Instrument for inserting intervertebral implants
First Claim
1. An implant insertion instrument in combination with a three piece intervertebral implant of the type that includes an upper part which can be placed against a vertebra, a lower part that can be placed against an adjacent vertebrae and a pivot element that can be inserted between the upper and lower parts, the instrument having two arms disposed adjacent each other and supported pivotally relative to one another at one end, each arm including at its free end opposite said one end a retention device for the upper part and the lower part, respectively, and including a longitudinal guide structure for the pivot element guided by at least one of said arms to push the pivot element.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In an insertion instrument for a three-piece intervertebral implant that includes an upper part that can be placed against a vertebra, a lower part that can be placed against the adjacent vertebra, and a pivot element that can be inserted between these two parts, the instrument having two arms, disposed side by side and supported pivotably relative to one another on one end, which at their free ends each have one retention device for the upper part and lower part, respectively, of the intervertebral implant, it is proposed that a longitudinal guide for the pivot element is disposed in one of the arms.
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Citations
81 Claims
- 1. An implant insertion instrument in combination with a three piece intervertebral implant of the type that includes an upper part which can be placed against a vertebra, a lower part that can be placed against an adjacent vertebrae and a pivot element that can be inserted between the upper and lower parts, the instrument having two arms disposed adjacent each other and supported pivotally relative to one another at one end, each arm including at its free end opposite said one end a retention device for the upper part and the lower part, respectively, and including a longitudinal guide structure for the pivot element guided by at least one of said arms to push the pivot element.
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28. An implant insertion in combination with a three piece intervertebral implant, the instrument comprising:
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a first arm which can engage a lower part of the implant and insert it into the intervertebral space, a second arm operatively connected to the first arm and operable in coordination with the first arm to engage an upper part of the implant to insert it into the intervertebral space essentially concurrently with insertion of the lower part, and guide structures operatively connected to and guided by the first and second arms for spreading apart the inserted upper and lower parts and inserting a third part between them. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. An insertion instrument in combination with a three piece intervertebral implant of the type having upper and lower parts which engage adjacent vertebrae and a third part located between the upper and lower parts,
the instrument having an arm structure which includes a pair of parallel legs which engage the lower part at an end thereof, opposed grooves facing each other along the parallel legs and opposed grooves facing each other on the lower part and which are aligned with the grooves in the parallel legs, the third part having lateral edges which engage the grooves of both the parallel legs and the lower part, the third part being movable along the grooves in the parallel legs and directly into the grooves in the lower part.
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37. An insertion instrument in combination with a three piece intervertebral implant of the type having upper and lower parts engaging adjacent vertebrae and a third part located between the upper and lower parts,
a working space defined by parallel planes which pass through opposed outer surfaces of the upper and lower parts and are parallel to the direction of movement of the instruments when inserting said parts, upper and lower arms engaging respectively at their free ends, the upper and lower parts, an elongated spreader element for spreading the upper and lower parts apart, while in the intervertebral space, to allow insertion of the third part, an elongated pusher element for moving the third part along the arms and into place in the intervertebral space between the spaced apart upper and lower parts, and both of said arms, said spreader element and said pusher element being located and operable completely within said working space.
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42. An insertion instrument in combination with a three piece intervertebral implant having upper and lower parts and a third part located between the upper and lower parts, which implant is insertable into an intervertebral space between adjacent vertebrae, the instrument comprising:
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a working space defined by parallel planes which pass through opposed outer surfaces of the implant and are parallel to the direction of insertion movement of the implant into the intervertebral space, an elongated structure comprising a plurality of elongated arms for holding and inserting the implant, and wherein said elongated structure is located and operable completely within said working space. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 46, 47, 48)
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49. An insertion instrument in combination with a three piece intervertebral implant of the type having upper and lower parts which engage adjacent vertebrae and a third part located between the upper and lower parts,
said instrument including an upper arm for holding the upper part at its free end and a lower arm for holding the lower part at its free end, the upper and lower parts having complementary facing structures which allows them to come to a nested position in which their combined height is less than the total height of the upper and lower parts, taken separately, and the upper arm being movable vertically in relation to the lower arm such that they overlap, taken vertically, to allow said nesting of the upper and lower parts.
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52. An instrument for inserting an intervertebral implant of the type having upper and lower parts which engage adjacent vertebrae, an upper arm for holding the upper part and a lower arm for holding the lower part,
the lower arm comprising a pair of elongated legs which engage the lower part at the free end thereof, and wherein at least one of the legs is rotatable relative to the lower part about its axis to move its free end between a locked position whereat it locks the lower part thereon and an unlocked position whereat the lower part is free to be removed from said free end.
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55. An insertion instrument in combination with a three piece intervertebral implant of the type having upper and lower parts which engage adjacent vertebrae and a third part located between the upper and lower parts, the instrument comprising,
an upper arm for holding the upper part at its free end and a lower arm for holding the lower part at its free end, a mounting structure for connecting the upper and lower arms together at their other ends remote from their free ends, such that the other ends are spaced apart vertically from each other and pivotally supported to allow their free ends to pivot towards and away from each other, and a spreader element engaging and movable along the upper and lower arms in one direction to spread them apart to thereby spread apart the upper and lower parts, and in the other direction to allow the upper and lower arms to come together and thereby allow the upper and lower parts to move towards each other.
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59. An insertion instrument in combination with a three piece intervertebral implant of the type having upper and lower parts which engage adjacent vertebrae and a third part located between the upper and lower parts,
an upper arm having an upper part at a free end thereof, a lower arm having a lower part at a free end thereof, the lower arm comprising a pair of parallel legs which engage the lower part at their free ends, and define between them a receiving chamber, the legs on the sides facing the receiving chamber including a structure which engages the lateral edges of a third part for movement of the third part along said legs, a pusher element mounted on the legs for pushing the third part therealong, and a spreader element mounted on and slidable along the upper and lower arms to spread them apart.
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63. A method for inserting a three piece intervertebral implant into an intervertebral space, comprising the steps of:
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assembling upper and lower parts of the intervertebral implant together and inserting them into an intervertebral space with an inserting instrument such that the upper surface of the upper part and the lower surface of the lower part engage adjacent vertebrae, after the upper and lower parts are located in the intervertebral spaces, spreading them apart, and with the upper and lower parts spread apart, moving a longitudinal guide along the inserting instrument to move a third part into the space between the upper and lower parts. - View Dependent Claims (64, 65)
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66. A method for inserting a three piece intervertebral implant into an intervertebral space, comprising the steps of:
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assembling upper and lower parts of the intervertebral implant on an inserting instrument and inserting them into an intervertebral space, wherein the lower part has a recess, inserting the upper and lower parts into the intervertebral space, spreading the upper and lower parts apart by a distance slightly greater than the clearance between the lowermost surface of the upper part and the recess of the lower part, and moving the third part onto the recess of the lower part. - View Dependent Claims (67, 68, 69)
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70. An insertion device in combination with an intervertebral implant of the type having opposed vertebrae engaging upper and lower parts and an insert therebetween, comprising:
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an instrument for holding and inserting the upper and lower parts into an intervertebral space, and a spreader for separating the upper and lower parts while in the intervertebral space, and a pusher guided by the instrument to push the insert into the space between the separated upper and lower parts. - View Dependent Claims (71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76)
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77. A method of inserting an intervertebral implant of the type comprising opposed vertebrae engaging upper and lower parts and an insert therebetween, comprising the steps of:
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holding the upper and lower parts with an instrument and inserting the upper and lower parts into an intervertebral space, spreading the upper and lower parts away from each other, and guiding a pusher on the instrument to push an insert into the space between the upper and lower parts. - View Dependent Claims (78, 79, 80, 81)
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Specification