Intervertebral spacer device having arch shaped spring element

• US 7,261,739 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2003
• Issued: 08/28/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Howmedica Osteonics Corp. (Stryker Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Spinecore, Inc. (Stryker Corporation)
• Inventors: Ralph, James D., Errico, Joseph P., Tatar, Stephen
• Primary Examiner(s): Willse; David H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Blanco; Javier G.
• Application Number:
  US10/715,969
• Publication Number:
  US 20040102849A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,379 Days
• Field of Search: 623/17.13, 623/17.14, 623/17.15, 623/17.11, 623/17.12, 623/17.16, 606/61
• US Class Current: 623/17.13
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/30742 Bellows or hose-like seals; Sealing membranes A61B17/8808 takes precedence; sealing membranes for retaining bone substitute A61F2/2846
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/30767 Special external or bone-contacting surface, e.g. coating for improving bone ingrowth
• 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 2/4425 made of articulated components
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30133 kidney-shaped or bean-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30171 rosette- or star-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/302 toroidal, e.g. rings
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30433 using additional screws, bolts, dowels, rivets or washers e.g. connecting screws
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30451 soldered or brazed or welded
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30492 using a locking pin
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/305 Snap connection
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30507 using a threaded locking member, e.g. a locking screw or a set screw
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30518 with possibility of relative movement between the prosthetic parts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30565 having spring elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30571 Leaf springs
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30594 slotted, e.g. radial or meridian slot ending in a polar aperture, non-polar slots, horizontal or arcuate slots
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30604 modular
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30649 Ball-and-socket joints
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30769 madreporic
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30774 internally-threaded
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30909 : Nets
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/3092 : having an open-celled or open-pored structure
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30975 : made of two halves
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/443 : having two transversal endplates and at least one intermediate component
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0025 : Connections or couplings between prosthetic parts, e.g. between modular parts; Connecting elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0041 : using additional screws, bolts, dowels or rivets, e.g. connecting screws
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0058 : soldered or brazed or welded
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0015 : Kidney-shaped, e.g. bean-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/005 : Rosette-shaped, e.g. star-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0065 : toroidal, e.g. ring-shaped, doughnut-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 2310/00365 : Proteins; Polypeptides; Degradation products thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 606/907 : Composed of particular material or coated

Abstract

An intervertebral spacer device having a pair of opposing plates for seating against opposing vertebral bone surfaces, separated by at least one spring mechanism. The preferred spring mechanism is an arched strip spring. In a first embodiment there are multiple springs positioned independently about the area of the opposing plates. In a second embodiment there is a single arched strip spring modified to mount onto a ball-shaped head. The lower plate of this second embodiment includes a post extending upwardly from the inner surface of the plate, the post including a ball-shaped head. The spring and post members are flexibly coupled such that the upper and lower plates may rotate relative to one another.

Claims

1. An intervertebral spacer device comprising:

a first plate having an inner surface and an outer surface adapted to engage a first vertebral body;

a second plate having an inner surface that faces the inner surface of said first plate and an outer surface adapted to engage a second vertebral body;

at least one arched strip spring disposed between the inner surfaces of said first and second plates, said at least one arched strip spring having lateral ends and a peak located equidistant between the lateral ends, wherein the lateral ends of said at least one arched strip spring are attached to said second plate and the peak of said arched strip spring is attached to said first plate.

2. The intervertebral spacer device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the peak of said at least one arched strip spring is in contact with the inner surface of said first plate.

3. The intervertebral spacer device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lateral ends of said at least one arched strip spring are attached to the inner surface of said second plate and the peak of said at least one arched strip spring in attached to the inner surface of said first plate.

4. The intervertebral spacer device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one arched strip spring comprises a plurality of arched strip springs.

5. The intervertebral spacer device as claimed in claim 4, wherein said plurality of arched strip springs are spaced from one another over the inner surfaces of said first and second plates.

6. The intervertebral spacer device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first plate includes a threaded hole and the peak is aligned with the threaded hole in said first plate and secured thereto using a threaded fastener.

7. The intervertebral spacer device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second plate includes threaded holes and the lateral ends are aligned with the respective threaded holes in said second plate and secured thereto using threaded fasteners.

8. The intervertebral spacer device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a deflectable wire mesh secured over the outer surface of one of said first and second plates.

9. The intervertebral spacer device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the outer surface of the one of said first and second plates is flat and said deflectable wire mesh has a convex surface that is spaced from and overlies the flat outer surface.

10. An intervertebral spacer device comprising:

a first plate having a surface adapted to engage a first vertebral body;

a second plate opposing said first plate and having a surface adapted to engage a second vertebral body;

a plurality of arched strip springs coupling said first and second plates and being adapted for counteracting compressive loads applied to said first and second plates, wherein each of said arched strip springs has lateral ends attached to said second plate and a peak located between the lateral ends that is attached to said first plate.

11. The intervertebral spacer device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the peaks of said arched strip springs are in contact with an inner surface of said first plate.

12. The intervertebral spacer device as claimed in claim 10, wherein said first and second plates have inner surfaces that confront one another and wherein said plurality of arched strip springs are spaced from one another over the inner surfaces of said first and second plates.

13. The intervertebral spacer device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the peak of each said arched strip spring is equidistant from the lateral ends thereof.

14. The intervertebral spacer device as claimed in claim 10, wherein said first plate has threaded holes and the peaks of said arched strip springs are aligned with the threaded holes and secured thereto using threaded fasteners.

15. The intervertebral spacer device as claimed in claim 10, wherein said second plate has threaded holes and the lateral ends of said arched strip springs are aligned with the threaded holes and secured thereto using threaded fasteners.

16. The intervertebral spacer device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the threaded holes in said second plate comprise pairs of threaded holes and wherein the lateral ends of each said arched strip spring are aligned with one of the pairs of threaded holes.

17. The intervertebral spacer device as claimed in claim 10, further comprising a deflectable wire mesh secured over and outer surface of one of said first and second plates.

18. The intervertebral spacer device as claimed in claim 17, wherein the outer surface of the one of said first and second plates is flat and said deflectable wire mesh has a convex surface that is spaced from and overlies the flat outer surface.

19. An intervertebral spacer device comprising:

a first plate having an inner surface and an outer surface adapted to engage a first vertebral body;

a second plate having an inner surface that faces the inner surface of said first plate and an outer surface adapted to engage a second vertebral body;

at least one arched strip spring disposed between the inner surfaces of said first and second plates, said at least one arched strip spring having lateral ends that are attached to said second plate and a central portion located equidistant from the lateral ends that is attached to said first plate.

20. The intervertebral spacer device as claimed in claim 19, wherein the central portion of said at least one arched strip spring is in contact with the inner surface of said first plate.

21. The intervertebral spacer device as claimed in claim 19, wherein the central portion of said at least one arched strip spring includes the peak of said at least one arched strip spring, said peak being attached to said first plate.

22. The intervertebral spacer device as claimed in claim 19, wherein said at least one arched strip spring comprises a plurality of arched strip springs.

23. The intervertebral spacer device as claimed in claim 19, further comprising a deflectable wire mesh secured to the outer surface of one of said first and second plates.