Expandable bone implant
First Claim
1. A method of restoring height to a fractured target bone, the method comprising:
- positioning a distal end of a cannulated body adjacent a target bone, the cannulated body being substantially straight and having a proximal end spaced from the distal end;
inserting an opening device through the cannulated body such that a distal end of the opening device extends distally beyond the distal end of the cannulated body and into the target bone, the opening device defining a cannula, the distal end of the opening device having a cutting member, wherein a distal portion of the opening device located proximate the cutting member is substantially axially straight while located within the cannulated body and is axially curved after extending beyond the distal end of the cannulated body;
engaging bone material within the target bone with the cutting member in a manner forming a curved guide path within the target bone; and
inserting an expandable implant through the cannulated body and through the cannula of the opening device and along the curved guide path within the target bone, wherein a central axis of the expandable implant is curved while the expandable implant is positioned along the curved guide path.
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Abstract
An expandable implant includes an implant body defining an internal void, the implant body including a plurality of interconnected linkages. A first plurality of the linkages has an expansion characteristic that is different from a second plurality of the linkages. An expandable bladder is sized to be disposed in the internal void. The bladder defines a bore configured to receive an expansion material, such that the expansion material applies an expansion force against the bladder, which thereby applies the expansion force against the implant body so as to cause the first linkage to expand greater than the second linkage. The expandable implant can be placed in a fracture location so as to restore height to a fractured target bone.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of restoring height to a fractured target bone, the method comprising:
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positioning a distal end of a cannulated body adjacent a target bone, the cannulated body being substantially straight and having a proximal end spaced from the distal end; inserting an opening device through the cannulated body such that a distal end of the opening device extends distally beyond the distal end of the cannulated body and into the target bone, the opening device defining a cannula, the distal end of the opening device having a cutting member, wherein a distal portion of the opening device located proximate the cutting member is substantially axially straight while located within the cannulated body and is axially curved after extending beyond the distal end of the cannulated body; engaging bone material within the target bone with the cutting member in a manner forming a curved guide path within the target bone; and inserting an expandable implant through the cannulated body and through the cannula of the opening device and along the curved guide path within the target bone, wherein a central axis of the expandable implant is curved while the expandable implant is positioned along the curved guide path. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method of restoring height to a fractured target bone, the method comprising:
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inserting an expandable implant into the target bone, the expandable implant including a body elongate along a central axis in an axial direction, the body having a plurality of linkages connected so as to define at least one annular row of linkages arranged in a plurality of columns, each annular row extending along a row direction that extends about the central axis, each of the linkages defining
1) a first side,
2) a second side spaced from the first side along the row direction,
3) a first end, and
4) a second end spaced from the first end along the axial direction, wherein an entirety of the first and second ends are curved as they extend from the first side to the second side, and the first and second sides a) extend from the first end to the second end, and b) are orientated substantially parallel to the axial direction during the inserting step, the first and second sides further defining a distance therebetween, the plurality of linkages including at least a first linkage that is disposed in a first one of the columns, and at least a second linkage that is disposed in a second one of the columns, the first one of the columns defining the same number of linkages as the second one of the columns, each of the first and second ones of the columns having a thickness of a single linkage along the row direction, the at least a first linkage sized different than the at least a second linkage;applying an expansion force to the body, the expansion force
1) increasing the distance between the first and second sides of each of the linkages from a first distance to a second distance that is greater than the first distance, and
2) causing the at least a first linkage to expand to a greater extent than the at least a second linkage in a manner causing asymmetric expansion of the body into an expanded configuration where the body is bent such that the central axis is curved more than during the inserting step. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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Specification