Method and apparatus for treating a vertebral body

• US 7,931,689 B2
• Filed: 03/19/2004
• Issued: 04/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Spineology Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Spineology Incorporated
• Inventors: Hektner, Thomas R., Nickels, Kevin L., Lipschults, Tyler, Hochschuler, Stephen, Wales, Larry, Johnson, Wesley D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barrett; Thomas C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Araj; Michael J
• Application Number:
  US10/804,761
• Publication Number:
  US 20040215343A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,594 Days
• Field of Search: 606 92- 94, 606/61, 606/60, 606/246, 606/279, 623 1711- 1712, 623 2361- 2363
• US Class Current: 623/17.12
• 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 a vertebral bone having cancellous bone therewithin, comprising the steps of:

inserting a porous container within the cancellous bone of the vertebral bone;

injecting a first bone filler into said container; and

injecting a second bone filler different from said first bone filler into said container,

wherein said first bone filler is initially introduced into said container and wherein said second bone filler is then introduced into said container to push against said first bone filler until a portion of said first bone filler flows through the porous container and interdigitates with said cancellous bone of said vertebral bone.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said first bone filler is selected to have a viscosity less than the viscosity of said second bone filler.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said first bone filler is selected to have a chemical composition different from the chemical composition of said second bone filler.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said first bone filler is selected to have a mechanical strength different from the mechanical strength of said second bone filler.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said container is selected to be a woven mesh.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said container is selected to be impermeable.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said container is selected to be elastic.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein said container is selected to be inelastic.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said first bone filler is selected to have a viscosity greater than the viscosity of said second bone filler.