METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SPINAL FACET JOINT FUSION USING IRREGULARLY SHAPED CORTICAL BONE IMPLANTS
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A facet joint fusion implant comprising:
- (a) a substantially solid body having a longitudinal axis;
(b) a plurality of radially extending arms, the arms being circumferentially spaced around the longitudinal axis; and
(c) the body being formed from a material selected from the group consisting of synthetic cortical bone, a harvested synthetic cortical and compacted iliac crest graft and a cadaveric allograft.
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for spinal fusion at the facet joint using an irregularly shaped implant where the orientation of the implant can be preselected before implantation.
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Citations
36 Claims
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1. A facet joint fusion implant comprising:
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(a) a substantially solid body having a longitudinal axis; (b) a plurality of radially extending arms, the arms being circumferentially spaced around the longitudinal axis; and (c) the body being formed from a material selected from the group consisting of synthetic cortical bone, a harvested synthetic cortical and compacted iliac crest graft and a cadaveric allograft. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A plug mounted in a hole between bones forming a facet joint, the plug comprising:
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(a) a substantially solid body having a longitudinal axis; (b) a plurality of radially extending, circumferentially spaced arms, each extending radially from around the longitudinal axis; and (c) the body being formed from a material selected from the group consisting of synthetic cortical bone, a harvested synthetic cortical and compacted iliac crest graft and a cadaveric allograft. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method of mounting an implant in a facet joint C1-C2 and L5-S1, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) cutting an arthroscopic type portal in the tissue of a patient outside a diseased or damaged facet joint; (b) using a positioning selection tool to select an orientation of a plug to be implanted, the selected orientation including a plurality of prongs defining an orientation the plug to be implanted; (c) placing an implantation guide in operative connection with the positioning selection tool; (d) while maintaining at least two distinct prongs of the selected orientation removing the positioning selection tool from operative connection with the implantation guide; (e) placing a cutting tool in operative connection with the implantation guide, and using operative connection between the cutting tool and implantation guide to form a shaped hole between two opposed bones forming the facet joint, the shaped hole having at least the two distinct prongs of orientation specified in step “
d”
; and(f) inserting a preshaped plug into the hole, the plug having a shape substantially the same as the hole. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A method of fusing a patient'"'"'s facet joint comprising the steps of:
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(a) forming a surgically cut opening in the patient'"'"'s spine next to the facet joint, the opening including a plurality of radially extending, circumferentially spaced apart slots; (b) providing an implant that has a body with a plurality of radially extending and circumferentially spaced apart arms, each arm being sized and shaped to occupy a slot of the surgically formed opening; (c) placing the implant in the surgically formed opening; and (d) wherein step “
a”
through “
c”
include placing at least one arm into a slot formed on two adjacent vertebrae of the patient'"'"'s spine. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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Specification