Bone treatment systems and methods
First Claim
1. A method of treating bone, comprising:
- introducing an initial volume of curable bone fill material into bone through an outlet port of an introducer positioned within the bone;
controllably applying energy to the bone fill material from an energy source while introducing the initial volume of curable bone fill material into the bone, along a flow path the applied energy selectively increasing the viscosity of the curable bone fill material and causing the bone fill material having increased viscosity to permeate and interdigitate with cancellous bone in the flow path, the initial volume of curable bone fill material forming a periphery surrounding the outlet port that expands with continued inflow of bone fill material; and
introducing an additional volume of fill material into the bone, the additional volume of fill material permeating and interdigitating with cancellous bone causing the periphery formed by the initial volume of curable bone fill material to surround interdigitated cancellous bone.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention relates in certain embodiments to medical devices for treating osteoplasty procedures such as vertebral compression fractures. More particularly, embodiments of the invention relate to instruments and methods for controllably restoring vertebral body height by controlling the geometry of fill material introduced into cancellous bone. An exemplary system utilizes Rf energy in combination a conductive bone fill material for polymerizing the surface of the inflow plume to control the geometry of the fill material and the application of force caused by inflows of fill material. In another embodiment, method of treating bone includes injecting a volume of fill material into a bone and selectively modifying a viscosity of a selected portion of the bone filler to control the direction of flow of the fill material within the bone. A system for treating bone using this method includes an introducer for delivering fill material into the bone and an energy source selectively coupleable to the fill material to alter the viscosity of the fill material as it flows out of the introducer.
222 Citations
49 Claims
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1. A method of treating bone, comprising:
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introducing an initial volume of curable bone fill material into bone through an outlet port of an introducer positioned within the bone; controllably applying energy to the bone fill material from an energy source while introducing the initial volume of curable bone fill material into the bone, along a flow path the applied energy selectively increasing the viscosity of the curable bone fill material and causing the bone fill material having increased viscosity to permeate and interdigitate with cancellous bone in the flow path, the initial volume of curable bone fill material forming a periphery surrounding the outlet port that expands with continued inflow of bone fill material; and introducing an additional volume of fill material into the bone, the additional volume of fill material permeating and interdigitating with cancellous bone causing the periphery formed by the initial volume of curable bone fill material to surround interdigitated cancellous bone. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method of controlling the direction of flow of a bone fill material in a vertebra, comprising:
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injecting a volume of flowable bone fill material directly into a cancellous bone portion of the vertebra along a flow path without previously creating a cavity that compresses or compacts the cancellous bone portion, the injecting causing the bone fill material to permeate and interdigitate with the cancellous bone portion in the flow path; selectively modifying a viscosity of a selected portion of the bone fill material with applied energy from an external energy source to control a direction of flow, said modification defining at least one higher viscosity portion and at least one lower viscosity portion of the bone fill material; and
injecting an additional volume of bone fill material within a preceding volume of fill material, the additional volume of fill material permeating and interdigitating with the cancellous bone portion. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A method for treating a vertebral body, comprising:
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introducing a bone fill material into an interior of the vertebral body along a flow path, the bone fill material permeating and interdigitating with cancellous bone in the flow path causing the introduced bone fill material to define a periphery that surrounds interdigitated cancellous bone in the flow path; increasing a viscosity of the bone fill material at selected regions within the interior of the vertebral body to form substantially flow impermeable portions within the vertebral body;
introducing additional bone fill material into the interior of the vertebral body andapplying an expansion force within the bone fill material. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. A method of moving bone within a vertebral body, comprising:
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introducing a flowable material into a cancellous bone portion in an interior of a vertebral body along a flow path causing the flowable material to permeate and interdigitate with the cancellous bone portion in the flow path, the introduced flowable material defining a periphery that surrounds cancellous bone in the flow path; selectively transforming a selected portion of the flowable material in the interior of the vertebral body into an elastic portion with applied energy from an external source, said elastic portion at least partially surrounded by cortical bone;
introducing additional bone fill material into the interior of the vertebral body andapplying an expansion force within said elastic portion thereby expanding the elastic portion to move the cortical bone. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49)
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Specification