Intervertebral implant

• US 9,572,681 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2011
• Issued: 02/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Depuy Synthes Products Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Depuy Synthes Products Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Mathieu, Claude, Cain, Christopher Marden John
• Primary Examiner(s): Snow, Bruce E
• Application Number:
  US13/284,747
• Publication Number:
  US 20120109311A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,943 Days
• Field of Search: 623 1711- 1716
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/8052 immobilised relative to screws by interlocking form of the heads and plate holes, e.g. conical or threaded
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/86 Pins or screws or threaded wires; nuts therefor A61B17/72 take precedence
• 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 2/4455 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 2/4465 having a circular or kidney shaped cross-section substantially perpendicular to the axis of the spine
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/447 substantially parallelepipedal, e.g. having a rectangular or trapezoidal cross-section
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30004 the prosthesis being made from materials having different values of a given property at different locations within the same prosthesis
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30593 hollow
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30774 internally-threaded
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30777 Oblong apertures
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/3079 Stepped or enlarged apertures, e.g. having discrete diameter changes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30841 Sharp anchoring protrusions for impaction into the bone, e.g. sharp pins, spikes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0014 having different values of a given property or geometrical feature, e.g. mechanical property or material property, at different locations within the same prosthesis
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2310/00011 Metals or alloys

Abstract

The intervertebral three-dimensional structure comprises a top side, an underside, a front face, a rear face, and a plurality of boreholes designed to receive affixation elements.

Claims

1. An intervertebral implant configured to be inserted into a space between an endplate of an upper vertebral body and an endplate of a lower vertebral body, the intervertebral implant comprising:

an implant structure defining a front face, a rear face opposite the front face in a first direction, a top side, an underside opposite the top side in a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction, the implant structure defining a height measured from the top side to the underside in the second direction, the implant structure further defining an opening that extends along the second direction from the top side to the underside, the front face including a front face front-most location such that the implant structure is devoid of a location offset from the front face front-most location in a direction opposite the first direction, the rear face including an implant structure rear-most location such that the implant structure is devoid of a location offset from the implant structure rear-most location in the first direction; and

a plate including a front plate surface and a rear plate surface that is opposite the front plate surface, the plate configured to be received by the implant structure such that

     1) the rear plate surface faces the implant structure and

     2) a portion of the plate is positioned between the front face front-most location and the implant structure rear-most location with respect to the first direction, the plate further including an upper plate surface and a lower plate surface opposite the upper plate surface, the plate defining a first hole that is configured to receive a portion of a first affixation element such that the first affixation element is inserted through the endplate of the upper vertebral body, the plate defining a second hole that is;

     1) nonparallel with the first hole, and

     2) configured to receive a portion of a second affixation element such that the second affixation element is configured to be inserted into the lower vertebral body,

wherein when the plate is mounted to the implant structure;

     1) a portion of the plate that defines a lower edge of an exit of the first hole through the front plate surface is aligned with the rear face with respect to the first direction,

     2) the first hole positioned such that an entirety of the exit of the first hole is between the top side and the underside with respect to the second direction,

     3) the lower edge of the exit is closer to the underside than any other portion of the exit,

     4) the intervertebral implant defines an intervertebral implant rear-most location such that the intervertebral implant is devoid of a location offset from the intervertebral implant rear-most location in the first direction, and

     5) the rear face of the implant structure includes the intervertebral implant rear-most location.

2. The intervertebral implant of claim 1, wherein the front plate surface defines uppermost and lowermost ends that are configured to be disposed in the space when the plate is mounted to the front face.

3. The intervertebral implant of claim 1, further comprising the first affixation element configured to be inserted through the first hole, and into the endplate of the upper vertebral body, to anchor the intervertebral implant to the upper vertebral body.

4. The intervertebral implant of claim 3, wherein the second hole is positioned such that an entirety of the second hole exits the through the front plate surface between the top side and the underside with respect to the second direction.

5. The intervertebral implant of claim 4, wherein the affixation element is a first affixation element, the intervertebral implant further comprising a second affixation element configured to be inserted through the second hole, and into the endplate of the lower vertebral body, to anchor the intervertebral implant to the lower vertebral body.

6. The intervertebral implant of claim 1, wherein the plate is configured to be mounted to the implant structure such that the rear plate surface abuts the front face of the implant structure.

7. The intervertebral implant of claim 1, wherein the implant structure rear-most location is offset from the front face front-most location a maximum distance with respect to the first direction.

8. The intervertebral implant of claim 7, wherein the plate defines a maximum thickness measured from the front plate surface to the rear plate surface in the first direction, and the maximum distance is greater than the maximum thickness.

9. The intervertebral implant of claim 1, wherein when the plate is mounted to the implant structure the intervertebral implant defines a central axis that extends along the first direction and is aligned with the rear face along the first direction, and the central axis is positioned equidistant from both the top side and the underside with respect to the second direction.