Method and apparatus for treating a vertebral body

• US 6,740,093 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2001
• Issued: 05/25/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Spine Wave Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Spine Wave Incorporated
• Inventors: Wales, Larry, Lipschultz, Tyler, Hektner, Thomas R., Nickels, Kevin L., Hochschuler, Stephen, Johnson, Wesley
• Primary Examiner(s): Robert, Eduardo C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Priddy, Michael B.
• Application Number:
  US09/794,873
• Publication Number:
  US 20020058947A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,183 Days
• Field of Search: 606/92-94, 606/99, 623/16.11, 623/17.11, 623/17.12, 623/11.11, 623/17.15, 623/17.16
• US Class Current: 606/94
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/7097 Stabilisers comprising fluid filler in an implant, e.g. balloon; devices for inserting or filling such implants disc prostheses made of inflatable chambers or pockets filled with fluid A61F2/441; replacing the nucleus pulposus A61F2002/444
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/7098 wherein the implant is permeable or has openings, e.g. fenestrated screw hollow surgical screws A61B17/864
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/44 for the spine, e.g. vertebrae, spinal discs
• 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 2002/2817 Bone stimulation by chemical reactions or by osteogenic or biological products for enhancing ossification, e.g. by bone morphogenetic or morphogenic proteins [BMP] or by transforming growth factors [TGF]
• 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 2002/30112 Rounded shapes, e.g. with rounded corners
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30131 horseshoe- or crescent- or C-shaped or U-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30156 triangular
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30586 having two or more inflatable pockets or chambers
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30787 inclined obliquely with respect to each other
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0004 Rounded shapes, e.g. with rounded corners
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0013 Horseshoe-shaped, e.g. crescent-shaped, C-shaped, U-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0023 triangular
• 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 2310/00293 containing a phosphorus-containing compound, e.g. apatite
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2310/00353 Bone cement, e.g. polymethylmethacrylate or PMMA

Abstract

An implantable container is used to stabilize or restore height in a vertebral body. After insertion the container is filled with a bone filler material such as bone cement.

Claims

1. A method of treating an vertebral body comprising the steps of:

creating a cavity in the vertebral body through an access aperture;

inserting a container into said vertebral body;

said container having a fill passage coupled to said container;

deploying said container within said vertebral body;

injecting a bone filler material into said container through said fill passage.

2. A method of treating a vertebral body having a superior endplate and an inferior endplate, comprising the steps of:

inserting a container into a vertebral body;

deploying said container within said vertebral body;

injecting a bone filler material selected from the group of;

bone cement;

human bone graft allograft;

human bone graft autograft;

synthetic derived bone substitute;

sulfate and/or calcium phosphate, hydroxyapatite;

into said container under pressure;

whereby said pressure supplies a distraction force to move said inferior and superior endplates apart;

ending injection after said endplates have moved apart.

3. A method of treating a vertebral body having a superior endplate and an inferior endplate, comprising the steps of:

inserting a container into the vertebral body;

deploying said container within said vertebral body;

injecting a bone filler material into said container under pressure;

whereby said pressure supplies a distraction force to move said superior and inferior endplates apart;

ending injection after said endplates have moved apart.

4. A method of treating an vertebral body comprising the steps of:

inserting a container into an vertebral body;

said container having a fill passage coupled to said container;

said container having a porous outer membrane sufficiently porous to allow filler material under pressure to leave the container after filling the container;

deploying said container within said vertebral body injecting a filler material into said container through said fill passage with bone filler material in a sufficient volume to allow the bone filler material to exit the container and interdigitates with cancellous bone within said vertebral body thereby reinforcing said bone and stabilizing fractures in said bone;

said container membrane porosity sufficient to provide resistance to the flow of said bone filler material to generate force to move the endplates of said vertebral body.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said injecting step is ended after the superior and inferior endplates move toward a normal anatomic position.