Facilitator for vertebrae grafts and prostheses

• US 5,431,658 A
• Filed: 02/14/1994
• Issued: 07/11/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ronald Moskovich
• Original Assignee: Ronald Moskovich
• Inventors: Moskovich, Ronald
• Primary Examiner(s): Graysay, Tamara L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MARKOW, SCOTT
• Application Number:
  US08/195,203
• Time in Patent Office: 512 Days
• Field of Search: 606/61, 606/90, 606/99, 606/108, 606/53, 254/98, 254/100
• US Class Current: 606/99
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/025 Joint distractors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0256 for the spine
• 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 2/4455 for the fusion of spinal bodies, e.g. intervertebral fusion of adjacent spinal bodies, e.g. fusion cages intervertebral discs A61F2/442
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/4601 for introducing bone substitute, for implanting bone graft implants or for compacting them in the bone cavity
• 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 2002/4622 having the shape of a forceps or a clamp
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/4627 with linear motion along or rotating motion about the instrument axis or the implantation direction, e.g. telescopic, along a guiding rod, screwing inside the instrument
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/4628 with linear motion along or rotating motion about an axis transverse to the instrument axis or to the implantation direction, e.g. clamping

Abstract

The Moskovich facilitator facilitates the insertion of bone grafts between two vertebrae. The invention has two flat tong-like guides that distract the vertebrae as the graft slides between the two guides towards the vertebrae. The two guides have grooved surfaces to keep the graft from rotating or from slipping laterally. The two guides each have a lip to keep them from slipping too far in between the vertebrae. The two guides can be combined by an elbow piece into one part. The elbow is offset to permit impacting the graft directly on the angle of the axes of the guides. The two guides each have a notch, and the two notches hold an inserter/extractor. The screw-type inserter/extractor slowly rams the graft in between the vertebrae without impact, and slowly extracts the guides after the graft is seated.

Claims

1. A vertebrae graft facilitator comprising:

(a) a graft guide with a distal end, a proximal end, a longitudinal axis, an outside surface, an inside surface, and two longitudinal edges,

(b) a matching graft guide with a distal end, a proximal end, a longitudinal axis, an outside surface, an inside surface, and two longitudinal edges, and

(c) an elbow piece connecting the two graft guides at the proximal end of each guide, the elbow piece extending out of a plane defined by the longitudinal axes of the two guides and extending from one of the longitudinal edges of each guide, the two guides flexibly located parallel to each other with their inside surfaces facing each other.

2. The vertebrae graft facilitator in claim 1, further comprising:

(a) a lip on the outside surface of each guide near the distal end of each guide

(b) a plurality of parallel grooves on the inside surface of each guide, the grooves running between the proximal end and the distal end of each guide, and

(c) one matching notch in each of the two guides, in one longitudinal edge of each guide.

3. A vertebrae graft facilitator comprising:

(a) a graft guide with a distal end, a proximal end, a longitudinal axis, an outside surface, an inside surface, and two longitudinal edges,

(b) a matching graft guide with a distal end, a proximal end, a longitudinal axis, an outside surface, an inside surface, and two longitudinal edges, and

(c) an elbow piece connecting the two graft guides at the proximal end of each guide, the elbow piece extending out of a plane defined by the longitudinal axes of the two guides and extending from one of the longitudinal edges of each guide, the two guides flexibly located parallel to each other with their inside surfaces facing each other,

(d) a lip on the outside surface of each guide near the distal end of each guide,

(e) a plurality of parallel grooves on the inside surface of each guide, the grooves running between the proximal end and the distal end of each guide,

(f) one matching notch in each of the two guides, in one longitudinal edge of each guide, and

(g) an inserter/extractor inserted in the two notches and in between the two guides, further comprising;

(i) a knob attached to a proximal end of a screw, the screw having a longitudinal axis,

(ii) a threaded nut screwed onto the screw,

(iii) a pair of studs, each stud on opposite sides of the nut, and each stud inserted into one of the notches, the inserter/extractor located in between the two guides, with the proximal end of the screw near the elbow piece, and the axis of the screw aligned with the longitudinal axes of the guides, and

(iv) a ram rotatably attached to a distal end of the screw, the ram located between the two guides.

4. A vertebrae graft facilitator comprising:

(a) a graft guide with a distal end, a proximal end, a longitudinal axis, an outside surface, an inside surface, and two longitudinal edges,

(b) a matching graft guide with a distal end, a proximal end, a longitudinal axis, an outside surface, an inside surface, and two longitudinal edges,

(c) an elbow piece connecting the two graft guides at the proximal end of each guide, the elbow piece extending out of a plane defined by the longitudinal axes of the two guides and extending form one of the longitudinal edges of each guide, the two guides flexibly located parallel to each other with their inside surfaces facing each other,

(d) one matching notch in each of the two guides, in one longitudinal edge of each guide, and

(e) an inserter/extractor fixable in the two notches and in between the two guides further comprising;

(i) a knob attached to a proximal end of a screw, the screw having a longitudinal axis,

(ii) threaded nut screwed onto the screw,

(iii) a pair of studs, each stud on opposite sides of the nut, and each stud inserted into one of the notches, the inserter/extractor located in between the two guides, with the proximal end of the screw near the elbow piece, and the axis of the screw aligned with the longitudinal axes of the guides, and

(iv) a ram rotatably attached to a distal end of the screw, the ram located between the two guides.

5. A vertebrae graft facilitator comprising:

(a) a first graft guide with a distal end, a proximal end, a longitudinal axis, an outside surface, an inside surface, and an edge,

(b) a second, matching, graft guide with a distal end, a proximal end, a longitudinal axis, an outside surface, an inside surface, and an edge, the first and second graft guides flexibly located parallel to each other with their inside surfaces facing each other,

(c) one matching notch in each of the two guides, in the edge of each guide, and

(d) an inserter/extractor fixable in the two notches and in between the two guides further comprising;

(i) a knob attached to a proximal end of a screw, the screw having a longitudinal axis,

(ii) a threaded nut screwed onto the screw,

(iii) a pair of studs, each stud on opposite sides of the nut, and each stud inserted into one of the notches, the inserter/extractor located in between the two guides, with the axis of the screw aligned with the longitudinal axes of the guides, and

(iv) a ram rotatably attached to a distal end of the screw, the ram located between the two guides.