BI-DIRECTIONAL FIXATING TRANSVERTEBRAL BODY SCREWS AND POSTERIOR CERVICAL AND LUMBAR INTERARTICULATING JOINT CALIBRATED STAPLING DEVICES FOR SPINAL FUSION
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Accused Products
Abstract
A self-drilling bone fusion screw apparatus is disclosed which includes at least first and second sliding boxes. A first screw member having a tapered end and a threaded body is disposed within the first sliding box, and a second screw member having a tapered end and a threaded body disposed within the second sliding box. An adjuster adjusts the height of the sliding boxes. The screw members are screwed into vertebral bodies in order to fuse the vertebral bodies together. A plurality of the self-drilling bone fusion screw apparatuses may be attached together and/or integrated via a plate or cage. Also disclosed is a cervical facet staple that includes a curved staple base and at least two prongs attached to the bottom surface of the curved staple base.
85 Citations
76 Claims
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1-25. -25. (canceled)
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26. A tool for manipulating and inserting a universal, intervertebral combination bone fusion spacer and self-drilling screw apparatus into a disc space between a first vertebral body and a second vertebral body to provide fusion of the first vertebral body to the second vertebral body via biological bone fusion and screw fusion, wherein the apparatus includes an intervertebral cage having a first integral screw guide having a first predetermined angle, and a second integral screw guide having a second predetermined angle, wherein each longitudinal end of the intervertebral cage includes a slot or indentation formed adjacent to an edge of an upper surface of the intervertebral cage,
the tool comprising: -
handle; and gripper cooperating with the handle and having a plurality of prongs, wherein a distal end of each of the plurality of prongs engages a respective slot or indentation of the intervertebral cage. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70)
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41. A tool assembly comprising:
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universal, intervertebral combination bone fusion spacer and self-drilling screw apparatus for insertion into a disc space between a first vertebral body and a second vertebral body and fusion of the first vertebral body to the second vertebral body via biological bone fusion and screw fusion, the apparatus comprising; an intervertebral cage including; first integral screw guide having a first predetermined angle; second integral screw guide having a second predetermined angle; and first screw member disposed in the first integral screw guide at the first predetermined angle and at least partially within the intervertebral cage; second screw member disposed in the second integral screw guide at the second predetermined angle and at least partially within the intervertebral cage, wherein a surface of each longitudinal end of the intervertebral cage includes a slot or indentation formed adjacent to an edge of an upper surface of the intervertebral cage for receiving a distal end of a prong of an implantation tool; and tool for manipulating and inserting the universal, intervertebral combination bone fusion spacer and self-drilling screw apparatus into the disc space between the first vertebral body and the second vertebral body to provide fusion of the first vertebral body to the second vertebral body via biological bone fusion and screw fusion, the tool comprising; handle; and gripper cooperating with the handle and having a plurality of prongs, wherein a distal end of each of the plurality of prongs engages a respective slot or indentation of the intervertebral cage. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 71, 72, 73)
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74. A method of inserting a universal, intervertebral combination bone fusion spacer and self-drilling screw apparatus into a disc space between a first vertebral body and a second vertebral body using a tool for manipulating and inserting the universal, intervertebral combination bone fusion spacer and self-drilling screw apparatus into the disc space between the first vertebral body and the second vertebral body,
wherein the universal, intervertebral combination bone fusion spacer and self-drilling screw apparatus includes: -
an intervertebral cage, wherein a surface of each longitudinal end of the intervertebral cage includes a slot or indentation formed adjacent to an edge of an upper surface of the intervertebral cage for receiving a distal end of a prong of tool; and wherein the tool includes; handle; and gripper cooperating with the handle and having a plurality of prongs, wherein a distal end of each of the plurality of prongs engages a respective slot or indentation of the intervertebral cage, the method comprising; measuring a dimension of the disc space between the first vertebral body and the second vertebral body; determining that the disc space is a posterior lumbar disc space, an anterior lumbar disc space, or an anterior cervical disc space; selecting the universal, intervertebral combination bone fusion spacer and self-drilling screw apparatus based on the measured dimension of the disc space and based on the determination of the disc space being the posterior lumbar disc space, the anterior lumbar disc space, or the anterior cervical disc space; engaging each slot or indentation of the intervertebral cage with the distal end of each of the plurality of prongs; inserting the selected universal, intervertebral combination bone fusion spacer and self-drilling screw apparatus into a midline of the disc space using the tool until the selected universal, intervertebral combination bone fusion spacer and self-drilling screw apparatus is flush or countersunk relative to the first vertebral body and the second vertebral body; and confirming a position and placement of the universal, intervertebral combination bone fusion spacer and self-drilling screw apparatus relative to the first vertebral body and the second vertebral body.
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75. A method of inserting a universal, intervertebral combination bone fusion spacer and self-drilling screw apparatus into a disc space between a first vertebral body and a second vertebral body and fusing the first vertebral body to the second vertebral body via biological bone fusion and screw fusion using a tool for manipulating and inserting the universal, intervertebral combination bone fusion spacer and self-drilling screw apparatus into the disc space between the first vertebral body and the second vertebral body,
wherein the universal, intervertebral combination bone fusion spacer and self-drilling screw apparatus includes: -
an intervertebral cage including; first integral screw guide having a first predetermined angle; second integral screw guide having a second predetermined angle; and first screw member disposed in the first integral screw guide at the first predetermined angle and at least partially within the intervertebral cage; a second screw member disposed in the second integral screw guide at the second predetermined angle and at least partially within the intervertebral cage, wherein a surface of each longitudinal end of the intervertebral cage includes a slot or indentation formed adjacent to an edge of an upper surface of the intervertebral cage for receiving a distal end of a prong of an implantation tool; and wherein the tool includes; handle; and gripper cooperating with the handle and having a plurality of prongs, wherein a distal end of each of the plurality of prongs engages a respective slot or indentation of the intervertebral cage, the method comprising; measuring a dimension of the disc space between the first vertebral body and the second vertebral body; determining that the disc space is a posterior lumbar disc space, an anterior-lateral lumbar disc space, an anterior lumbar disc space, or an anterior cervical disc space; selecting the universal, intervertebral combination bone fusion spacer and self-drilling screw apparatus based on the measured dimension of the disc space and based on the determination of the disc space being the posterior lumbar disc space, the anterior-lateral lumbar disc space, the anterior lumbar disc space, or the anterior cervical disc space; engaging each slot or indentation of the intervertebral cage with the distal end of each of the plurality of prongs; inserting the selected universal, intervertebral combination bone fusion spacer and self-drilling screw apparatus into a midline of the disc space using the tool until the selected universal, intervertebral combination bone fusion spacer and self-drilling screw apparatus is flush or countersunk relative to the first vertebral body and the second vertebral body; inserting the first screw member into the first internal screw guide of the selected universal, intervertebral combination bone fusion spacer and self-drilling screw apparatus; inserting the second screw member into the second internal screw guide of the selected universal, intervertebral combination bone fusion spacer and self-drilling screw apparatus; screwing the first screw member and the second screw member into the first vertebral body and the second vertebral body respectively; confirming a position and placement of the universal, intervertebral combination bone fusion spacer and self-drilling screw apparatus relative to the first vertebral body and the second vertebral body.
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76. A tool assembly comprising:
universal, intervertebral combination bone fusion spacer and self-drilling screw apparatus for insertion into a disc space between a first vertebral body and a second vertebral body and fusion of the first vertebral body to the second vertebral body via biological bone fusion and screw fusion, the apparatus comprising; an intervertebral cage including; first integral screw guide having a first predetermined angle; a second integral screw guide having a second predetermined angle; and bone graft cavity for receiving bone packing material for bone fusion between the first vertebral body and the second vertebral body; first screw member disposed in the first integral screw guide at the first predetermined angle and at least partially within the intervertebral cage; a second screw member disposed in the second integral screw guide at the second predetermined angle and at least partially within the intervertebral cage, wherein the bone graft cavity extends through the intervertebral cage for receiving bone packing material for bone fusion between the first vertebral body and the second vertebral body and across the intervertebral space, wherein each of the first internal screw guide and the second internal screw guide is angled to orient the first screw member and the second screw bi-directionally in opposite directions, wherein each of the first internal screw guide and the second internal screw guide includes a tunnel that permits only a predetermined angled trajectory of the first screw member and the second screw member, and the predetermined angled trajectory of the first internal screw guide is different than the predetermined angled trajectory of the second internal screw guide, wherein the intervertebral cage includes an exit for one of the first integral screw guide and the second integral screw guide, the exit being adjacent to or formed in an edge of the bone graft cavity, wherein the first screw member is a self-tapping and self-drilling screw member having a tapered end and a threaded body, and wherein the second screw member is a self-tapping and self-drilling screw member having a tapered end and a threaded body, wherein the intervertebral cage includes a side having a plurality of ridges, wherein a surface of each longitudinal end of the intervertebral cage includes a slot or indentation formed adjacent to an edge of an upper surface of the intervertebral cage for receiving a distal end of a prong of an implantation tool, wherein the intervertebral cage includes a wall having an entry opening of the first integral screw guide and an entry opening of the second integral screw guide, wherein the wall has four quadrants delineated by a first axis and a second axis each lying in a plane of the wall, and the first axis is at a right angle with respect to the second axis, wherein the four quadrants include a first quadrant, a second quadrant, a third quadrant, and a fourth quadrant, wherein the first quadrant and the fourth quadrant are opposed to the second quadrant and the third quadrant with respect to the first axis, and the first quadrant and the second quadrant are opposed to the third quadrant and the fourth quadrant with respect to the second axis, wherein the first quadrant is diagonally opposed to the third quadrant, and the second quadrant is diagonally opposed to the fourth quadrant, and wherein one of; majority of an area of the entry opening of the first integral screw guide is in the first quadrant and a majority of an area of the entry opening of the second integral screw guide is in the third quadrant; and the majority of the area of the entry opening of the first integral screw guide is in the second quadrant and the majority of the area of the entry opening of the second integral screw guide is in the fourth quadrant; and a tool for manipulating and inserting the universal, intervertebral combination bone fusion spacer and self-drilling screw apparatus into the disc space between the first vertebral body and the second vertebral body to provide fusion of the first vertebral body to the second vertebral body via biological bone fusion and screw fusion, the tool comprising; handle; and gripper cooperating with the handle and having a plurality of prongs, wherein a distal end of each of the plurality of prongs engages a respective slot or indentation of the intervertebral cage.
Specification