Human spinal disc prosthesis
First Claim
1. A vertebral disc endoprosthesis, comprising a resilient body formed of materials varying in stiffness from a relatively stiff exterior portion to a relatively supple central portion;
- and concaval-convex elements at least partly surrounding the resilient body between adjacent vertebral bodies for retaining the resilient body between adjacent vertebral bodies in a patient'"'"'s spine, and wherein said concaval-convex elements each comprise generally L-shaped supports, each support having a first concaval-convex leg, the first leg having an outer convex surface for engaging adjacent bone and a corresponding inner concave surface for retaining the resilient body, each support further having a second leg extending generally perpendicularly to the first leg and adapted for affixation to adjacent bone structure.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention relates to a spinal disc endoprosthesis. The endoprosthesis has a resilient body formed of one or more materials which may vary in stiffness from a relatively stiff exterior annular gasket portion to a relatively supple central nucleus portion. Concaval-convex elements at least partly surround that nucleus portion so as to retain the nucleus portion and gasket between adjacent vertebral bodies in a patient'"'"'s spine. Assemblies of endoprosthetic discs, endoprosthetic vertebral bodies, and endoprosthetic longitudinal ligaments may be constructed. To implant this endoprosthesis assembly, information is obtained regarding the size, shape, and nature of a patient'"'"'s damaged spine. Thereafter, one or more prosthetic vertebral bodies and disc units are constructed in conformity with that information. Finally, the completed and conformed vertebral body and disc assembly is implanted in the patient'"'"'s spine.
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Citations
43 Claims
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1. A vertebral disc endoprosthesis, comprising a resilient body formed of materials varying in stiffness from a relatively stiff exterior portion to a relatively supple central portion;
- and concaval-convex elements at least partly surrounding the resilient body between adjacent vertebral bodies for retaining the resilient body between adjacent vertebral bodies in a patient'"'"'s spine, and wherein said concaval-convex elements each comprise generally L-shaped supports, each support having a first concaval-convex leg, the first leg having an outer convex surface for engaging adjacent bone and a corresponding inner concave surface for retaining the resilient body, each support further having a second leg extending generally perpendicularly to the first leg and adapted for affixation to adjacent bone structure.
- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
- 23. A vertebral endoprosthesis comprising an integral disc unit, said unit including a pair of confronting L-shaped supports having concaval-convex shapes in given legs, a resilient body interposed between the supports, and a flexible seal extending from one support to the other and sealing the resilient body within the supports inside a substantially watertight compartment.
- 30. A vertebral disc endoprosthesis comprising a resilient nucleus, rigid concaval-convex elements at least partly surrounding the nucleus, an annular gasket ring surrounding the nucleus, and a seal member formed of flexible material and attached to the concaval-convex elements and surrounding the nucleus and the annular gasket ring.
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41. A vertebral disc endoprosthesis comprising a resilient nucleus, first and second rigid concaval-convex elements at least partly surrounding the nucleus, first and second legs formed, respectively, with the first and second rigid concaval-convex elements, first and second means for affixing the respective legs to vertebral bodies adjacent the concaval-convex elements and nucleus, and longitudinal ligament prosthesis means extending between the legs of the first and second concaval-convex elements to inhibit undesirable motion of the vertebral bodies relative to one another.
- 42. A vertebral disc endoprosthesis comprising a rounded, resilient nucleus body convex on all surfaces and concaval-convex elements, each concaval-convex element being of relatively constant cross-sectional thickness and having an outer convex surface for engaging adjacent bone structure which has been milled to mate with the concaval-convex element outer convex surface, and a corresponding inner concave surface for engaging the rounded resilient body, wherein said resilient nucleus body comprises a relatively resilient central body and a relatively stiff gasket surrounding a circumference of the central body, the resilient nucleus body snugly engaging the adjacent, mating concave surfaces of the concaval-convex elements.
Specification