CERVICAL DISTRACTION METHOD

• US 20170216044A1
• Filed: 04/14/2017
• Published: 08/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Providence Medical Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Providence Medical Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: McCormack, Bruce M.
• Granted Patent: US 10,219,910 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/562 Implants for placement in joint gaps without restricting joint motion, e.g. to reduce arthritic pain
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/7064 Devices acting on, attached to, or simulating the effect of, vertebral facets; Tools therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/681 Alignment, compression, or distraction mechanisms
• 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 2/441 made of inflatable pockets or chambers filled with fluid, e.g. with hydrogel
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/4611 of spinal prostheses

Abstract

A device and method for a minimally invasive surgical implantation to reduce radicular symptoms by inserting an expandable cervical distraction implant in the facet joint and distracting the adjacent cervical vertebrae to increase the foraminal dimension. The implant, when positioned in the cervical facet joint, expands to via delivery of an inflation medium to increase the space between the vertebrae, thereby increasing the foraminal area or dimension, and reducing pressure on the nerves and blood vessels of the cervical spine.

Claims

1. A method of implanting an implant in a facet joint comprising an inferior articulating surface of an upper vertebra and a superior articulating surface of a lower vertebra, the method comprising:

minimally invasively accessing the facet joint with a guide tool;

minimally invasively routing an implant into the facet joint via the guide tool, the implant operably coupled to a distal end of a delivery tool, the implant comprising one or more walls; and

advancing the implant with the delivery tool into the facet joint, thereby causing at least one wall to act against the inferior articulating surface and at least one other wall to act against the superior articulating surface.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting the implant from a number of predetermined sizes to accommodate patient anatomy.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the guide tool comprises a guidewire.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the delivery tool comprises a catheter.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the facet joint is covered by an articular capsule and accessing the facet joint further comprises puncturing the articular capsule with an introducer needle to create an access hole in the facet capsule.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a distal end of the implant has a smaller profile than a proximal end of the implant.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein an exterior surface of at least one of one or more walls is configured to inhibit motion of the at least one of the one or more walls relative to the respective inferior articulating surface or the superior articulating surface

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing at least one step with a patient under conscious sedation and obtaining intra-operative symptom feedback from the patient.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the implant is sized to accommodate a geometry of anatomy of a patient.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the facet joint is adjacent a nerve root canal between the upper vertebra and the lower vertebra, the nerve root canal comprising a stenosed intervertebral foraminal height.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein a distance between the superior articulating surface and the inferior articulating surface is narrowed at least in part because of the stenosed intervertebral foraminal height.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein causing the one or more walls to act against the inferior articulating surface and the at least one other wall to act against the superior articulating surface increases the distance between the superior articulating surface and the inferior articulating surface, thereby increasing the stenosed intervertebral foraminal height.