APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR STABILIZING ADJACENT BONE PORTIONS

• US 20100185292A1
• Filed: 01/22/2010
• Published: 07/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zavation Medical Products LLC
• Original Assignee: Matthew N. Songer, Stephen Hochschuler
• Inventors: Hochschuler, Stephen, Songer, Matthew N.
• Granted Patent: US 8,157,865 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/17.160
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/4465 having a circular or kidney shaped cross-section substantially perpendicular to the axis of the spine
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/2835 Bone graft implants for filling a bony defect or an endoprosthesis cavity, e.g. by synthetic material or biological material
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30133 kidney-shaped or bean-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30136 undulated or wavy, e.g. serpentine-shaped or zigzag-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30164 dovetail-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30166 H-shaped or I-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30172 T-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30182 Other shapes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30197 Omega-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30331 made by longitudinally pushing a protrusion into a complementarily-shaped recess, e.g. held by friction fit
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/3037 Translation along the common longitudinal axis, e.g. piston
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30387 Dovetail connection
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30392 Rotation
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30395 with additional means for preventing or locking said rotation
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30401 with additional means for preventing or locking said sliding
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/305 Snap connection
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30507 using a threaded locking member, e.g. a locking screw or a set screw
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30518 with possibility of relative movement between the prosthetic parts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30593 hollow
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30594 : slotted, e.g. radial or meridian slot ending in a polar aperture, non-polar slots, horizontal or arcuate slots
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30616 : Sets comprising a plurality of prosthetic parts of different sizes or orientations
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30883 : dovetail-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30884 : Fins or wings, e.g. longitudinal wings for preventing rotation within the bone cavity
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30892 : parallel
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0025 : Connections or couplings between prosthetic parts, e.g. between modular parts; Connecting elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0033 : made by longitudinally pushing a protrusion into a complementary-shaped recess, e.g. held by friction fit
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0002 : Two-dimensional shapes, e.g. cross-sections
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0004 : Rounded shapes, e.g. with rounded corners
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0015 : Kidney-shaped, e.g. bean-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0028 : Shapes in the form of latin or greek characters
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0045 : Omega-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0052 : T-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2310/00017 : Iron- or Fe-based alloys, e.g. stainless steel
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2310/00023 : Titanium or titanium-based alloys, e.g. Ti-Ni alloys
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2310/00179 : Ceramics or ceramic-like structures

Abstract

An apparatus and method for stabilizing first and second adjacent bone portions. The apparatus has a spacer configured to be placed between the first and second bone portions and at least one stabilizer configured to be joined: a) to each of the first bone portion and the spacer; and b) to at least one of the first bone portion and spacer by being translated relative to the at least one of the first bone portion and spacer.

Claims

1. An apparatus for stabilizing first and second adjacent bone portions, the apparatus comprising:

a spacer configured to be placed between the first and second bone portions; and

at least one stabilizer configured to be joined;

a) to each of the first bone portion and the spacer; and

b) to at least one of the first bone portion and spacer by being translated relative to the at least one of the first bone portion and spacer.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 in combination with first and second bone portions between which the spacer is placed and wherein the at least one stabilizer is joined to each of the first bone portion and spacer.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the at least one stabilizer comprises first and second walls with facing surfaces and a part of the first bone portion and the spacer are captive between the facing surfaces on the at least one stabilizer to stabilize the first bone portion and spacer.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the spacer has a pre-formed channel to receive the at least one spacer.

5. The apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the at least one stabilizer is joined to the first bone portion by being translated relative to the first bone portion along a first line, the first bone portion has a first dimension extending along the first line, and the at least first wall extends into the first bone portion over a majority of the first dimension.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5 wherein at least one of the facing surfaces has a substantial dimension transverse to the first line.

7. The apparatus according to claim 5 wherein each of the facing surfaces has a substantial dimension transverse to the first line.

8. The apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the spacer has a second dimension extending along the first line and the second wall extends into the spacer over a majority of the second dimension.

9. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the at least one stabilizer comprises a second stabilizer that is configured to be joined:

a) to each of the second bone portion and spacer; and

b) to at least one of the second bone portion and spacer by being translated relative to the at least one of the second bone portion and spacer.

10. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the first bone portion and spacer have adjacent facing surfaces and the at least one stabilizer extends through one of the adjacent facing surfaces.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the at least one stabilizer extends continuously through each of the adjacent facing surfaces.

12. The apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the facing surfaces are configured so that the first bone portion and spacer are progressively urged against each other as the at least one stabilizer is translated relative to the at least one of the first bone portion and spacer.

13. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the at least one stabilizer is translatable relative to the first bone portion into an operative position and there is a locking assembly on the at least one stabilizer that maintains the at least one stabilizer in the operative position with the spacer between the first and second bone portions.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13 wherein the locking assembly comprises cooperating snap fit connecting parts, one each on the spacer and at least one stabilizer.

15. The apparatus according to claim 13 wherein the locking assembly is reconfigurable between an assembly state and a locked state.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15 wherein the locking assembly comprises a reconfigurable wall and a spreader element that is directed into the reconfigurable wall to thereby change the locking assembly from the assembly state into the locked state.

17. The apparatus according to claim 13 wherein the locking assembly comprises at least one locking tab on the at least one stabilizer that overlies at least one of the first bone portion and spacer and is secured to the at least one of the first bone portion and spacer.

18. The apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the first wall has openings therein into which bone in the first bone portion can grow to thereby secure the first wall to the first bone portion.

19. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the first and second bone portions are adjacent vertebrae.

20. The apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the spacer has oppositely facing surfaces each facing one of the first and second bone portions, the at least one stabilizer is joined to the first bone portion by being translated relative to the first bone portion along a first line, and the first line is substantially parallel to at least one of the oppositely facing spacer surfaces.

21. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the first bone portion and spacer each has an exposed peripheral surface and the at least one stabilizer does not project from either of the exposed peripheral surfaces.

22. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the spacer has oppositely facing surfaces each facing one of the first and second bone portions and the at least one stabilizer extends only partially through the spacer between the oppositely facing spacer surfaces.

23. A method for stabilizing first and second adjacent bone portions, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a spacer;

placing the spacer between the first and second adjacent bone portions;

providing a stabilizer;

joining the stabilizer to the spacer; and

joining the stabilizer to the first bone portion by translating the stabilizer relative to the first bone portion along a first line.

24. The method according to claim 23 wherein the spacer comprises first and second oppositely facing surfaces each facing one of the first and second bone portions and the step of translating the stabilizer comprises translating the stabilizer relative to the first bone portion along a first line that is substantially parallel to at least one of the oppositely facing surfaces.

25. The method according to claim 24 wherein the first bone portion has a surface that faces the first surface on the spacer and the step of translating the stabilizer comprises translating the stabilizer so that the stabilizer extends through each of the surface on the first bone portion and the first spacer surface.