Expandable interbody fusion device

• US 9,545,318 B2
• Filed: 12/10/2015
• Issued: 01/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• 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:
  US14/964,776
• Publication Number:
  US 20160089248A1
• Time in Patent Office: 404 Days
• Field of Search: 606/246, 606/279, 606/90, 606/102, 606/86.A, 606/99
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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. A method of supporting and distracting opposing vertebral bodies of a spine having spaced opposing endplates and a disc therebetween, comprising the steps of:

forming an opening in said disc between said vertebral bodies, said opening being in communication with said opposing endplates;

inserting a distracting instrument in said opening such that said distracting instrument contacts said endplates at endplate surfaces;

operating said distracting instrument to distract said vertebral bodies and thereby prepare said endplate surfaces for receipt of an expandable interbody fusion device;

thereafter, placing an inserter with an expandable interbody fusion device on the distal end of said inserter into said opening with said expandable interbody fusion device contacting said prepared endplate surfaces of said opposing vertebral bodies;

expanding said expandable interbody fusion device to distract said opposing vertebral bodies until stability is reached; and

then,

removing said inserter from said expanded expandable interbody fusion device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said expandable interbody fusion device comprises openings through which bone filler may flow.

3. The method of claim 2, further including the step of introducing bone filler into and through said openings of said expanded interbody fusion device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said step of introducing said bone filler is practiced with said inserter.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said expandable interbody fusion device includes an upper contact face and a lower contact face, and wherein upon expansion of said expandable fusion device said upper contact face and said lower contact face are moved substantially in parallel.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said distracting instrument comprises a bone spreader/shaver.

7. A method of supporting and distracting opposing vertebral bodies of a spine having spaced opposing endplates and a disc therebetween, comprising the steps of:

forming an opening in said disc between said vertebral bodies, said opening being in communication with said opposing endplates;

placing an access channel adjacent said disc;

inserting through said access channel a distracting instrument in said opening such that said distracting instrument contacts said endplates at endplate surfaces;

operating said distracting instrument through said access channel to distract said vertebral bodies and thereby prepare said endplate surfaces for receipt of an expandable interbody fusion device;

thereafter, placing through said access channel an inserter with an expandable interbody fusion device on the distal end of said inserter into said opening with said expandable interbody fusion device contacting said prepared endplate surfaces of said opposing vertebral bodies;

expanding said expandable interbody fusion device to distract said opposing vertebral bodies until stability is reached; and

then,

removing said inserter from said expanded expandable interbody fusion device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said expandable interbody fusion device includes an upper contact face and a lower contact face, and wherein upon expansion of said expandable fusion device said upper contact face and said lower contact face are moved substantially in parallel.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein said distracting instrument comprises a bone spreader/shaver.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein said expandable interbody fusion device comprises a plurality of substantially similarly configured elements, said expandable interbody fusion device being expanded in vivo by consecutive individual insertion of each of said elements into said device.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein said expandable interbody fusion device comprises openings through which bone filler may flow.

12. The method of claim 11, further including the step of introducing bone filler into and through said openings of said expanded interbody fusion device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said step of introducing said bone filler is practiced with said inserter.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein after expanding said expandable interbody fusion device said access channel is maintained in place and said bone filler is introduced through said access channel said expanded interbody fusion device.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein said bone filler comprises a bone fusion promoting composition.

16. A method of supporting and distracting opposing vertebral bodies of a spine having spaced opposing endplates and a disc therebetween, comprising the steps of:

forming an opening in said disc between said vertebral bodies, said opening being in communication with said opposing endplates;

placing an access channel adjacent said disc;

inserting through said access channel a distracting instrument in said opening such that said distracting instrument contacts said endplates;

operating said distracting instrument through said access channel to distract said vertebral bodies;

thereafter, placing through said access channel an inserter with an expandable interbody fusion device on the distal end of said inserter into said opening with said expandable interbody fusion device contacting said endplates of said opposing vertebral bodies;

expanding said expandable interbody fusion device to distract said opposing vertebral bodies until stability is reached; and

then,

removing said inserter from said expanded expandable interbody fusion device.