Implant with protected fusion zones
AssigneeInstitute for Musculoskeletal Science and Education, Ltd.
InventorsEdward J. McShane, III, Christopher J. Ryan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An implant for use in a spine includes a body and a plurality of structural members. The plurality of structural members includes outer members that are arranged to contact a vertebra upon implantation and support members that provide reinforcement and stability to the outer members. The outer members may have sections with a generalized helical geometry. The generalized helical geometry provides distal and proximal outwardly facing surface regions and creates a series of protected fusion zones along the superior and inferior surfaces of the implant to foster adjacent bone growth.
Claims21
An implant, comprising:
- a body including a base portion and a keel portion;
- the keel portion oriented at a nonzero angle to the base portion;
- a bone contacting outer member having an elongate geometry, the outer member including a first outer member end and a second outer member end;
- a support member having an elongate geometry, the support member including a first support member end and a second support member end;
- wherein the first outer member end is attached to the base portion and the second outer member end is attached to the keel portion;
- wherein the first support member end is attached to the base portion and wherein the second support member end is attached to the base portion;
- wherein the support member is attached to the outer member;
- wherein the outer member has a central member curve;
- and
- wherein the central member curve includes a winding segment, and wherein the winding segment of the central member curve winds around a fixed path.
An implant, comprising:
- a body, the body defining a transverse plane dividing the implant into a superior half and an inferior half;
- a first outer member attached to the body, the first outer member having an elongate geometry;
- a second outer member attached to the body, the second outer member having an elongate geometry;
- a support member attached to the body, the support member having an elongate geometry;
- the support member being attached to the first outer member at a first attachment region and the support member being attached to the second outer member at a second attachment region;
- wherein at the first attachment region the support member is disposed closer to the transverse plane than the first outer member is to the transverse plane;
- wherein at the second attachment region the support member is disposed closer to the transverse plane than the second outer member is to the transverse plane;
- wherein the first outer member has a first central member curve;
- wherein the first central member curve includes a first winding segment, and wherein the first winding segment of the first central member curve winds around a first fixed path.
An implant, comprising:
- a body;
- an outer member having an elongate geometry, the outer member attached to the body;
- a support member having an elongate geometry, the support member attached to the body;
- the outer member having an outwardly facing surface portion, wherein the outwardly facing surface portion is a curved surface portion including a first distal surface region, a proximal surface region and a second distal surface region, the proximal surface region being disposed between the first distal surface region and the second distal surface region;
- wherein the first distal surface region is configured as a vertebral contacting surface and wherein the second distal surface region is configured as a vertebral contacting surface;
- wherein the support member is attached to the outer member at a location proximate the proximal surface region.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.