Soft tissue spacer

• US 8,945,220 B2
• Filed: 01/06/2011
• Issued: 02/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DePuy Synthes Products LLC (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: DePuy Synthes Products LLC (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Griffiths, Bryan, Hamel, Ross J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramana, Anu
• Application Number:
  US12/985,674
• Publication Number:
  US 20110098760A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,489 Days
• Field of Search: 623 1711- 1716
• US Class Current: 623/16.11
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/8071 for the jaw
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/8085 with pliable or malleable elements or having a mesh-like structure, e.g. small strips A61B17/8071, A61B17/8076 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 8/0006 Periodontal tissue or bone regeneration support means for endoprosthetic bone substitute or bone graft implants A61F2/2846
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2803 for mandibular reconstruction temporo-mandibular joints A61F2/3099; bone plates for the jaw A61B17/8071
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2846 Support means for bone substitute or for bone graft implants, e.g. membranes or plates for covering bone defects nets or sleeves applied to surface of endoprostheses A61F2/30907; bone plates A61B17/80; bone regeneration in dental surgery A61C8/0006
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/30767 Special external or bone-contacting surface, e.g. coating for improving bone ingrowth
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/3094 Designing or manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/009 for hindering or preventing attachment of biological tissue of bone tissue onto implantable joints A61F2002/30932
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/2807 Chin implants
• 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 2002/30125 elliptical or oval
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30136 undulated or wavy, e.g. serpentine-shaped or zigzag-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30672 temporary
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30932 for retarding or preventing ingrowth of bone tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0004 Rounded shapes, e.g. with rounded corners
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0008 elliptical or oval
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2310/00011 Metals or alloys
• 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 2310/00029 Cobalt-based alloys, e.g. Co-Cr alloys or Vitallium
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2310/00179 : Ceramics or ceramic-like structures
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2310/0097 : Coating or prosthesis-covering structure made of pharmaceutical products, e.g. antibiotics
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2310/00976 : Coating or prosthesis-covering structure made of proteins or of polypeptides, e.g. of bone morphogenic proteins BMP or of transforming growth factors TGF
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2300/00 : Biologically active materials used in bandages, wound dressings, absorbent pads or medical devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 27/16 : obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 27/54 : Biologically active materials, e.g. therapeutic substances A61L27/227 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 31/048 : obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds A61L31/041 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 31/16 : Biologically active materials, e.g. therapeutic substances A61L31/047 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/06 : Polyethene

Abstract

An orthopedic tissue spacer comprising a body portion having first and second ends, an outer surface and a longitudinal axis, at least one of the ends configured to engage a first bone segment, wherein at least a portion of the body portion is flexible and the outer surface is configured to resist tissue adhesion thereto.

Claims

1. A method of treating an area of tissue, the method comprising the steps of:

removing a first amount of tissue from a body site, at least a portion of the tissue being diseased, damaged, or defective, thereby leaving a cavity having a first length;

selecting a spacer for temporary introduction into the cavity, the spacer including a body portion having

     1) a first end and a second end that are each configured to face a portion of bone that defines the cavity when the spacer is inserted into the cavity,

     2) a longitudinal axis that extends from the first end to the second end, and a second length measured along the longitudinal axis from the first end to the second end,

     3) a first pair of inner side walls that face each other and define a first recess, the first pair of side walls spaced from each other along the longitudinal axis by a first distance so as to define a width of the first recess, and

     4) a second pair of inner side walls that face each other and define a second recess adjacent to the first recess, wherein one of the second pair of inner side walls that faces away from the first recess is spaced from one of the first pair of inner side walls that faces away from the-second recess along the longitudinal axis a second distance that is greater than the first distance;

moving at least one of the first end and the second end relative to the other of the first end and the second end so as to change the width of the first recess thereby further changing the second length of the body portion such that the spacer is configured to fit within the cavity; and

temporarily placing the spacer into the cavity.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of performing at least one treatment on the body site.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one treatment includes chemotherapy.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one treatment includes radiation therapy.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the removing step further comprises removing bone from the body site.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of removing a second amount of tissue from the body site.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising, the step of removing the spacer from the cavity.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the spacer is a first spacer, the method further comprising the steps of selecting a second spacer for permanent introduction into the cavity, and placing the second spacer into the cavity.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of removing a portion of the spacer.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of flexing the spacer to conform it to the body site.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting step further comprises selecting a spacer having a second length that is greater than the first length of the cavity, and the moving step further comprises changing the width of the first recess thereby further changing the second length of the body portion so that the first and second ends impart forces on the portions of bone that define the cavity.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

preparing the cavity to receive the spacer;

fixedly attaching a bone plate to tissue adjacent to the body site.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of fixedly attaching the spacer to a bone plate.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of suturing the spacer to a portion of adjoining bone.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the first pair of side walls extend from the front surface to a base surface that is parallel to the longitudinal axis, and wherein the width of the first recess at the base surface is equal to the width of the first recess at the front surface.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the spacer includes an outer edge and an inner edge that is opposite the outer edge, the inner edge defines a bore that is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the outer edge defines a cross-sectional outer shape and the inner edge defines a cross-sectional inner shape, and wherein the cross-sectional outer shape is different than the cross-sectional inner shape.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of maintaining the cross-sectional outer shape during the moving step.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the width can be varied and a width of the first recess defines a first maximum value, and the second distance is greater than the first maximum value.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the second pair of side walls are spaced from each other along the longitudinal axis by a third distance so as to define a width of the second recess, wherein the moving step further comprises moving at least one of the first end and the second end relative to the other of the first end and the second end so as to change the width of the second recess thereby further changing the second length of the body portion such that the spacer is configured to fit within the cavity.