Expansion member for insertion into a body tissue space

• US 8,974,464 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2013
• Issued: 03/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Spine Wave Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Spine Wave Incorporated
• Inventors: Johnson, Wes, Lipschultz, Tyler, Wales, Larry, Kieval, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Philogene, Pedro
• Assistant Examiner(s): COMSTOCK, DAVID C
• Application Number:
  US14/027,421
• Publication Number:
  US 20140046333A1
• Time in Patent Office: 540 Days
• Field of Search: 606/246, 606/249, 606/300, 606/90, 606/105, 623/17.11, 623/17.16
• US Class Current: 606/90
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/025 Joint distractors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/66 Alignment, compression or distraction mechanisms
• 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 17/8852 capable of being assembled or enlarged, or changing shape, inside the bone or disc
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0256 for the spine
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/28 Bones joints A61F2/30
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/44 for the spine, e.g. vertebrae, spinal discs
• 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 2/4455 for the fusion of spinal bodies, e.g. intervertebral fusion of adjacent spinal bodies, e.g. fusion cages intervertebral discs A61F2/442
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/447 substantially parallelepipedal, e.g. having a rectangular or trapezoidal cross-section
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/4611 of spinal prostheses
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30075 swellable, e.g. when wetted
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/3008 radio-opaque, e.g. radio-opaque markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30237 partial tubes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30261 parallelepipedal
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30385 the rib and groove having non-parallel, e.g. conically-tapered, cooperating sides, e.g. having a trapezoidal front cross-section
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30387 Dovetail connection
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30392 Rotation
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/304 with additional means for limiting said sliding
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30448 : using adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30449 : the adhesive being cement
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30462 : retained or tied with a rope, string, thread, wire or cable
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30476 : locked by an additional locking mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/3049 : using a slidable sleeve covering the connection
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/305 : Snap connection
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30599 : stackable
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30604 : modular
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30616 : Sets comprising a plurality of prosthetic parts of different sizes or orientations
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30772 : Apertures or holes, e.g. of circular cross section
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/4415 : elements of the prosthesis being arranged in a chain like manner
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/4485 : comprising three or more adjacent spinal implants
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/4627 : with linear motion along or rotating motion about the instrument axis or the implantation direction, e.g. telescopic, along a guiding rod, screwing inside the instrument
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/4666 : for measuring force, pressure or mechanical tension
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2210/0061 : swellable
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0025 : Connections or couplings between prosthetic parts, e.g. between modular parts; Connecting elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/005 : using adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0075 : sutured, ligatured or stitched, retained or tied with a rope, string, thread, wire or cable
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0069 : cylindrical
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0082 : parallelepipedal
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0063 : Nested prosthetic parts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0098 : radio-opaque, e.g. radio-opaque markers
• 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 2310/00071 : Nickel or Ni-based alloys
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2310/00203 : containing alumina or aluminium oxide
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2310/00239 : containing zirconia or zirconium oxide ZrO2
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2310/00359 : Bone or bony tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2310/00365 : Proteins; Polypeptides; Degradation products thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 606/907 : Composed of particular material or coated
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 606/912 : Radiolucent material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 606/914 : Toolkit for installing or removing spinal positioner or stabilizer

Abstract

An apparatus and method is provided for interbody fusion including distracting, in a given direction, and supporting opposing vertebral bodies. A plurality of wafers are consecutively inserted between the vertebral bodies to create a column of wafers. The column of wafers is oriented between the vertebral bodies so as to expand in the given direction as the wafers are consecutively added to the column.

Claims

1. An expansion member for sequential insertion into a space between opposing tissue surfaces to be distracted, comprising:

an elongated body having an upper surface and an opposite lower surface, and an insertion end and an opposite trailing end;

a female feature defined on one of said upper and lower surface, said female feature defining an elongated recess having an opening at said trailing end, an engagement surface adjacent said opening and an end wall at the insertion end opposite said opening;

a male feature defined on the other of said upper and lower surface, said male feature including an elongated boss configured to be received within a recess of an adjacent elongated body and having an engagement surface at the trailing end arranged to engage with a recess engagement surface of said adjacent elongated body when said boss is within said recess; and

resilient interlocking features defined between said female and male features for resiliently interlocking adjacent elongated bodies when the male feature of one body is inserted into said female feature through said opening.

2. The expansion member of claim 1, wherein:

said resilient interlocking features include;

at least one latch element and indentation adjacent said latch element defined at opposite sides of said recess; and

at least one corresponding mating indentation and mating latch element adjacent said mating indentation defined at opposite sides of said boss and arranged so that said latch element is received in said mating indentation and said mating latch element is received in said indentation when said elongated boss is received in said elongated recess.

3. The expansion member of claim 1, wherein said resilient interlocking features include a plurality of said latch elements.

4. The expansion member of claim 1, wherein said female feature recess defines a first undercut;

and

said male feature boss defines a second undercut arranged to interlock with said first undercut of said adjacent elongated body when said boss is within said recess.

5. The expansion member of claim 4, wherein:

said elongated recess engagement surface defines undercuts in opposite sides of said recess adjacent said opening; and

said elongated boss engagement surface defines undercuts at opposite sides of said boss and arranged to interlock with said undercuts in the sides of said recess when said boss is within said recess.

6. The expansion member of claim 1, wherein said insertion end is beveled.

7. The expansion member of claim 6, wherein said trailing end is beveled to coincide with the bevel of said insertion end when one expansion member is inserted into the tissue space beneath another expansion member.

8. An expansion member for sequential insertion into a space between opposing tissue surfaces to be distracted, comprising:

an elongated body having an upper surface and an opposite lower surface, and an insertion end and an opposite trailing end;

a female feature defined on one of said upper and lower surface, said female feature having an opening at said trailing end; and

a male feature defined on the other of said upper and lower surface; and

a locking feature adjacent the trailing end of said elongated body for locking adjacent elongated bodies against relative movement along the length of the bodies when the male feature of one elongated body is inserted into said female feature through said opening of an adjacent elongated body, said locking feature comprising a locking surface for engagement with a cooperative locking surface adjacent the trailing end of said adjacent elongated body.

9. The expansion member of claim 8, wherein said locking surface includes resiliently deformable elements defined on said female and male features.

10. The expansion member of claim 9, wherein:

said female feature is an elongated recess;

said male feature is an elongated boss configured to be received within a recess of an adjacent elongated body; and

said resiliently deformable elements include a plurality of latch elements.

11. The expansion member of claim 10, further comprising an interlocking feature defined by said female and male features for interlocking adjacent elongated bodies against relative movement perpendicular to the length of the bodies when the male feature of one body is inserted into said female feature of an adjacent elongated body through said opening.

12. The expansion member of claim 11, wherein:

said engagement surface in said elongated recess defines undercuts in opposite sides of said elongated recess adjacent said opening; and

said engagement surface of said elongated boss defines undercuts at opposite sides of said boss and arranged to interlock with said undercuts in said elongated recess when said boss is within said recess.

13. An expandable device for use in spinal interbody fusion, said device being configured for insertion in the disc space between two opposing vertebral bodies comprising:

an elongate top element having an upper surface for contacting an upper vertebral body and an opposite lower surface, said lower surface including a beveled surface thereon;

an elongate bottom element separate and distinct from said top element and having a lower surface for contacting an opposing lower vertebral body and an opposite upper surface, said bottom element being aligned in the elongate direction with said top element; and

an elongate expansion member movable between said top element and said bottom element in a first axial direction in alignment with the elongate direction of said top element and said bottom element, said expansion member including thereon first and second axially spaced beveled surfaces, said first and second beveled surfaces being movable together in the same direction upon movement of said expansion member in said first axial direction, said first beveled surface defining a lifting surface operable upon movement of said expansion member in the first axial direction to engage the beveled surface on said lower surface of said top element to move said top element and said bottom element relatively apart in an expansion direction generally transverse to said first axial direction.

14. The expandable device of claim 13, wherein said expansion member comprises an interlock for coupling with said top element.

15. The expandable device of claim 14, where said interlock comprises a projection and an opening, said projection being on said expansion member and said opening being in said top element.

16. The expandable device of claim 13, where said expansion member comprises an interlock for coupling with said bottom element.

17. The expandable device of claim 13, wherein one of said top element, said bottom element and said expansion member has an opening for receiving a filler material therein.

18. The expandable device of claim 13, further including a locking arrangement to resist movement of said expansion member upon expansion of said device in a second axial direction opposite said first axial direction.

19. The expandable device of claim 13, wherein said first beveled surface faces upwardly toward said top element and said second beveled surface faces downwardly toward said bottom element.

20. The expandable device of claim 13, wherein each of said top element, said bottom element and said expansion member has a leading end and a trailing end, said first beveled surface being adjacent the leading end of said expansion member and said second beveled surface being adjacent the trailing end of said expansion member.

21. The expandable device of claim 13, wherein said expansion member has an upper surface and an opposite lower surface, said lower surface of said expansion member being in contact with said upper surface of said bottom element.

22. The expandable device of claim 13, wherein said first beveled surface and said second beveled surface are inclined in the same direction along the elongate direction.

23. The expandable device of claim 13 wherein said first beveled surface and said second beveled surface are planar.

24. An expandable device for use in spinal interbody fusion, said device being configured for insertion in the disc space between two opposing vertebral bodies comprising:

an elongate top element having an upper surface for contacting an upper vertebral body and an opposite lower surface, said lower surface including a beveled surface thereon;

an elongate bottom element having a lower surface for contacting an opposing lower vertebral body and an opposite upper surface, said bottom element being aligned in the elongate direction with said top element; and

an elongate expansion member movable between said top element and said bottom element in a first axial direction in alignment with the elongate direction of said top element and said bottom element, said expansion member including thereon first and second axially spaced beveled surfaces, said first and second beveled surfaces being movable together in the same direction upon movement of said expansion member in said first axial direction, said first beveled surface defining a lifting surface operable upon movement of said expansion member in the first axial direction to engage the beveled surface on said lower surface of said top element to move said top element and said bottom element relatively apart in an expansion direction generally transverse to said first axial direction;

wherein one of said top element and said bottom element has an opening for receipt therein of a portion of said expansion member projecting from said expansion member and defining therewith a constraint for limiting movement of said expansion member in the first axial direction relative to said top element and said bottom element.

25. The expandable device of claim 24, wherein said first and second beveled surfaces are inclined in the same direction at corresponding bevel angles.

26. The expandable device of claim 25, wherein said portion of said expansion member projects outwardly in a direction substantially transverse to said first axial direction and said expansion direction.

27. The expandable device of claim 24, wherein said first beveled surface and said second beveled surface are planar.