SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PERFORMING SPINAL FUSION

• US 20110160772A1
• Filed: 12/28/2010
• Published: 06/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Baxano, Inc. (Baxano Surgical, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Baxano, Inc. (Baxano Surgical, Inc.)
• Inventors: Recupero, Anthony J., Davis, Glenn R., Arcenio, Gregory B., Wallace, Michael P.
• Application Number:
  US12/980,165
• Publication Number:
  US 20110160772A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/248
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/149 Chain, wire or band saws
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1659 Surgical rasps, files, planes, or scrapers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1671 for the spine
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/7053 with parts attached to bones or to each other by flexible wires, straps, sutures or cables
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/7062 Devices acting on, attached to, or simulating the effect of, vertebral processes, vertebral facets or ribs rib fixation devices A61B17/8076; Tools for such devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/7064 Devices acting on, attached to, or simulating the effect of, vertebral facets; Tools therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/7068 Devices comprising separate rigid parts, assembled in situ, to bear on each side of spinous processes; Tools therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/7083 Tools for guidance or insertion of tethers, rod-to-anchor connectors, rod-to-rod connectors, or longitudinal elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/82 for bone cerclage apparatus for manipulating wires or straps A61B17/8861; wires, bands or straps other than cerclage A61B17/842
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00469 for insertion of instruments, e.g. guide wire, optical fibre
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0256 for the spine
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0262 with a provision for protecting nerves
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/4405 for apophyseal or facet joints, i.e. between adjacent spinous or transverse processes devices implanted between spinous or transverse processes A61B17/7062
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/442 Intervertebral or spinal discs, e.g. resilient non-disc-shaped intervertebral inflatable pockets A61F2/441; non-disc-shaped intervertebral fusion implants A61F2/4455
• 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 2/4611 of spinal prostheses
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30308 banana-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/448 comprising multiple adjacent spinal implants within the same intervertebral space or within the same vertebra, e.g. comprising two adjacent spinal implants
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/4485 comprising three or more adjacent spinal implants

Abstract

Described herein are methods, devices and systems for performing an interspinous fusion, in particular for performing an interspinous fusion unilaterally. In general an interspinous fusion system may include a first fixation plate configured to couple to a first lateral side of a spinous process, a rod extending from the first fixation plate at a joint such that the rod is pivotable with respect to the first fixation plate, and a second fixation plate configured to couple to a second lateral side of a spinous process opposite from the first fixation plate. In general, a method of performing an interspinous fusion unilaterally may include the steps of placing a first fixation plate, having a rod extending from the fixation plate, between two adjacent spinous processes from a fist lateral side of the spinous processes, pivoting the rod with respect to the first fixation plate such that the plate abuts the second, opposite, lateral side of at least one of the spinous processes, and placing a second fixation plate such that it abuts the fist lateral side of at least one of the spinous processes.

Claims

1. An interspinous fusion system, the system comprising:

a first fixation plate configured to couple to a first lateral side of a spinous process;

a rod extending from the first fixation plate at a joint such that the rod is pivotable with respect to the first fixation plate; and

a second fixation plate configured to couple to a second lateral side of a spinous process opposite from the first fixation plate, wherein the second fixation plate is configured to couple to the rod such that the first and second fixation plates are compressed about the spinous process.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first fixation plate further comprises a slot sized and configured to receive a portion of the rod when the rod is pivoted with respect to the fixation plate such that the rod is not perpendicular to the plate.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the second fixation plate is configured to be deployed from a first lateral side of a spinous process and to couple to the first lateral side of a spinous process and wherein the first fixation plate is configured to be deployed from the first lateral side of a spinous process and to couple to the second opposite lateral side of the spinous process.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and the second fixation plate further comprises a coupling member disposed on the inside face of the fixation plate, wherein the coupling member of the inside face are configured to couple to the first or second lateral side of the spinous process.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the coupling member comprises at least one protrusion sized and configured to dig into or catch onto bone thereby aiding in the coupling of the fixation plate to the spinous process.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the second fixation plate further comprises a locking member configured to lock the second fixation plate onto the rod.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the rod comprises a non-circular cross section.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the rod is threaded along a portion of its length.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the rod comprises both internal and external threads along a portion of its length.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the joint is configured such that the rod is slidable with respect to the first fixation plate.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the rod is pivotable with respect to the first fixation plate such that the rod may be positioned into an introduction position such that the angle between the fixation plate and the rod is less than 90 degrees, wherein the introduction position allows the first fixation plate to be deployed from the first lateral side of a spinous process and to couple to the second opposite lateral side of the spinous process.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the angle between the fixation plate and the rod in the introduction position is about 0 degrees.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the rod is pivotable with respect to the first fixation plate such that the rod may be positioned into a locking position having an angle between the fixation plate and the rod about equal to 90 degrees.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising a handle configured to couple to the rod.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the handle comprises an external handle portion and an internal handle portion disposed within the external handle portion, and wherein the external handle portion couples to external threads of the rod and the internal handle portion couples to internal threads of the rod.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein a distal end of the internal handle portion further comprises a locking portion, sized and configured to couple to the joint between the plate and the rod and to lock the plate position with respect to the rod.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the external handle portion is configured to couple to a non-circular cross section of the rod.

18. The system of claim 1, further comprising a barrel sized and configured to be positioned over the rod and between two adjacent spinous processes.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the barrel is sized and configured to be positioned over the rod such that the barrel will not rotate about the rod.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the barrel is configured to receive graft material.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the barrel comprises a window sized and configured to allow graft material, disposed within the barrel, to contact an adjacent spinous process.

22. The system of claim 18, wherein the barrel is further sized and configured to distract two adjacent spinous processes.

23. The system of claim 18, wherein the barrel is configured to lock the first fixation plate in position with respect to the rod.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the barrel comprises a tab that extends from the end of the barrel and is sized and configured to couple to a slot in the first fixation plate such that the barrel locks the first fixation plate in position with respect to the rod.

25. The system of claim 18, wherein the barrel further comprises a rod locking mechanism configured to lock the barrel onto the rod.

26. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second fixation plates further comprise a tapered leading edge configured to dissect tissue from a lateral side of the spinous process.

27. A method of performing an interspinous fusion unilaterally, the method comprising:

placing a first fixation plate, having a rod extending from the fixation plate, between two adjacent spinous processes from a fist lateral side of the spinous processes;

pivoting the rod with respect to the first fixation plate such that the plate abuts the second, opposite, lateral side of at least one of the spinous processes;

placing a second fixation plate such that it abuts the fist lateral side of at least one of the spinous processes from the fist lateral side of the spinous processes; and

coupling the second fixation plate to the rod.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein pivoting the rod further comprises sliding the rod with respect to the first fixation plate.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein coupling the second the fixation plate to the rod further comprises coupling the second the fixation plate to the rod such that the first and second fixation plates are compressed about the spinous process.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein coupling the second the fixation plate to the rod further comprises locking the second fixation plate onto the rod.

31. The method of claim 27, wherein placing the first fixation plate further comprises positioning the rod into an introduction position with respect to the first fixation plate such that the angle between the fixation plate and the rod is less than 90 degrees.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the angle between the fixation plate and the rod is about 0 degrees.

33. The method of claim 27, wherein placing the first fixation plate further comprises positioning the rod into a locking position with respect to the first fixation plate such that the angle between the fixation plate and the rod is about equal to 90 degrees.

34. The method of claim 27, further comprising coupling a handle to the rod.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein coupling a handle to the rod further comprises coupling an external handle portion to external threads of the rod and coupling an internal handle portion to internal threads of the rod.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein coupling a handle to the rod further comprises locking the rod in position with respect to the first fixation plate with a locking portion of an internal handle portion.

37. The method of claim 27, further comprising positioning a barrel over the rod and between the two adjacent spinous processes.

38. The method of claim 37, further comprising placing graft material within the barrel.

39. The method of claim 37, wherein positioning the barrel over the rod further comprises distracting two adjacent spinous processes with the barrel.

40. The method of claim 37, wherein positioning the barrel over the rod further comprises locking the first fixation plate in position with respect to the rod with the barrel.

41. The method of claim 27, further comprising dissecting tissue from the first or second lateral side of a spinous process with a tapered edge of the first or second fixation plate.