Vertebral implant, vertebral fastening device of the implant and implant instrumentation

• US 9,937,050 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2014
• Issued: 04/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LDR Medical
• Original Assignee: LDR Medical
• Inventors: Dinville, Herv, Lequette, Samuel
• Primary Examiner(s): SEVILLA, CHRISTIAN ANTHONY
• Application Number:
  US14/891,322
• Publication Number:
  US 20160100953A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,425 Days
• 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 2/4455 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 2002/30176 V-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30331 made by longitudinally pushing a protrusion into a complementarily-shaped recess, e.g. held by friction fit
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/3037 Translation along the common longitudinal axis, e.g. piston
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30372 with additional means for limiting said translation
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30383 made by laterally inserting a protrusion, e.g. a rib into a complementarily-shaped groove
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30448 using adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30487 Circumferential cooperating grooves and beads on cooperating lateral surfaces of a mainly longitudinal connection
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30495 using a locking ring
• 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 2002/30599 stackable
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30604 modular
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30777 Oblong apertures
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30782 inclined obliquely
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30784 Plurality of holes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30785 : parallel
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30841 : Sharp anchoring protrusions for impaction into the bone, e.g. sharp pins, spikes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/448 : comprising multiple adjacent spinal implants within the same intervertebral space or within the same vertebra, e.g. comprising two adjacent spinal implants
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/4622 : having the shape of a forceps or a clamp
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0016 : with sharp anchoring protrusions, e.g. barbs, pins, spikes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2310/00011 : Metals or alloys
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2310/00023 : Titanium or titanium-based alloys, e.g. Ti-Ni alloys

Abstract

This disclosure provides vertebral implants, fastening devices for vertebral implants, and implant instrumentation, and various combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the implant comprises a peripheral wall extending according to a vertical axis between upper and lower surfaces of the implant, with each such surface configured to be placed in contact with a vertebral structure, respectively, at the top and the bottom of the vertebral segment replaced by the implant. Some embodiments comprise fastening means, deployment of which anchors the implant in the lower and upper vertebral structures. Some fastening means may be deployed by sliding parallel to the vertical axis of the implant, and may comprise a plate with at least one part remaining in contact with the peripheral wall of the implant when deployed and a pointed end projecting from one of the upper and lower surfaces of the implant to enter a vertebral structures on completion of deployment.

Claims

1. An implant for corpectomy of a spine having a longitudinal axis, the implant having a longitudinal axis and being sized to replace a removed segment of the spine with the longitudinal axis of the implant disposed generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the spine, the implant comprising a peripheral wall;

an upper spinal contact surface;

a lower spinal contact surface;

upper and lower fasteners each having a retracted position and a deployed position, each of the upper and lower fasteners comprising a plate that remains in contact with the peripheral wall when the fastener is deployed, and each of the upper and lower fasteners comprising a sharpened end configured to penetrate an unremoved spinal segment during deployment to retain the implant to that unremoved spinal segment, with the sharpened end of the upper fastener projecting from the upper spinal contact plate and the sharpened end of the lower fastener projecting from the lower spinal contact plate.

2. The implant of claim 1 in which deployment of a fastener causes that fastener to slide in a direction generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the implant.

3. The implant of claim 2 in which the fastener slides within the peripheral wall during deployment.

4. The implant of claim 1 in which the plate of one of the fasteners is oriented generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the implant, the sharpened end of that fastener extends from a body projecting from that plate generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the implant, that plate is disposed in a housing contained within the peripheral wall, and a periphery of that plate remains in contact with a wall of the housing when that fastener is deployed.

5. The implant of claim 4, in which that housing has a width at least as large as a width of that plate and a height at least as great as a height of that anchor, and that housing terminates at one of the spinal contact surfaces with a hole receiving the sharpened part of that fastener during deployment.

6. The implant of claim 2, in which one of the fasteners slides along an exterior portion of the peripheral wall.

7. The implant of claim 6, in which the plate of the fastener that slides along an exterior portion of the peripheral wall has an opening at least as large as the peripheral wall, and a retainer engages that plate and the peripheral wall to hold the fastener in the deployed position.

8. The implant of claim 1 in which deployment of a fastener causes that fastener to slide to rotate about an axis generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the implant.

9. A device for corpectomy of a spine having a longitudinal axis and comprising:

an implant having a longitudinal axis and being sized to replace a removed segment of the spine with the longitudinal axis of the implant disposed generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the spine, the implant comprising a peripheral wall, a spinal contact surface disposed an at an end of the implant along the longitudinal axis of the implant and configured to contact a spinal surface of an unremoved segment of the spine, a peripheral wall around the implant along the longitudinal axis of the implant, and a curvilinear passage extending from the peripheral wall to the spinal contact surface; and

an anchor comprising a body with curvilinear shape complementary to a shape of the curvilinear passage, a leading end sharpened to facilitate penetration of the unremoved segment of the spine, and a trailing end capable of receiving a force to urge the leading end into the unremoved segment of the spine, the anchor having a deployed position resulting from movement of the leading end through the passage until the leading end projects from the spinal contact surface and the trailing end is disposed proximal to the peripheral wall.

10. The device of claim 9 in which the trailing end of the anchor comprises plural notches configured to retain the anchor in the deployed position.

11. The device of claim 10 in which the anchor comprises a slot oriented in a longitudinal direction along the trailing end, the slot allowing deflection of the portion of the trailing end of the anchor comprising the plural notches to release the anchor from the deployed position.

12. The device of claim 9 in which the anchor comprises a stop surface configured to engage a complementary stop surface disposed along passage, with that engagement stopping the anchor in the deployed position.

13. The device of claim 9 in which the anchor comprises plural sharpened projections at the leading end, and only the plural sharpened projections at the leading end project from the spinal contact surface when the anchor is in the deployed position.

14. The device of claim 9 in which the implant comprises plural individual segments that are configured to be stacked along the longitudinal axis of the implant to form an implantable unit.

15. The device of claim 14 further comprising a medial segment having a peripheral wall separating a pair of segments each having a spinal contact surface and a curvilinear passages extending from the peripheral wall to the spinal contact surface.

16. The device of claim 9 in which the implantable unit comprises a hollow core extending along the longitudinal axis of the implant from an opening in one of the segments having a spinal contact surface and the other of the segments having a spinal contact surface.

17. The device of claim 16 in which the peripheral wall of at least one segment comprises a conduit for placement of a fusion promoting compound into the hollow core.

18. A corpectomy cage and anchor for treating a spine comprising an upper housing, a medial housing, and a lower housing, and further comprising:

an upper surface on the upper housing configured to contact a lower surface of an upper segment of the spine;

a lower surface on the upper housing having a dovetailed recess and a shape that complements a shape of an upper surface of the medial housing to interlock the upper housing and the medial housing when the cage is fully assembled;

a peripheral wall disposed between the upper surface of the upper housing and the lower surface of the upper housing and defining a cavity within the upper housing configured to receive a fusion inducing compound; and

a passage having a generally rectangular cross section and extending along a curvilinear trajectory from the peripheral wall of the upper housing to the upper surface of the upper housing;

a lower surface on the lower housing configured to contact an upper surface of a lower segment of the spine;

an upper surface on the lower housing having a dovetailed recess and a shape that complements a shape of a lower surface of the medial housing to interlock the lower housing and the medial housing when the cage is fully assembled;

a peripheral wall disposed between the upper surface of the lower housing and the lower surface of the lower housing and defining a cavity within the lower housing configured to receive a fusion inducing compound; and

a passage having a generally rectangular cross section and extending along a curvilinear trajectory from the peripheral wall of the lower housing to the lower surface of the lower housing;

a dovetailed projection extending along the upper surface of the medial housing configured to interlock with the dovetailed recess of the upper housing;

a dovetailed projection extending along the lower surface of the medial housing configured to interlock with the dovetailed recess of the lower housing; and

a peripheral wall disposed between the upper surface of the medial housing and the lower surface of the medial housing and defining a cavity within the medial housing configured to interconnect the cavity in the upper housing and the cavity in the lower housing when the cage is fully assembled and to receive a fusion inducing compound;

an upper anchor comprising an upper anchor body with a rectangular cross section having a height and a width less than the height, the rectangular cross section extending along a portion of the length of the anchor in a curvilinear trajectory from a leading end of the upper anchor body to a trailing end of the upper anchor body, the rectangular cross section defining a pair of generally planar external surfaces along each side of the upper anchor body in the direction of the height and a pair of curvilinear external surfaces along each side of the upper anchor body in the direction of the width, with an upper one of the pair of curvilinear surfaces being concave along the curvilinear trajectory from the leading end of the upper anchor body to the trailing end of the upper anchor body and a lower one of the pair of curvilinear surfaces being convex along the curvilinear trajectory from the leading end of the upper anchor body to the trailing end of the upper anchor body, the curvilinear trajectory of the rectangular cross section of the upper anchor body being complementary to the curvilinear trajectory of the passage in the upper housing such that the upper anchor can pass through the peripheral wall of the upper housing into the passage in the upper housing;

a sharpened projection extending from the leading end of the upper anchor body, the sharpened projection configured to penetrate the lower surface of the upper segment of the spine;

a stop surface protruding from the trailing end of the upper anchor body configured to engage a complementary stop surface of the passage in the upper housing disposed proximal to the peripheral wall of the upper housing and stop transit of the upper anchor through the passage in the upper housing when the stop surface protruding from the trailing end of the upper anchor body contacts the complementary stop surface of the passage in the upper housing; and

a length sufficient for the sharpened projection of the upper anchor to extend beyond upper surface of the upper housing when the upper anchor is fully inserted into the passage in the upper housing and the stop surface of the upper anchor contacts the complementary stop surface of the passage in the upper housing; and

a lower anchor comprising a lower anchor body with a rectangular cross section having a height and a width less than the height, the rectangular cross section extending along a portion of the length of the anchor in a curvilinear trajectory from a leading end of the lower anchor body to a trailing end of the lower anchor body, the rectangular cross section defining a pair of generally planar external surfaces along each side of the lower anchor body in the direction of the height and a pair of curvilinear external surfaces along each side of the lower anchor body in the direction of the width, with a lower one of the pair of curvilinear surfaces being concave along the curvilinear trajectory from the leading end of the lower anchor body to the trailing end of the lower anchor body and an upper one of the pair of curvilinear surfaces being convex along the curvilinear trajectory from the leading end of the lower anchor body to the trailing end of the lower anchor body, the curvilinear trajectory of the rectangular cross section of the lower anchor body being complementary to the curvilinear trajectory of the passage in the lower housing such that the lower anchor can pass through the peripheral wall of the lower housing into the passage in the lower housing;

a sharpened projection extending from the leading end of the lower anchor body, the sharpened projection configured to penetrate the upper surface of the lower segment of the spine;

a stop surface protruding from the trailing end of the lower anchor body configured to engage a complementary stop surface of the passage in the lower housing disposed proximal to the peripheral wall of the lower housing and stop transit of the lower anchor through the passage in the lower housing when the stop surface protruding from the trailing end of the lower anchor body contacts the complementary stop surface of the passage in the lower housing; and

a length sufficient for the sharpened projection of the lower anchor to extend beyond lower surface of the lower housing when the lower anchor is fully inserted into the passage in the lower housing and the stop surface of the lower anchor contacts the complementary stop surface of the passage in the lower housing.

19. The corpectomy cage of claim 18 in which the upper anchor comprises a notch disposed proximal to the trailing end of the upper anchor body on the convex one of the curvilinear external surfaces and configured to retain the upper anchor in the passage extending from the peripheral wall of the upper housing to the upper surface of the upper housing;

and the lower anchor comprises a notch disposed proximal to the trailing end of the lower anchor body on the convex one of the curvilinear external surfaces and configured to retain the lower anchor in the passage extending from the peripheral wall of the lower housing to the lower surface of the lower housing.