Expandable intervertebral implant
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An expandable intervertebral implant, comprising:
- a body having a longitudinal axis and including first and second axial walls spaced apart along a transverse axis to define an inner chamber, said first axial wall including a first pair of opposite end portions, said second axial wall including a second pair of opposite end portions, said first pair of end portions interconnected with said second pair of end portions; and
an expansion member engaged with said first and second axial walls at a location intermediate said first and second pairs of opposite end portions and extending transversely between and slidably engaging central portions of said first and second axial walls to expand said body along said transverse axis, said expansion member comprising an internal support member positioned within a central region of said inner chamber and having a height extending transversely between and engaging opposing inner surfaces of said central portions of said first and second axial walls; and
wherein said expansion member is slidably engaged with said first and second axial walls to uniaxially expand said body along said transverse axis.
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Abstract
An expandable intervertebral implant including a body having a longitudinal axis and including first and second axial walls spaced apart along a transverse axis, and first and second transverse end walls extending between and interconnecting the first and second axial walls. The intervertebral implant includes an expansion member co-acting with the axial walls to expand the body along the transverse axis.
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Citations
54 Claims
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1. An expandable intervertebral implant, comprising:
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a body having a longitudinal axis and including first and second axial walls spaced apart along a transverse axis to define an inner chamber, said first axial wall including a first pair of opposite end portions, said second axial wall including a second pair of opposite end portions, said first pair of end portions interconnected with said second pair of end portions; and an expansion member engaged with said first and second axial walls at a location intermediate said first and second pairs of opposite end portions and extending transversely between and slidably engaging central portions of said first and second axial walls to expand said body along said transverse axis, said expansion member comprising an internal support member positioned within a central region of said inner chamber and having a height extending transversely between and engaging opposing inner surfaces of said central portions of said first and second axial walls; and wherein said expansion member is slidably engaged with said first and second axial walls to uniaxially expand said body along said transverse axis. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An expandable intervertebral implant, comprising:
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a body having a longitudinal axis and including first and second axial walls spaced apart along a transverse axis to define an inner chamber, said first axial wall including a first pair of opposite end portions, said second axial wall including a second pair of opposite end portions, said first pair of end portions interconnected with said second pair of end portions; and an expansion member engaged with said first and second axial walls at a location intermediate said first and second pairs of opposite end portions and extending transversely between and engaging central portions of said first and second axial walls to expand said body along said transverse axis, said expansion member comprising an internal support member positioned within a central region of said inner chamber and having a height extending transversely between and engaging opposing inner surfaces of said central portions of said first and second axial walls; and wherein movement of said expansion member within said inner chamber engages said expansion member with said first and second axial walls to expand said body along said transverse axis, and wherein said movement of said expansion member within said inner chamber comprises axial displacement generally along said longitudinal axis, said expansion member slidably engaged along opposing inner surfaces of said first and second axial walls during said axial displacement. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. An expandable intervertebral implant, comprising:
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a body having an implant length extending along a longitudinal axis and an implant width, said body including first and second axial walls extending generally along said longitudinal axis and spaced apart along a transverse axis, said body including first and second transverse end walls extending between and interconnecting opposing end portions of said first and second axial walls, said axial walls and said transverse end walls defining generally flat and planar upper and lower vertebral bearing surfaces extending substantially entirely across said implant width; and an expansion member slidably engaged with said first and second axial walls to expand said body along said transverse axis such that said first and second axial walls are outwardly deformed to define a convex outer curvature extending along said implant length; wherein said body defines an inner chamber sized to receive said expansion member therein; and wherein movement of said expansion member within said inner chamber slidably engages said expansion member with said first and second axial walls at a location intermediate said first and second transverse end walls and extending transversely between and slidably engaging central portions of said first and second axial walls to outwardly deform said first and second axial walls along said transverse axis. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32)
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33. An expandable intervertebral implant, comprising:
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a body having a longitudinal axis and including first and second axial walls spaced apart along a transverse axis to define an inner chamber, said body including first and second transverse end walls extending between and interconnecting opposing end portions of said first and second axial walls; and an expansion member engaged with said first and second axial walls at a location intermediate said first and second transverse end walls and extending transversely between and engaging central portions of said first and second axial walls to transition said body from an initial configuration to an expanded configuration wherein said first and second axial walls are outwardly deformed away from one another along said transverse axis, said expansion member comprising an internal support member positioned within a central region of said inner chamber and having a height extending transversely between and engaging opposing inner surfaces of said central portions of said first and second axial walls; and wherein said first and second axial walls define a convex outer curvature along said longitudinal axis when transitioned to said expanded configuration; and wherein movement of said expansion member within said inner chamber engages said expansion member with said first and second axial walls to transition said body to said expanded configuration, and wherein said movement of said expansion member within said inner chamber comprises axial displacement generally along said longitudinal axis, said expansion member slidably engaged along opposing inner surfaces of said first and second axial walls during said axial displacement.
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34. An expandable intervertebral implant, comprising:
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a body having a longitudinal axis and including first and second axial walls spaced apart along a transverse axis to define an inner chamber, said body including first and second transverse end walls extending between and interconnecting opposing end portions of said first and second axial walls; and an expansion member engaged with said first and second axial walls at a location intermediate said first and second transverse end walls and extending transversely between and slidably engaging central portions of said first and second axial walls to transition said body from an initial configuration to an expanded configuration wherein said first and second axial walls are outwardly deformed away from one another along said transverse axis, said expansion member comprising an internal support member positioned within a central region of said inner chamber and having a height extending transversely between and engaging opposing inner surfaces of said central portions of said first and second axial walls; and wherein said expansion member is slidably engaged with said first and second axial walls to outwardly deform and uni-axially expand said first and second axial walls along said transverse axis. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. An expandable intervertebral implant, comprising:
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a fusion cage having a longitudinal axis and including first and second axial walls extending generally along said longitudinal axis and spaced apart along a transverse axis, said fusion cage defining an inner chamber having a central portion and opposite first and second end portions; an expansion member positioned within said central portion of said inner chamber and engaged with said first and second axial walls at a location intermediate said first and second end portions of said inner chamber and extending transversely between and slidably engaging central portions of said first and second axial walls to expand said fusion cage along said transverse axis, said expansion member comprising an internal support member positioned within a central region of said inner chamber and having a height extending transversely between and slidably engaging opposing inner surfaces of said central portions of said first and second axial walls; and a bone growth promoting material positioned within said first and second end portions of said inner chamber on opposite sides of said expansion member; and wherein expansion of said body comprises outward deformation and uni-axial expansion of said first and second axial walls along said transverse axis. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43)
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44. A surgical method, comprising:
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providing an expandable intervertebral implant having a longitudinal axis and including first and second axial walls spaced apart along a transverse axis, the body including first and second transverse end walls extending between and interconnecting opposing end portions of the first and second axial walls; inserting the intervertebral implant within an intervertebral space with the first and second axial walls positioned adjacent respective first and second vertebral bodies; positioning an expansion member between the first and second axial walls; and expanding the intervertebral implant along the transverse axis by slidably engaging the expansion member along opposing inner surfaces of the first and second axial walls in a direction along the longitudinal axis to a location intermediate the first and second transverse end walls with the expansion member extending transversely between and engaging mid-portions of the first and second axial walls to engage the first and second axial walls against the respective first and second vertebral bodies. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54)
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Specification