Spinal fusion implant

• US 6,676,703 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2001
• Issued: 01/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Depuy Acromed Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Depuy Acromed Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Biscup, Robert S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Philogene, Pedro
• Application Number:
  US09/841,924
• Publication Number:
  US 20010016777A1
• Time in Patent Office: 993 Days
• Field of Search: 623/17.16, 623/17.11, 623/16.11, 606/60, 606/61, 606/53
• US Class Current: 623/17.16
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/30965 Reinforcing the prosthesis by embedding particles or fibres during moulding or dipping
• 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 2/4611 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 2002/30151 rhomboidal or parallelogram-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30187 D-shaped or half-disc-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30593 hollow
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30774 internally-threaded
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30787 inclined obliquely with respect to each other
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30904 serrated profile, i.e. saw-toothed
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/448 comprising multiple adjacent spinal implants within the same intervertebral space or within the same vertebra, e.g. comprising two adjacent spinal implants
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0017 Angular shapes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0034 D-shaped
• 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: Y10S 606/908 Bioabsorbable material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 606/909 Bone
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 606/91 Polymer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 606/911 : Memory material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 606/912 : Radiolucent material

Abstract

An improved prosthetic implant for forming a rigid structure between adjoining vertebrae in a spinal column. The prosthetic implant includes a cage having a top, bottom, front end, back end, first side and second side walls. The first side wall has an arcuate surface. The top and bottom wall include one or more ridges to engage a surface of an adjacent vertebrae. The top and bottom wall also include an opening to receive packing material such as medicine, human tissue and the like. The top and bottom walls also incline simultaneously in two directions.

Claims

1. A prosthetic implant to form a rigid structure between adjoining vertebrae in a spinal column comprising a cage defined by top, bottom, front end, back end, first side and second side walls, said top wall and said bottom wall positionable between and engageable with a surface of an adjacent vertebrae, at least one of said top and bottom walls being inclined downwardly from said second side wall to said first side wall such that at least a portion of said second side wall has a height greater than a height of at least a portion of said first side wall, at least one of said top and bottom walls being at least partially inclined from said back end wall to said first end wall.

2. The prosthetic implant as defined in claim 1, wherein said top wall includes said incline from said second side wall to said first side wall.

3. The prosthetic implant as defined in claim 2, wherein said incline of said top wall from said second side wall to said first side wall has a substantially constant slope.

4. The prosthetic implant as defined in claim 1, wherein said bottom wall includes said incline from said second side wall to said first side wall.

5. The prosthetic implant as defined in claim 4, wherein said incline of bottom wall from said second side wall to said first side wall has a substantially constant slope.

6. The prosthetic implant as defined in claim 1, wherein said top wall includes said incline from said back end wall to said front end wall.

7. The prosthetic implant as defined in claim 6, wherein said incline of said top wall from said back end wall to said front end wall has a substantially constant slope.

8. The prosthetic implant as defined in claim 1, wherein said bottom wall includes said incline from said back end wall to said front end wall.

9. The prosthetic implant as defined in claim 8, wherein said incline of bottom wall from said back end wall to said front end wall has a substantially constant slope.

10. The prosthetic implant as defined in claim 1, wherein said front and back end walls having a width that is less than the length of said first side and said second side walls.

11. The prosthetic implant as defined in claim 1, wherein at least a portion of said first side wall has an arcuate surface.

12. The prosthetic implant as defined in claim 11, wherein said first side wall has a substantially uniform arcuate surface.

13. The prosthetic implant as defined in claim 1, wherein at least one of said top and bottom walls include a plurality of ridges to engage a surface of an adjacent vertebrae.

14. The prosthetic implant as defined in claim 13, wherein said ridges include a plurality of teeth.

15. The prosthetic implant as defined in claim 13, wherein said ridges are spaced from a peripheral edge of said first and second side walls.

16. The prosthetic implant as defined in claim 1, wherein said top and bottom walls each include an opening to receive packing material, said packing material including a material selected from the group consisting of medicine, human tissue, animal tissue, synthetic tissue, human cells, animal cells, synthetic cells, and combinations thereof.

17. The prosthetic implant as defined in claim 1, wherein said top, bottom, front end, back end, first side and second side walls each having a peripheral edge, at least a portion of said peripheral edge of each of said walls being contoured so as not to be sharp.

18. The prosthetic implant as defined in claim 1, wherein at least one of said front end wall, said back end wall, said first side wall and said second side wall including an opening, said opening adapted to receive an instrument to guide said prosthetic implant between adjoining vertebrae in a spinal column, to receive an implant to secure said cage in position relative to said vertebrae, and combinations thereof.