Implant system and method to treat degenerative disorders of the spine

• US 8,172,882 B2
• Filed: 06/11/2007
• Issued: 05/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Spartek Medical Inc.
• Original Assignee: Spartek Medical Inc.
• Inventors: Klyce, Henry A., Zucherman, James F., Hsu, Ken Y., Hannibal, Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramana, Anu
• Application Number:
  US11/761,006
• Publication Number:
  US 20080058806A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,793 Days
• Field of Search: 606/246, 606250-252, 606276-279
• US Class Current: 606/276
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/7047 Clamps comprising opposed elements which grasp one vertebra between them
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/7052 of variable angle or length
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/7056 Hooks with specially-designed bone-contacting part

Abstract

An implant has a first hook and a second hook. A connector is coupled to the first and second hooks. The implant is adapted in a preferred embodiment to hook and look onto a spine.

Claims

1. An implant comprising:

a first hook adapted to be hooked onto a first lateral border of a first superior articular facet of a vertebra;

a second hook adapted to be hooked onto a second lateral border of a second superior articular facet of said same vertebra;

a connector coupled to the first and second hooks, the connector configured to be positioned between the first hook and the second hook and superior to a spinous process of said same vertebra; and

a first lock associated with the first hook and a second lock associated with the second hook;

whereby the first hook is adapted to be hooked around the first lateral border of the first superior articular facet, the second hook is adapted to be hooked around the second lateral border of the second superior articular facet; and

whereby the first hook and second hook are configured to be moved along said connector towards said spinous process, such that the first hook and second hook can then be locked in place relative to said connector thereby securing the implant to said vertebra; and

whereby the first and second hooks each comprise;

an upper portion that accepts the connector;

a lower portion adapted to engage a lateral border of a superior articular facet; and

a movable joint connecting the upper portion and the lower portion such that the lower portion can move relative to the upper portion.

2. The implant of claim 1, wherein the first and second hooks have geometries that conform to a lateral border of a superior articular facet.

3. The implant of claim 1, wherein the first and second hooks have several different radii to ensure the hooks match anatomy variations in the first and second superior articular facets.

4. The implant of claim 1, wherein the first and second hooks have several different radii to ensure the hooks match anatomy variations in the articular facets wherein said first radius is about 0.625 inches and the second radius is about 0.785 inches and the first radius describes a curve in a first plane and the second radius describes a curve that is in a second plane and wherein said first plane is about perpendicular to the second plane.

5. The implant of claim 1, wherein said first lock can lock the connector and the upper portion of the first hook together and the second lock can lock the connector and the upper portion of the second hook together.

6. The implant of claim 1, wherein the connector is configured to be fixed with compression applied by a first set screw to the first hook and by a second set screw to the second hook.

7. The implant of claim 1 wherein at least one of said first and second hooks includes at least one or more of a spike, a fin and/or a stud extending therefrom that can pierce the bone of a patient when the hooks implanted in a patient.

8. The implant of claim 1 wherein at least one of said first and second hooks includes a surface feature extending therefrom, the surface feature having a flat surface to enable the surface feature to penetrate the bone, the surface feature being resistant to being worked out of position with the motion of the spine, and wherein the surface feature is selected from the group consisting of a spike, a stud and a fin.

9. The implant of claim 1, wherein the first and second hooks are configured to provide an ability to adjust to and be affixed to the articular facets.

10. The implant of claim 1, wherein the first and second hooks include at least one member adapted to engage with the articular facet.

11. The implant of claim 1, wherein the connector is configured to be inserted to preserve the supraspinous and interspinous ligaments and the spinous processes.

12. The implant of claim 1, wherein the connector has a flat surface that conforms to a laminar anatomy or a contoured surface to match the laminar anatomy.

13. The implant of claim 1, further comprising a lamina hook connected to the first hook by an arm, the lamina hook adapted to engage a lamina of said vertebra adjacent the first superior articular facet.

14. The implant of claim 1, wherein the first and second hooks include a textured inner surface to facilitate bony ingrowth.

15. The implant of claim 1 wherein said connector is a horizontal rod that is adapted to be about parallel to a transverse axis of a vertebral body of said vertebra.

16. The implant of claim 1 wherein said connector is a horizontal rod that is flexible.

17. The implant of claim 1 wherein said connector is a horizontal rod comprised of PEEK.

18. The implant of claim 1 wherein said connector is a rod and said first hook includes a first bore that received said rod and second hook includes a second bore that receives said rod with said first hook facing said second hook and said first lock can lock said first hook onto said rod and said second lock can lock said second hook on said rod.

19. The implant of claim 1 wherein said first hook includes a first pedicle screw bore and a first pedicle screw that can be provided through said first pedicle screw bore and said second hook includes a second pedicle screw bore and a second pedicle screw that can be provided through said second pedicle screw bore.

20. An implant comprising:

a first hook adapted to be hooked onto a first lateral border of a first superior articular facet of a vertebra;

a second hook adapted to be hooked onto a second lateral border of a second superior articular facet of said same vertebra;

a connector coupled to the first and second hooks, the connector configured to be positioned between the first hook and the second hook and superior to a spinous process of said same vertebra; and

a first lock associated with the first hook and a second lock associated with the second hook;

whereby the first hook is adapted to be hooked around the first lateral border of the first superior articular facet, the second hook is adapted to be hooked around the second lateral border of the second superior articular facet; and

whereby the first hook and second hook are configured to be moved along said connector towards said spinous process, such that the first hook and second hook can then be locked in place relative to said connector thereby securing the implant to said vertebra; and

the first hook includes a first upper portion that accepts the connector, a first lower portion adapted to engage the first lateral border of the first superior articular facet, and a movable joint connecting the first upper portion and the first lower portion such that the first lower portion can move relative to the first upper portion;

the second hook includes a second upper portion that accepts the connector, a second lower portion adapted to engage the second lateral border of the second superior articular facet, and a movable joint connecting the second upper portion and the second lower portion such that the second lower portion can move relative to the second upper portion;

wherein the first lock is configured to the lock the first upper portion to the connector and also lock the first movable joint; and

wherein the second lock is configured to the lock the second upper portion to the connector and also lock the second first movable joint.

21. An implant comprising:

a first hook adapted to be hooked onto a first lateral border of a first superior articular facet of a vertebra;

a second hook adapted to be hooked onto a second lateral border of a second superior articular facet of said same vertebra;

a connector coupled to the first and second hooks, the connector configured to be positioned between the first hook and the second hook and superior to a spinous process of said same vertebra; and

a first lock associated with the first hook and a second lock associated with the second hook;

whereby the first hook is adapted to be hooked around the first lateral border of the first superior articular facet, the second hook is adapted to be hooked around the second lateral border of the second superior articular facet; and

whereby the first hook and second hook are configured to be moved along said connector towards said spinous process, such that the first hook and second hook can then be locked in place relative to said connector thereby securing the implant to said vertebra; and

wherein the first and second hooks have an upper portion that accepts the connector, which upper portion of said first hook and of second hook can rotate relative to a lower portion, of said first hook and of said second hook respectively, which lower portion of said first hook and said second hook are adapted to engage bone of a patient.

22. An implant, comprising:

a first hook having a geometry that is adapted to conform to a lateral border of a first superior articular facet of a vertebra;

a second hook having a geometry that is adapted to conform to a lateral border of a second superior articular facet of said vertebra; and

a connector coupled to the first and second hooks, the connector configured to be positioned between the first hook and the second hook and superior to a spinous process of said vertebra;

whereby, with the first hook hooked around the first lateral border of the first superior articular facet of said vertebra and the second hook hooked around the second lateral border of the second superior articular facet of said vertebra, the first hook and second hook are configured to be moved closer to one another along said connector such that the first hook and second hook can then be locked in place relative to said connector thereby securing the implant to said vertebra;

wherein the first and second hooks have an upper portion that accepts the connector, which upper portion of said first hook and of second hook can rotate relative to a lower portion, of said first hook and of said second hook respectively, which lower portion of said first hook and said second hook are adapted to engage the bone of a patient.

23. The implant of claim 22, wherein at least one of said first and second hooks includes at least one or more of a spike, a fin and/or a stud extending therefrom that can pierce the bone of a patient when the hooks implanted in a patient.

24. The implant of claim 22, wherein at least one of said first and second hooks includes a surface feature extending therefrom, the surface feature having a flat surface to enable the surface feature to penetrate the bone, the surface feature being resistant to being worked out of position with the motion of the spine, and wherein the surface feature is selected from the group consisting of a spike, a stud and a fin.

25. The implant of claim 22, further comprising a lamina hook connected to the first hook by an arm, the lamina hook adapted to engage a lamina of said vertebra adjacent the first superior articular facet.

26. An implant adapted to be implanted in a vertebra, the implant comprising:

a first hook that has a first hooked end and at least a first spike spaced from the first hooked end, the first hook having a geometry that is adapted to conform to a lateral border of a first superior articular facet of a vertebra and adapted to hook under the first superior articular facet;

a second hook that has a second hooked end and at least a second spike spaced from the second hooked end, the second hook having a geometry that is adapted to conform to a lateral border of a second superior articular facet of said vertebra and adapted to hook under the second superior articular facet;

a flexible horizontal rod coupled to the first and second hooks, the flexible horizontal rod configured to be positioned superior to a spinous process of said vertebra; and

whereby, with the first hook hooked around said first superior articular facet of said vertebra and the second hook hooked around said second articular facet of said vertebra, the first hook and second hook are configured to be moved closer to one another along said flexible horizontal rod such that the first hook and second hook can then be locked in place relative to said flexible horizontal rod thereby securing the implant to said vertebra;

wherein the first hook has a first upper portion that accepts the flexible horizontal rod, which first upper portion can move relative to a first lower portion, and which first lower portion has said first spike that is adapted to engage the bone of a patient; and

said second hook has a second upper portion that accepts the flexible horizontal rod, which second upper portion can move relative to a second lower portion, and which said lower portion has said second spike that is adapted to engage the bone of a patient.

27. The implant of claim 26 including:

a first lock to lock said first hook to said flexible horizontal rod and a second lock to lock said second hook to said flexible horizontal rod with said first hook facing said second hook.