Plastically deformable inter-osseous device
First Claim
1. An orthopedic stabilizing device for placement in an interosseous space defined by adjacent bony surfaces, comprising a deformable monolithic body having a distal end, a proximal end and a longitudinal axis extending through the distal and proximal ends, an upper bone contact structure and a lower bone contact structure spaced from each other, a locator arm adjacent the distal end and a locator arm adjacent the proximal end, each locator arm being joined to a respective upper bone contact structure and a lower bone contact structure without discontinuity, said device being expandable along a height axis between a first unexpanded height to a second and third larger expanded height by deformation of the monolithic body, said body including a first partial column between said locator arms projecting from said upper bone contact structure toward said lower bone contact structure, and a second matchable partial column between said locator arms projecting from said lower bone contact structure toward said upper bone contact structure, said first and second partial columns being longitudinally spaced and not engaged with each other at said first height and operative to move longitudinally and engage upon expansion to form a load-bearing column at one of said second larger height or said third larger height.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Described here are deformable monolithic, stabilization devices, or implants, suitable for use within bone and between bones, for instance, to fuse vertebral bodies, to repair herniated discs, or to repair spinal compression fractures. The implants are introduced into a chosen site at a first, smaller height and then plastically deformed to achieve a second, but unique, pre-selected, larger height. Variations of the device provide one or more specific larger heights. The devices are particularly suitable as intervertebral spinal fusion implants for the immobilization of adjacent vertebral bodies. Methods of deploying the implants are also described as are instruments for such deployment.
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Citations
16 Claims
- 1. An orthopedic stabilizing device for placement in an interosseous space defined by adjacent bony surfaces, comprising a deformable monolithic body having a distal end, a proximal end and a longitudinal axis extending through the distal and proximal ends, an upper bone contact structure and a lower bone contact structure spaced from each other, a locator arm adjacent the distal end and a locator arm adjacent the proximal end, each locator arm being joined to a respective upper bone contact structure and a lower bone contact structure without discontinuity, said device being expandable along a height axis between a first unexpanded height to a second and third larger expanded height by deformation of the monolithic body, said body including a first partial column between said locator arms projecting from said upper bone contact structure toward said lower bone contact structure, and a second matchable partial column between said locator arms projecting from said lower bone contact structure toward said upper bone contact structure, said first and second partial columns being longitudinally spaced and not engaged with each other at said first height and operative to move longitudinally and engage upon expansion to form a load-bearing column at one of said second larger height or said third larger height.
- 10. An orthopedic stabilizing device for placement in an interosseous space defined by adjacent bony surfaces, comprising a plastically deformable monolithic body having a distal end, a proximal end and a longitudinal axis extending through the distal and proximal ends, said device being expandable along a height axis between a first unexpanded height to a second and third larger expanded height by deformation of the monolithic body, said body including longitudinally separated first and second partial columns that are not engaged with each other at said first height and operative to move longitudinally and engage upon expansion and plastic deformation of said body to form a load-bearing column at one of said second larger height or said third larger height, said monolithic body having a lower bone contact structure and an upper bone contact structure spaced from each other along the height axis, said first partial column being supported by said lower bone contact structure and said second partial column being supported by said upper bone contact structure, a locator arm adjacent the distal end and a locator arm adjacent the proximal end, each partial column being disposed between said locator arms and each locator arm being joined to a respective upper bone contact structure and a lower bone contact structure without discontinuity by a plastically deformable joint, and wherein said third height is greater than said second height, said second height defining an intermediate height of expansion and said third height defining a full height of expansion.
Specification