Bellows-Like Expandable Interbody Fusion Cage

• US 20110144753A1
• Filed: 12/10/2009
• Published: 06/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Depuy Synthes Products Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Depuy Synthes Products Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Marchek, Connie, Frasier, William
• Granted Patent: US 9,393,129 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/17.12
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/30742 Bellows or hose-like seals; Sealing membranes A61B17/8808 takes precedence; sealing membranes for retaining bone substitute A61F2/2846
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/447 substantially parallelepipedal, e.g. having a rectangular or trapezoidal cross-section
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/4611 of spinal prostheses
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30028 differing in tissue ingrowth capacity, e.g. made from both ingrowth-promoting and ingrowth-preventing parts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30062 (bio)absorbable, biodegradable, bioerodable, (bio)resorbable, resorptive
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30308 banana-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30367 with additional means for preventing said rotation
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30462 retained or tied with a rope, string, thread, wire or cable
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30538 for adjusting angular orientation
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30545 for adjusting a diameter
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/3055 for adjusting length
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30556 for adjusting thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30583 filled with hardenable fluid, e.g. curable in-situ
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30677 Means for introducing or releasing pharmaceutical products, e.g. antibiotics, into the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/3068 the pharmaceutical product being in a reservoir
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30904 serrated profile, i.e. saw-toothed
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/3093 for promoting ingrowth of bone tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/4415 elements of the prosthesis being arranged in a chain like manner
• 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 2310/00029 : Cobalt-based alloys, e.g. Co-Cr alloys or Vitallium

Abstract

An interbody fusion device having an accordion-like structure, wherein the device in inserted into the disc space in its collapsed configuration and then expanded into its expanded configuration by compressing the accordion-like portion of the device. In some embodiments, a pre-formed tube with an accordion-like structure over a portion of its length is inserted in a relaxed (collapsed) configuration, giving the tube a minimum possible diameter. This tube has a cable running through it that is fixed to a distal end portion of the tube and extends past the proximal end portion of the tube to the outside of the patient. Once the tube is positioned on the rim of the endplate, the proximal end of the cable is pulled, thereby tensioning the cable and causing the accordion portion of the tube to become shorter in length but larger in diameter.

Claims

1. An intervertebral fusion device for fusing an intervertebral disc space, comprising:

a) a tube having a distal end portion, an intermediate portion, a proximal end portion, and a longitudinal axis, the intermediate portion comprising a plurality of pleats arranged substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, and

b) a first cable disposed within the tube and,

wherein the first cable is fixed to the distal end portion of the tube,

wherein the tube has a radially collapsed configuration when the first cable is relaxed and a radially expanded configuration when the first cable is tensioned.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the first cable is fixed to the proximal end portion of the tube under tension.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the pleats are spaced relatively close in the distal and proximal end portions of the tube in its collapsed configuration, and relatively distant in the intermediate portion of the tube in its collapsed configuration, so that, in its expanded configuration, the tube forms large diameter rings in the intermediate portion and small diameter rings in the proximal and distal end portions.

4. The device of claim 1 further comprising:

c) a second cable disposed outside the tube and fixed to the distal end portion of the tube,

wherein tensioning of the second cable causes the tube to curve.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein the tube forms a plurality of rings in its expanded configuration, wherein each ring comprises a plurality of teeth.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein the tube forms a plurality of rings in its expanded configuration, wherein each ring has a diameter substantially equal to a height of the disc space.

7. The device of claim 1 further comprising:

c) a flowable, hardenable filler material disposed within the tube.

8. The device of claim 7 wherein the filler material is non-resorbable.

9. The device of claim 8 wherein the filler material comprises a bone forming agent.

10. The device of claim 1 wherein the tube is pleated in such a fashion that, in its expanded configuration, the distal end portion of the tube has a distal radius and the proximal end portion of the tube has a proximal radius, and the distal radius is larger than the proximal radius.

11. A method of forming an interbody fusion device in a disc space, the device comprising a tube having a distal end portion, an intermediate portion, a proximal end portion, and a longitudinal axis, the intermediate portion comprising a plurality of pleats arranged substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, and a first cable disposed within the tube,

comprising the steps of:

i) inserting into the disc space the interbody fusion device in its collapsed configuration, and

ii) tensioning the first cable to place the interbody fusion device in its expanded configuration.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of:

iii) fixing the first cable to the proximal portion of the tube.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the first cable is fixed to the proximal portion of the tube through swaging.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the device further comprises:

c) a second cable disposed outside the tube and fixed to the distal end portion of the tube, and wherein the method further comprises the step of;

iii) tensioning the second cable to cause the tube to curve.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the curved tube has a substantially banana shape.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of:

iv) fixing the tensioned second cable to the proximal portion of the tube.

17. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of:

iii) filling the tube with a flowable hardenable filler material.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the flowable hardenable filler material is non-resorbable.

19. The method of claim 11 wherein the intermediate portion of the tube bulges to substantially conform to a pair of concave opposing endplates of the disc space.

20. The method of claim 11 wherein the tube forms a plurality of rings in its expanded configuration, wherein each ring comprises a plurality of teeth, wherein the disc space is defined by a pair of opposed endplates, and wherein the method further comprises the step of:

c) rasping the endplates with the teeth of the tube.

21. An intervertebral fusion device for fusing an intervertebral disc space, comprising:

a banana-shaped tube having a concave inner curve, a corresponding convex outer curve, a distal end portion, an intermediate portion, a proximal end portion, and a longitudinal axis, the intermediate portion comprising a first plurality of pleats 21 associated with the convex outer curve 23 and a second plurality of pleats 25 associated with the concave inner curve 27, wherein the first plurality of pleats associated with the convex outer curve are spaced more widely and are greater in number than the second plurality of pleats associated with the concave inner curve.