Flexible Chain Implants and Instrumentation
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A flexible chain implant for insertion into an interior volume of a vertebral body. The implant may be implanted in an insertion position for sliding through a cannula and is flexible for packing into the interior volume in an implanted configuration. The implant randomly separates in the implanted configuration. The implant includes a top member and a bottom member, wherein the top and bottom members are coupled to one another at a coupled portion. The top and bottom members preferably each include an inner surface such that the inner surfaces include a plurality of alternating projections and recesses so that the projections are received within the recesses in an insertion position. Alternatively, the implant may include a plurality of substantially non-flexible bodies and a plurality of substantially flexible links interconnecting the bodies. The non-flexible bodies include a plurality of facets and/or abutment surfaces.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1-14. -14. (canceled)
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15. A flexible chain implant configured to be inserted into an interior volume formed in a bone, the implant comprising:
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a plurality of generally non-flexible bodies, each of the non-flexile bodies including a plurality of facets; and a plurality of substantially flexible links interconnecting the bodies, the bodies and links connected end-to-end to form the flexible chain implant, the plurality of non-flexile bodies and flexile links constructed of a monolithic portion of bone, the plurality of non-flexible bodies defining a body axis and the plurality of links defining a link axis, each in an extended position, the body axis being off-set from the link axis in the extended position. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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20-21. -21. (canceled)
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27. A implant system, system comprising:
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one or more flexible chain implants, each of the flexible chain implant include configured to be inserted into an interior volume formed in a bone, the flexible chain implant including a plurality of generally non-flexible bodies, each of the non-flexile bodies including a plurality of facets, the flexible chain implant further including a plurality of substantially flexible links interconnecting the bodies, the bodies and links connected end-to-end to form the flexible chain implant, the plurality of non-flexile bodies and flexile links constructed of a monolithic portion of bone, the plurality of non-flexible bodies defining a body axis and the plurality of links defining a link axis, each in an extended position, the body axis being off-set from the link axis in the extended position; and a cannula configured to insert a respective one of the one or more flexible chain implants into the interior volume of the bone. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30)
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Specification