepared to receive the repair implant, said implant being placed through the operating aperture into said prepared interspace, and the retention member is then installed onto the vertebral frame.

14. A method for applying the system in claim 1, wherein the vertebral frame is attached to one or more vertebrae, the vertebrae are then distracted and spacially oriented by operating through the operating aperture in the vertebral frame, the vertebral frame is secured to each adjacent vertebrae, the damaged tissue is excised through the operating aperture in the vertebral frame, the vertebral interspace is prepared through the operating aperture to receive the repair implant, said interbody implant is inserted through the operating aperture into the prepared interspace and the retention member is installed onto the vertebral frame.

15. The system of claim 4 wherein the holes are a combination of elongated slots and circular holes to accommodate the insertion of bone screws there-through into vertebral bone tissue.

16. A vertebral implant configured to rigidly interconnect at least two vertebrae, the implant being manufactured from a generally rigid material having thereon contact surfaces for engaging on vertebral bone material, said contact surfaces comprising a biocompatible, compressible, polymeric material.

17. The implant of claim 16, wherein the generally rigid material is a biocompatible metallic material.

18. A method of treating a portion of a spinal column, the method comprising:

distracting and spacially orienting adjacent vertebral bodies of the spinal column;

securing a vertebral frame to the adjacent vertebral bodies, the vertebral frame having at least one operating aperture there-through;

preparing a vertebral interspace to receive an interbody implant;

inserting the interbody implant through the operating aperture and into the prepared interspace; and

maintaining the vertebral frame in place on the vertebral bodies postoperatively.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the distracting step is performed using a distraction device placed between the vertebral bodies, and wherein the distraction device is removed from between the vertebral bodies through the operating aperture in the vertebral frame after the vertebral frame is secured to the vertebral bodies.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the vertebral frame is attached to at least one of the vertebral bodies before the distraction step, the distraction step is performed through the operating aperture in the vertebral frame.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of excising damaged tissue through the operating aperture in the vertebral frame.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of preparing a vertebral interspace to receive an interbody implant is performed through the operating aperture of the vertebral frame.

23. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of installing a retention member onto the vertebral frame after inserting the interbody implant.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein the vertebral frame is secured to more than two adjacent vertebral bodies.

25. The method of claim 18, wherein the vertebral frame is maintained in place permanently, generally from the time it is first secured to the vertebral bodies.