Surgical fixation system and related methods

• US 9,615,866 B1
• Filed: 02/02/2009
• Issued: 04/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nuvasive Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Nuvasive Incorporated
• Inventors: Huntington, Christopher, Smith, William, Grant, Chad, Mueller, Richard, Dasso, Eric, Campbell, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Summitt, Lynnsy
• Application Number:
  US12/364,507
• Time in Patent Office: 2,990 Days
• Field of Search: 606280-299, 606305
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1728 for holes for bone plates or plate screws
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/7058 Plates mounted on top of bone anchor heads or shoulders
• 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 17/808 Instruments for holding or positioning bone plates, or for adjusting screw-to-plate locking mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/8875 Screwdrivers, spanners or wrenches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/8888 at its central region
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/8891 at its periphery

Abstract

A surgical fixation system including a base plate, a plurality of anchors, and a plurality of locking elements. The base plate has a pair of fixation apertures configured to receive at least a portion of the anchors therethrough. The fixation apertures are provided by example as elongated slots. The fixation apertures are located within the base plate such that upon proper placement of the base plate within a surgical target site, one of the fixation apertures is positioned over a first bone segment (e.g. a first vertebral body), and the other fixation aperture is positioned over a second bone segment (e.g. a second vertebral body).

Claims

1. A system for fixing a first bone segment to a second bone segment, comprising:

a base plate having a first end, a second end, first and second sides extending between the first and second ends, and first and second surfaces each extending between the first end, second end, first side, and second side, the first side having a convexly curved portion and the second side having a concavely curved portion, the first and second surfaces separated by a thickness of the base plate, the base plate including a first fixation aperture adjacent the first end and a second fixation aperture adjacent the second end, the first and second fixation apertures each dimensioned to receive at least a portion of a fixation element extending therethrough, each of the first and second fixation apertures extending through a recess formed in the second surface of the base plate, the recesses having a periphery, the periphery having an edge face, the entire edge face of the periphery of the recesses comprised of vertically-oriented chocks, the base plate further including a single insertion aperture adjacent the convexly curved portion of the first side and extending between the first and second surfaces and dimensioned to receive at least a portion of an insertion instrument therethrough, the insertion aperture comprising a recess formed within the first surface and a threaded aperture extending between the recess and the second surface;

a plurality of fixation elements, the fixation elements including a first threaded portion and second threaded portion separated by an intermediate portion with an edge face, the edge face of the intermediate portion including a plurality of vertically-oriented chocks configured to engage the vertically-oriented chocks of the edge face of the periphery of the recesses of said second surface of the base plate; and

a plurality of locking elements configured to threadedly engage the first threaded portion of the fixation elements.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second fixation apertures comprises an elongated slot.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the second threaded portion comprises an elongated shaft having a helical thread configured to provide purchase within bone.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second ends are generally rounded.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a middle portion positioned in between the first and second ends, the middle portion having a thickness dimension that is less than the thickness dimensions of each of the first and second ends.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first surface is generally planar.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the second surface has a generally concave curvature.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the second surface is configured to contact bone.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second bone segments comprise first and second vertebral bodies of a spine.