POSTERIOR CERVICAL FUSION SYSTEM AND TECHNIQUES

• US 20120215259A1
• Filed: 10/21/2010
• Published: 08/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nuvasive Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Blue Fury Consulting, LLC
• Inventors: Cannestra, Andrew F.
• Granted Patent: US 9,204,906 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/247
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1671 for the spine
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1757 for the spine
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/7064 Devices acting on, attached to, or simulating the effect of, vertebral facets; Tools therefor

Abstract

A posterior cervical fusion surgery assembly and method. The assembly includes a sled adapted to be positioned in a facet joint and two receivers slidably mounted on the sled. The receivers are adapted to support surgical instruments such as a drill, a tap, and a screw. The sled assists in orienting the instruments at a desired angle with respect to the spine.

Claims

1. A posterior cervical fusion surgery assembly comprising:

a facet sled including a sled end adapted to be inserted into a vertebral facet joint of a patient, the sled defining a longitudinal direction; and

at least one extension slidably coupled to the sled for movement in the longitudinal direction, the at least one extension adapted to support surgical instruments.

2. The surgical assembly of claim 1 wherein the extension includes an elongated receptacle adapted to receive and guide surgical instruments.

3. The surgical assembly of claim 1 wherein the surgical assembly includes a first extension and a second extension, the first extension positioned in a superior position substantially above the sled and the second extension positioned in an inferior position substantially below the sled.

4. The surgical assembly of claim 1 wherein the sled end includes a sled end top surface and a sled end bottom surface, the sled end top surface adapted to engage a top surface of the facet joint, the sled end bottom surface adapted to engage a bottom surface of the facet joint.

5. The surgical assembly of claim 4 wherein the sled end includes a lateral guide adapted to engage a side surface of a vertebra.

6. The surgical assembly of claim 4 wherein at least a portion of one of the sled end top surface and the sled end bottom surface includes a rasping surface.

7. The surgical assembly of claim 4 wherein the sled end includes a posterior guide adapted to engage a front surface of a vertebra.

8. The surgical assembly of claim 4 wherein the sled end top surface and the sled end bottom surface are adapted to position the sled at a desired angle with respect to a patient'"'"'s spine when the sled end is inserted into the facet joint.

9. The surgical assembly of claim 8 wherein the desired angle is a proper angle for insertion of screws during the posterior cervical fusion surgery and a longitudinal axis of the at least one extension is substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction.

10. The surgical assembly of claim 9 wherein the sled end is adapted to allow a user to move the at least one extension medially and laterally about the patient'"'"'s spine.

11. The surgical assembly of claim 1 wherein the sled includes an alignment means and the at least one extension includes a corresponding alignment means, the sled alignment means and the extension alignment means cooperating to maintain the at least one extension at a desired angular position with respect to the longitudinal direction.

21. The posterior cervical fusion surgery assembly of claim 1 wherein the at least one extension is slidably removable from the sled.

12. A posterior cervical surgical assembly comprising:

a facet sled including a sled end adapted to be inserted into a cervical facet joint of a patient, the sled defining a longitudinal direction;

a receiver slidably coupled to the sled and adapted to support a surgical instrument for movement in the longitudinal direction, at least one of the sled and the receiver including means for angularly aligning the receiver with respect to the sled.

13. The surgical assembly of claim 12 wherein the facet sled end includes a sled end top surface and a sled end bottom surface, the sled end top surface adapted to engage a top surface of the facet joint, the sled end bottom surface adapted to engage a bottom surface of the facet joint.

14. The surgical assembly of claim 13 wherein the sled end top surface and the sled end bottom surface are adapted to position the sled at a desired angle with respect to a patient'"'"'s spine when the sled end top surface engages the top surface of the facet joint and the sled end bottom surface engages the bottom surface of the facet joint.

15. The surgical assembly of claim 14 wherein the desired angle is a proper angle for insertion of screws during a posterior cervical fusion surgery.

16. The surgical assembly of claim 15 wherein the sled end is adapted to allow a user to move the sled medially and laterally about the patient'"'"'s spine and at least a portion of one of the sled end top surface and the sled end bottom surface includes a rasping surface.

22. The posterior cervical fusion surgery assembly of claim 12 wherein the receiver is slidably removable from the sled.

17. A posterior cervical fusion surgery method comprising:

positioning the end of a sled within a cervical facet joint so that the sled extends from the facet joint at a desired angle;

slidably coupling an instrument receiver to the sled;

supporting a surgical instrument on or within the instrument receiver, the surgical instrument for engaging a patient'"'"'s vertebra; and

sliding the instrument receiver to a position proximate the facet joint to position the surgical instrument at the desired angle.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the instrument receiver is connected to the surgical instrument, the method further comprising engaging a posterior guide with a front surface of the patient'"'"'s vertebra.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the instrument receiver is connected to at least one extension, a longitudinal axis of the at least one extension being substantially parallel to the instrument receiver, the method further comprising engaging a posterior guide with a front surface of the patient'"'"'s vertebra and inserting the at least one surgical instrument into the at least one extension.

20. The method of claim 17 further including decorticating at least one of the top surface of the facet joint and the bottom surface of the facet joint with a rasping surface included on the sled end.