Expandable intervertebral implant and associated method of manufacturing the same

• US 9,433,510 B2
• Filed: 05/28/2015
• Issued: 09/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Depuy Synthes Products Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Depuy Synthes Products Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Lechmann, Beat, Burkard, Dominique, Fierlbeck, Johann, Niederberger, Alfred
• Primary Examiner(s): BECCIA, CHRISTOPHER J
• Application Number:
  US14/724,082
• Publication Number:
  US 20150257892A1
• Time in Patent Office: 467 Days
• Field of Search: 623 1711- 1716
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/30771 applied in original prostheses, e.g. holes or grooves
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/3094 Designing or manufacturing processes
• 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 2002/30462 retained or tied with a rope, string, thread, wire or cable
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30518 with possibility of relative movement between the prosthetic parts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/3055 for adjusting length
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30556 for adjusting thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30579 with mechanically expandable devices, e.g. fixation devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30593 hollow
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30785 parallel
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30843 Pyramidally-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30904 serrated profile, i.e. saw-toothed
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/4495 having a fabric structure, e.g. made from wires or fibres
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0016 with sharp anchoring protrusions, e.g. barbs, pins, spikes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0009 for adjusting thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/009 for single use, e.g. having means for preventing re-use
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/28 Powder bed fusion, e.g. selective laser melting [SLM] or electron beam melting [EBM]
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/34 : of powder characteristics, e.g. density, oxidation or flowability
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/41 : characterised by the type, e.g. laser or electron beam
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 10/00 : Processes of additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 : Products made by additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 10/25 : Process efficiency

Abstract

An expandable intervertebral implant (10) includes superior (20) and inferior (30) bone contacting members and at least one vertical wire netting (50) interconnecting the superior and inferior bone contacting members. The superior and inferior bone contacting members include at least two bone contacting components interconnected via one or more lateral wire nettings such that the implant is vertically and laterally expandable in situ from a first insertion configuration to a second expanded configuration. The vertical and lateral wire netting are preferably constructed of a plurality of individual link members. The present invention also preferably relates to an associated method of manufacturing the intervertebral implant such that the intervertebral implant can be manufactured as an integral component or part.

Claims

1. An expandable intervertebral implant configured to be implanted into an intervertebral space defined between a superior vertebra and an inferior vertebra, the expandable intervertebral implant comprising:

a superior bone contacting member that defines a superior portion of a proximal terminal end of the implant and a superior portion of a distal terminal end of the implant that is opposite the proximal terminal end of the implant along a longitudinal direction, the superior bone contacting member defining a superior bone facing surface configured to face the superior vertebra when the implant is disposed in the intervertebral space, the superior bone contacting member including a first superior bone contacting component, a second superior bone contacting component spaced from the first superior bone contacting component along a lateral direction that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, wherein the superior bone contacting member defines a superior abutment surface;

a first expandable lateral component interconnected between the first and second superior bone contacting components along the lateral direction, wherein the first superior bone contacting component defines a first inner surface and a first outer surface opposite the first inner surface along the lateral direction, the second superior bone contacting component defines a second inner surface and a second outer surface opposite the second inner surface along the lateral direction, the first and second inner surfaces face each other, and the first expandable lateral component extends from the first inner surface to the second inner surface;

an inferior bone contacting member that defines an inferior portion of each of the proximal terminal end and the distal terminal end, the inferior bone contacting member defining an inferior bone facing surface configured to face the inferior vertebra when the implant is disposed in the intervertebral space, the inferior bone contacting member spaced from the superior bone contacting member in a vertical direction that is perpendicular to both the lateral direction and the longitudinal direction, the inferior bone contacting member including a first inferior bone contacting component, a second inferior bone contacting component spaced from the first inferior bone contacting component along the lateral direction, wherein the inferior bone contacting member defines an inferior abutment surface;

a second expandable lateral component interconnected between the first and second inferior bone contacting components along the lateral direction, wherein the first inferior bone contacting component defines a third inner surface and a third outer surface opposite the third inner surface along the lateral direction, the second inferior bone contacting component defines a fourth inner surface and a fourth outer surface opposite the second inner surface along the lateral direction, the third and fourth inner surfaces face each other, and the second expandable lateral component extends from the third inner surface to the fourth inner surface; and

at least one expandable vertical component interconnected between the superior and inferior bone contacting members along the vertical direction, wherein the implant is expandable in situ in both the vertical direction and the lateral direction from a first insertion configuration to a second expanded configuration, whereby

     1) the first expandable lateral component expands along the lateral direction as respective entireties of the first superior bone contacting component and the second superior bone contacting component move away from each other along the lateral direction,

     2) the second expandable lateral component expands along the lateral direction as respective entireties of the first inferior bone contacting component and the second inferior bone contacting component move away from each other along the lateral direction, and

     3) the at least one expandable vertical component expands along the vertical direction as respective entireties of the superior bone contacting member and the inferior bone contacting member move away from each other along the vertical direction,

wherein when the implant is in the first insertion configuration, the at least one abutment surface of the superior bone contacting member abuts the at least one abutment surface of the inferior bone contacting member, and when the implant is in the second expanded configuration, the at least one abutment surface of the superior bone contacting member is spaced from the at least one abutment surface of the inferior bone contacting member along the vertical direction,

wherein when the implant is in the second expanded configuration, the implant defines

     1) a line that extends along the superior bone facing surface from the first outer surface to the first inner surface a first distance in a plane that is oriented in the vertical and lateral directions, wherein the plane is disposed midway between the proximal terminal end and the distal terminal end,

     2) a second straight line that extends from the first line at first inner surface to the second inner surface a second distance in the plane, and

     3) a third line that extends along the superior bone facing surface from the second straight line at second inner surface to the second outer surface a third distance in the plane, such that a sum of the first and third distances is greater than the second distance, and

wherein when the implant is in the second expanded configuration, the implant further defines

     1) a fourth line that extends from the third outer surface to the third inner surface a fourth distance in the plane,

     2) a fifth straight line that extends from the fourth line at the third inner surface to the fourth inner surface a fourth distance in the plane, and

     3) a sixth line that extends from the fifth straight line at the fourth inner surface to the fourth outer surface a sixth distance in the plane, such that a sum of the fourth and sixth distances is greater than the fifth distance.

2. The implant of claim 1, further comprising a cavity defined between the superior bone contacting member and the inferior bone contacting member;

and an expansion member insertable in the cavity, the expansion member configured to move the superior bone contacting member with respect to the inferior bone contacting member such that the implant expands along the vertical direction from the first insertion configuration to the second expanded configuration.

3. The implant of claim 1, wherein the implant is expandable from the first insertion configuration to the second expanded configuration without causing the implant to change in length along the longitudinal direction.

4. The implant of claim 3, wherein the length is defined by a distance between the proximal terminal end and the distal terminal end along the longitudinal direction.

5. The implant of claim 1, wherein each of the fourth and sixth lines extend along the inferior bone facing surface.

6. The implant of claim 5, further comprising a plurality of inferior teeth that project out from the inferior bone facing surface.

7. The implant of claim 6, further comprising a plurality of superior teeth that project out from the superior bone facing surface.

8. The implant of claim 1, wherein the first expandable lateral component, the second expandable lateral component, and the at least one expandable vertical component each comprises wire.

9. The implant of claim 8, wherein the wire is arranged as a wire netting.

10. The implant of claim 9, wherein the wire netting comprises a plurality of individual interconnected link members.

11. The implant of claim 1, wherein the superior and inferior bone contacting members include interconnecting projections and bores.

12. The implant of claim 1, wherein the superior bone contacting member, the inferior bone contacting member, and the at least one expandable vertical component is constructed as an integral part via a layer-wise manufacturing process.

13. The implant of claim 1, wherein the at least one expandable vertical component is a first expandable vertical component interconnected between the first superior bone contacting component and the first inferior bone contacting component, the implant further comprises a second expandable vertical component interconnected between the second superior bone contacting component and the second inferior bone contacting component, and the first and second expandable vertical components are expandable along the vertical direction as the implant expands from the first insertion configuration to the second expanded configuration.

14. The implant of claim 1, wherein when the implant is in the first insertion configuration, the implant is elongate along a longitudinal axis that is oriented along the longitudinal direction.

15. The implant of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of superior teeth that project out from the superior bone facing surface.

16. The implant of claim 15, further comprising a plurality of inferior teeth that project out from the inferior bone facing surface.

17. The implant of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of inferior teeth that project out from the inferior bone facing surface.