Surgical prosthetic implant for vertebrae

• US 5,192,327 A
• Filed: 03/22/1991
• Issued: 03/09/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Depuy Acromed Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: John W. Brantigan
• Inventors: Brantigan, John W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Green, Randall L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Dinh
• Application Number:
  US07/673,474
• Time in Patent Office: 718 Days
• Field of Search: 623/17, 606/60, 606/61
• US Class Current: 623/17.11
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00902 transparent or translucent
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/30965 Reinforcing the prosthesis by embedding particles or fibres during moulding or dipping
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/44 for the spine, e.g. vertebrae, spinal discs
• 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 2/4465 having a circular or kidney shaped cross-section substantially perpendicular to the axis of the spine
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/4611 of spinal prostheses
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/2835 Bone graft implants for filling a bony defect or an endoprosthesis cavity, e.g. by synthetic material or biological material
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/3008 radio-opaque, e.g. radio-opaque markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30126 oval-O-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30153 rectangular
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30187 D-shaped or half-disc-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30228 Cylinders of elliptical or oval basis
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/3023 wedge-shaped cylinders
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30235 tubular, e.g. sleeves
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30329 Connections or couplings between prosthetic parts, e.g. between modular parts; Connecting elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30494 Cooperating protrusions and recesses, e.g. radial serrations, located on abutting end surfaces of a longitudinal connection
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/3055 for adjusting length
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30593 hollow
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30594 slotted, e.g. radial or meridian slot ending in a polar aperture, non-polar slots, horizontal or arcuate slots
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30599 stackable
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30604 : modular
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30616 : Sets comprising a plurality of prosthetic parts of different sizes or orientations
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30774 : internally-threaded
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30777 : Oblong apertures
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30904 : serrated profile, i.e. saw-toothed
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0025 : Connections or couplings between prosthetic parts, e.g. between modular parts; Connecting elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0008 : elliptical or oval
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0019 : rectangular
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0034 : D-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0069 : cylindrical
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0063 : Nested prosthetic parts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0098 : radio-opaque, e.g. radio-opaque markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2310/00017 : Iron- or Fe-based alloys, e.g. stainless steel
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2310/00023 : Titanium or titanium-based alloys, e.g. Ti-Ni alloys
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2310/00029 : Cobalt-based alloys, e.g. Co-Cr alloys or Vitallium
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2310/00059 : Chromium or Cr-based alloys
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2310/00071 : Nickel or Ni-based alloys
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 606/91 : Polymer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 606/912 : Radiolucent material

Abstract

Surgical prosthetic modular implants used singularly or stacked together are provided to support and fuse together adjacent vertebrae or to totally or partially replace one or more vertebrae in a vertebral column. The implants are rigid annular plugs, dimensionally similar to normal vertebral bodies, have simplified oval or hemi-oval shapes with ridged faces to engage adjacent vertebral bodies to resist displacement and allow bone ingrowth and fusion and to interdigitate with the ridges of an adjacent plug for modular stacking to allow variability of ultimate implant height. The implants can be provided in sets of different thicknesses and are internally grooved to receive an upstanding connecting bar to bind together the individual stacked implants into a stable unit. The annular implants have ample spaces to allow ingrowth of blood capillaries and packing of bone graft and are preferably made of a radiolucent material, preferably biocompatible carbon fiber reinforced polymers or are alternately made of traditional orthopaedic implant materials such as nickel, chromium, cobalt, stainless steel or titanium.

Claims

1. A prosthetic device to integrate with and support vertebrae in a vertebral column which comprises a plurality of inert generally oval shaped rings conforming in shape and size with hard end plates of vertebrae on which it is to be seated, each of said rings having ridged top and bottom faces adapted to selectively interdigitate with surfaces of adjacent rings to form a stack and having peaks to bite into the end plates of adjoining vertebrae together with valleys between the peaks to receive bone ingrowth from the vertebrae for fusing the vertebrae together through the rings.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the peaks have side walls diverging at an angle of not substantially less than about 30°

.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the top and bottom faces of the rings fully mate together when the rings are used in a stack.

4. A prosthetic device for vertebral fusion which comprises a stack of annular rigid inert plugs having interiors and interdigitated ridged faces holding the plugs against displacement in the stack and ridged exposed end faces for bottoming on adjoining vertebrae, and a connecting bar extending through the stack holding the plugs in aligned position in the stack.

5. The prosthetic device of claim 4, wherein each of the plugs have diametrically opposed internal upstanding grooves receiving the connecting bar.

6. The prosthetic device of claim 4, wherein the plugs have an internal connecting bar divides the interiors of the annular plugs into side by side compartments.

7. A surgical prosthetic device adapted for fusing together adjoining vertebrae in a vertebral column which comprises a rigid inert annular plug sized and shaped to fit opposed end faces of vertebrae in a vertebral column and having top and bottom faces with peaks adapted to bite into the end faces of the adjoining vertebrae and valleys between the peaks to receive bone ingrowth, said plug selected from the group consisting of oval and hemi-oval rings, and said plug having a height effective to provide a strut between the vertebrae maintaining a desired disc space.

8. A surgical prosthetic device adapted for fusing together adjoining vertebrae in a vertebral column which comprises a rigid inert annular plug sized and shaped to fit opposed end faces of vertebrae in a vertebral column and having top and bottom faces with peaks adapted to bite into the end faces of the adjoining vertebrae and valleys between the peaks to receive bone ingrowth;

said plug having a height effective to provide a strut between the vertebrae maintaining a desired disc space, and said height of the annular plug being sufficient to stretch a annulus fibrosis tissue of a disc connecting the adjoining vertebrae to maintain a desired disc height and provide snug gripping of the plug with the and faces of the adjoining vertebrae.

9. The surgical prosthetic device of claim 8 wherein the top and bottom faces of the plug have diverging equally sloping side walls converging to sharp peaks ,and relatively wide valleys between the peaks and said side walls adapted to nest together to hold adjacent plugs in alignment.

10. A surgical prosthetic device adapted for fusing together adjoining vertebrae in a vertebral column which comprises a rigid inert annular plug having an interior and sized and shaped to fit opposed end faces of vertebrae in a vertebral column and having top and bottom faces with peaks adapted to bite into the end faces of the adjoining vertebrae and valleys between the peaks to receive bone growth, said plug having a height effective to provide a strut between the vertebrae maintaining a desired disc space, and said plug having a bar intersecting the interior of the plug.

11. The surgical prosthetic device of claim 10 having diametrically opposed upstanding internal grooves adapted to receive said bar.

12. A prosthetic device seating on hard end plates of vertebrae in a vertebral column while preserving healthy disc tissue between the vertebrae which comprises a rigid inert annular plug generally conforming in shape and size with opposing hard end plates of vertebrae on which it is to be seated, said plug having peripheral side and end walls, top and bottom faces, a central aperture therethrough between the faces, and a peripheral slot therein, said end faces having raised ridges with side walls converging to peaks and valleys between the side walls, said peaks adapted to be bottomed on and bite into the hard end plate faces of vertebrae, tool mounting means in a peripheral wall of the plug, said aperture and slot in the plug adapted to be packed with bone graft material, and said plug being composed of a radiolucent plastics material.

13. A prosthetic device seating on hard end plates of vertebrae in a vertebral column while preserving healthy disc tissue between the vertebrae which comprises a rigid inert annular plug generally conforming in shape and size with opposing hard end plates of vertebrae on which it is to be seated, said plug having peripheral side and end walls, top and bottom faces, a central aperture therethrough between the faces, and a peripheral slot in each end wall therein, said end faces having raised ridges with side walls converging to peaks and valleys between the side walls, said peaks adapted to be bottomed on and bite into the hard end plate faces of vertebrae, tool mounting means in a peripheral wall of the plug, and said aperture and slot in the plug adapted to be packed with bone graft material.

14. A prosthetic device seating on hard end plates of vertebrae in a vertebral column while preserving healthy disc tissue between the vertebrae which comprises a rigid inert annular plug generally conforming in shape and size with opposing hard end plates of vertebrae on which it is to be seated, said plug having peripheral side and end walls, top and bottom faces, a central aperture therethrough between the faces, and a peripheral slot therein, said end faces having raised ridges with side walls converging to peaks and valleys between the side walls, said peaks adapted to be bottomed on and bite into the hard end plate faces of vertebrae, tool mounting means in a peripheral wall of the plug, said aperture and slot in the plug adapted to be packed with bone graft material and said plug having an anterior portion higher than the posterior portion to provide a wedging effect when inserted into position between the hard end plate faces of the vertebrae.