Aspirating implants and method of bony regeneration
AssigneeDePuy Synthes Products, Inc.
InventorsMichael J. O'Neil, Liesbeth Brown, Nimish Parikh, Daniel Keeley, Shannon Cormier
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Devices and methods for in situ drawing, filtering and seeding cells from the marrow of surrounding bone into a fusion cage without any of the challenges mentioned above. Various implants and devices with aspiration ports that enable in-situ harvesting and mixing of stem cells. These devices may include spinal fusion cages, long bone spacers, lateral grafts and joint replacement devices. Each device utilizes at least one aspiration port for harvesting of stem cell-containing marrow via aspiration from adjacent bony elements.
Claims16
A surgical method, comprising:
- inserting a fusion cage into an intervertebral disc space of a patient defined between upper and lower vertebrae, the cage having an upper surface comprising a first throughhole therethrough, a lower surface comprising a second throughhole therethrough, and a sidewall connecting the upper and lower surfaces, the sidewall comprising a third throughhole therethrough, the cage having a porous matrix therein;
- fluidly connecting an aspirator to the third throughhole;
- and
- creating suction in the aspirator to draw marrow from at least one of the upper and lower vertebrae, through at least one of the upper and lower surfaces, and into the cage, at least a portion of the marrow being retained within the cage by the porous matrix,
- wherein the upper surface and the lower surface include a compressible seal that lines at least one of the first and second throughholes, and
- wherein the marrow is drawn through cannulated teeth that extend from the compressible seal that lines at least one of the first and second throughholes.
A surgical method, comprising:
- creating an approach to a disc space within a patient;
- inserting a fusion cage into the disc space, the fusion cage having a first porous endplate, a second, opposite porous endplate, and a sidewall connecting the first and second endplates, the sidewall comprising an aspiration port;
- and
- coupling an aspirator to the aspiration port to aspirate marrow into the fusion cage from bony structures adjacent to the disc space, at least a portion of the marrow being retained by the fusion cage within the disc space,
- wherein the fusion cage includes a compressible seal that lines one or more of the first and second endplates, and
- wherein the marrow is drawn through cannulated teeth that extend from the compressible seal that lines at least one of the first and second endplates.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.