Pedicle screw and an assembly aid therefor
First Claim
1. A pedicle screw and an assembly aid therefor, wherein the pedicle screw comprises a threaded shank and a fork-like head formed by two distanced sections and wherein the sections between themselves form a receiver for an elongate rod and on the sides facing one another there are provided threaded sections into which a threaded element may be screwed for fastening the rod on the head, wherein the head sections of the pedicle screw on the outside comprise a recess and the assembly aid comprises an elongate sleeve in which a shank is axially but rotationally securely displaceable, wherein on a front end of the shank there are attached two parallel arms arranged at a distance, which with a front gripping section engage into the recesses of the head for transmitting a tension force, between the sleeve and the shank there is provided an adjusting mechanism for the axial relative adjustment of the two parts, and the shank comprises an axial passage for the leading through of a relatively thin tool shank from a rear end of the sleeve until beyond the front end of the shank.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The invention relates to a pedicle screw and an assembly aid therefor, wherein the pedicle screw comprises a threaded shank and a fork-like head formed by two distanced sections and wherein the sections between themselves form a receiver for an elongate rod and on the sides facing one another there are provided threaded sections into which a threaded element may be screwed for fastening the rod on the head. The head sections of the pedicle screw on the outside comprise a recess, the assembly aid comprises an elongate sleeve in which a shank is axially but rotationally securely displaceable, wherein on the front end of the shank, there are attached two parallel arms arranged at a distance, which with a front gripping section engage into the recesses of the head for transmitting a tension force, between the sleeve and the shank there is provided an adjusting mechanism for the axial relative adjustment of the two parts, and the shank comprises an axial passage for the leading through of a relatively thin tool shank from the rear end of the sleeve until beyond the front end of the shank.
749 Citations
16 Claims
- 1. A pedicle screw and an assembly aid therefor, wherein the pedicle screw comprises a threaded shank and a fork-like head formed by two distanced sections and wherein the sections between themselves form a receiver for an elongate rod and on the sides facing one another there are provided threaded sections into which a threaded element may be screwed for fastening the rod on the head, wherein the head sections of the pedicle screw on the outside comprise a recess and the assembly aid comprises an elongate sleeve in which a shank is axially but rotationally securely displaceable, wherein on a front end of the shank there are attached two parallel arms arranged at a distance, which with a front gripping section engage into the recesses of the head for transmitting a tension force, between the sleeve and the shank there is provided an adjusting mechanism for the axial relative adjustment of the two parts, and the shank comprises an axial passage for the leading through of a relatively thin tool shank from a rear end of the sleeve until beyond the front end of the shank.
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7. A pedicle screw assembly system comprising:
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a pedicle screw having a threaded end for insertion into a vertebra and an open, generally U-shaped end opposite said threaded end, each leg of said U-shaped end having an outer surface with a shoulder formed thereon said shoulder spaced from said open end of said screw in a direction towards said threaded end; and
a gripping tool having two arms for engaging said shoulder on said pedicle screw, said arms each having a gripping element for engaging a surface of said shoulder facing said threaded end of said screw wherein said arms are parallel and extend along a plane and wherein said gripping tool further includes a sleeve having a generally cylindrical bore and a shank slideably received in said bore while being prevented from rotating, said shank having a first drive portion and a second portion on which said arms are integrally mounted. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of assembling a pedicle screw system comprising the steps of:
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providing a pedicle screw having a threaded end for insertion into a vertebra and an open generally U-shaped end opposite said threaded end, each leg of said U-shaped end having an outer surface with a shoulder formed thereon spaced from an open end of said U-shaped end;
providing a gripping tool having a pair of arms with gripping elements formed thereon, said tool having a sleeve and a shank slideably received within said sleeve, said shank having a first threaded portion and a second portion in which said arms are integrally mounted;
said arms extending from said sleeve in parallel along a plane;
gripping said shoulder on said pedicle screw with said gripping elements on said arms;
placing a rod on an end of said sleeve adjacent said second portion of said shank in a direction perpendicular to the plane of said arms;
placing a handle with an internal threaded bore on said thread portion of said shank; and
turning said handle in a direction to pull said shank and said arms integral therewith towards said sleeve to move said rod within said U-shaped end of said pedicle screw. - View Dependent Claims (16)
inserting a set screw and driving tool into said bore of said shank and threading said set screw into said internal threads of said pedicle screw after said rod has been moved into the U-shaped end of said screw.
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Specification