Expandable intervertebral spacer
AssigneeGlobus Medical, Inc.
InventorKurt Faulhaber
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A spacer for separating bones of a joint, the spacer includes a first endplate configured to engage a first bone of the joint; a second endplate configured to engage a second bone of the joint; and an actuation subassembly comprising a drive nut, a drive screw coupled to the drive nut, and a cam frame coupled to the drive screw, wherein the cam frame is disposed between the first endplate and the second endplate, wherein the cam frame comprises a proximal frame end, a distal frame end, and lateral frame sides, wherein cams disposed on the lateral frame sides selectively engage at least one of the first endplate or the second endplate.
Claims18
A method of separating bones of a joint, comprising:
- inserting a spacer between bones of the joint;
- wherein the spacer includes:
- first endplate configured to engage a first bone of the joint;
- a second endplate configured to engage a second bone of the joint;
- and
- an actuation subassembly comprising a drive nut, a drive screw coupled to the drive nut, and a cam frame coupled to the drive screw, wherein the cam frame is disposed between the first endplate and the second endplate, wherein the cam frame comprises a proximal end, a distal end, and lateral sides, and the cam frame comprises cam slots formed in the lateral sides of the cam frame and cam pins engage the cam slots, wherein rotation of the drive nut translates the cam frame, the cam frame engaging the cam pins to selectively engage at least one of the first endplate or the second endplate;
- and
- translating the cam frame along a longitudinal axis of the spacer, wherein cams disposed on the cam frame engage at least one of a first endplate and a second endplate increasing a height of the spacer.
A method of separating bones of a joint, comprising:
- inserting a spacer between bones of the joint, wherein the spacer comprises:
- a first endplate configured to engage a first bone of the joint;
- a second endplate configured to engage a second bone of the joint;
- and
- an actuation subassembly comprising a drive nut comprising a head portion and an extension from the head portion, wherein the extension is secured in a cutout formed by the first endplate and the second endplate, a drive screw comprising a threaded end, the threaded end threadedly connected to the drive nut with the threaded end received in a threaded through bore of the drive nut;
- a cam frame coupled to the drive screw, wherein the cam frame is disposed between the first endplate and the second endplate, wherein the cam frame comprises a proximal end, a distal end, lateral sides, cam slots formed in the lateral sides, and cam pins that engage the cam slots wherein the cam slots are at an angle with respect to a longitudinal axis of the spacer, wherein the drive screw is retained in an opening in the proximal end;
- and
- rotating the drive nut to translate the cam frame along a longitudinal axis of the spacer, the cam frame engaging the cam pins to selectively engage at least one of the first endplate and the second endplate to increase a height of the spacer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.