METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR AUGMENTING BONE

• US 20110046737A1
• Filed: 08/19/2010
• Published: 02/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Depuy Synthes Products Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Depuy Synthes Products Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Teisen, Jacques
• Granted Patent: US 9,247,970 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/17.11
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1642 for producing a curved bore
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1662 for particular parts of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1671 for the spine
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/7097 Stabilisers comprising fluid filler in an implant, e.g. balloon; devices for inserting or filling such implants disc prostheses made of inflatable chambers or pockets filled with fluid A61F2/441; replacing the nucleus pulposus A61F2002/444
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/8872 Instruments for putting said fixation devices against or away from the bone A61B17/7074, A61B17/808 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/441 made of inflatable pockets or chambers filled with fluid, e.g. with hydrogel

Abstract

An expandable implant system is configured to increase the height of a target bone, for instance that has been subjected to a compression fracture. The expandable implant system includes an implant assembly that can be inserted into the target bone, and subsequently expanded so as to increase the height of the target bone. The expandable implant system further includes an and insertion assembly that is configured to create an insertion channel into the target bone, such that the implant assembly can be inserted in a collapsed configuration into the target bone along the insertion channel, and subsequently expanded.

Claims

1. An expandable implant system configured to increase the height of a fractured target bone, the expandable implant system comprising:

a primary implant including a primary implant body configured to move from a collapsed configuration to an expanded configuration, the primary implant body defining an internal void; and

an auxiliary implant configured to be disposed in the internal void of the primary implant body and expanded from a collapsed configuration to an expanded configuration;

the auxiliary implant defining a central body portion and at least a pair of nodes that extend out from the central body portion and are configured to at least partially define at least one pocket when the auxiliary implant is in its expanded configuration while disposed in the primary implant.

2. The expandable implant system as recited in claim 1, wherein the primary implant body comprises a plurality of linkages so as to define at least one annular row, the linkages defining first and second opposed side portions connected by corresponding first and second end portions, the first and second side portions defining a distance therebetween, such that the distance increases from a first distance to a second distance, the second distance being greater than the first distance when the linkages are subjected to an expansion force that causes the body to expand to the expanded configuration.

3. The expandable implant system as recited in claim 2, wherein the plurality of linkages comprises at least a first and a second link, wherein the side portions of the first link are longer than the side portions of the second link.

4. The expandable implant system as recited in claim 1, wherein the primary implant body is asymmetrically shaped when the primary implant is in the expanded configuration.

5. The expandable implant system as recited in claim 4, wherein the primary implant body is bent when the primary implant body is in the expanded configuration.

6. The expandable implant system as recited in claim 1, wherein the primary implant body is substantially symmetrically shaped when the primary implant is in the expanded configuration.

7. The expandable implant system as recited in claim 6, wherein the primary implant body is substantially cylindrical when the primary implant is in the expanded configuration.

8. The expandable implant system as recited in claim 6, wherein the primary implant body extends axially along a central axis, and is curved along an axial direction.

9. The expandable implant system as recited in claim 1, further comprising bone stimulating material configured to be inserted into the at least one pocket.

10. The expandable implant system as recited in claim 1, further comprising a second primary implant and a second auxiliary implant configured to be expanded inside the second primary implant in the target bone at a location adjacent the other primary implant and auxiliary implant.

11. The expandable implant system as recited in claim 1, further comprising an expansion body that fits into the internal void of the primary implant and can be expanded, wherein expansion of the expansion body causes the primary implant to expand to its expanded configuration.

12. The expandable implant system as recited in claim 11, wherein the auxiliary implant is inserted into the internal void of the primary implant and expanded to its expanded configuration after the expansion body has been removed from the internal void.

13. The expandable implant system as recited in claim 1, further comprising at least a pair of nodes that define at least partially define a pair of pockets, and the auxiliary implant defines at least one channel extending through the auxiliary implant body that joins the pair of pockets in fluid communication with each other.

14. The expandable implant system as recited in claim 1, wherein the auxiliary implant is substantially I-shaped.

15. The expandable implant system as recited in claim 1, wherein the auxiliary implant is substantially double-I shaped.

16. The expandable implant system as recited in claim 1, wherein the auxiliary implant is substantially triangular that defines corresponding vertices, and the at least one node extends out from the vertices.

17. The expandable implant system as recited in claim 1, wherein the auxiliary implant is substantially x-shaped.

18. The expandable implant system as recited in claim 1, further comprising an insertion assembly configured to insert the primary implant and auxiliary implant into the target bone, the insertion assembly including a cannulated body and an opening device that fits inside the cannulated body and presents a cutting edge configured to cut through the target bone so as to create an insertion channel in an interior of the target bone.

19. The expandable implant system as recited in claim 18, wherein the opening device defines a curved distal end configured to create a curved insertion channel in the interior of the target bone.

20. The expandable implant system as recited in claim 18, wherein the opening device defines a substantially straight distal end configured to create a substantially straight insertion channel in the interior of the target bone.

21. The expandable implant system as recited in claim 1, wherein the target bone comprises a vertebral body portion of a vertebra.

22. The expandable implant system as recited in claim 1, wherein the auxiliary implant comprises a central body portion defining at least a pair of openings, and a bladder configured to be inserted in the central body portion in a compressed configuration, and subsequently expanded such that a portion of the bladder expands through the openings, and the portion defines the nodes.

23. The expandable implant system as recited in claim 1, wherein the auxiliary implant substantially does not stretch when expanded to the expanded configuration from the compressed configuration.

24. The expandable implant system as recited in claim 1, wherein the auxiliary implant substantially stretches when expanded to the expanded configuration from the compressed configuration.

25. A method of inserting an implant assembly into a target bone, the method comprising the steps of:

creating an insertion channel into an interior of the bone;

inserting a primary implant into the channel in a collapsed configuration;

expanding the primary implant inside the interior of the bone;

inserting an auxiliary implant into the primary implant in a collapsed configuration; and

expanding the auxiliary implant inside the primary implant.

26. The method as recited in claim 25, wherein the auxiliary implant comprises a central body portion and at least a pair of nodes that extend out from the central body portion, and expanding the auxiliary implant brings the nodes into contact with the primary implant.

27. The method as recited in claim 25, wherein the nodes at least partially define a pocket, the method further comprising the step of inserting bone stimulating material into the pocket after expanding the auxiliary implant.

28. The method as recited in claim 25, wherein the target bone is a vertebral body portion of a vertebra, and the creating step comprises inserting an opening device into the vertebral body portion along at least one of a pedicular approach and a trans-psoas approach.

29. The method as recited in claim 25, wherein the creating step further comprises creating a substantially straight insertion channel.

30. The method as recited in claim 25, wherein the creating step further comprises creating a substantially curved insertion channel.

31. The method as recited in claim 25, wherein the step of expanding the primary implant further comprising the step of inserting an expansion body into the primary implant and expanding the expansion body.

32. The method as recited in claim 31, wherein the step of expanding the expansion body further comprises inflating the expansion body.

33. The method as recited in claim 32, further comprising the steps of deflating the expansion body and removing the expansion body from the primary implant prior to inserting an auxiliary implant into the primary implant.