Expandable laminoplasty device
AssigneeCuriteva, Inc.
InventorsEric Linder, Ryan Heskett
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An expandable laminoplasty device has a superior plate, an inferior plate, threaded or racked gear post having external threads or gear teeth, the post affixed to one of the superior plate or the inferior plate, and a gear nut or pinion gear, the gear has internal threads or external gear teeth configured to engage external threads or gear teeth of the post. The gear is held in one of the superior plate or inferior plate not affixed to the post and wherein the superior plate or inferior plate not affixed to the post has an end with a slot or channel to receive the post and a side opening to receive and hold the gear.
Claims13
An expandable laminoplasty device comprising:
- a superior plate;
- an inferior plate;
- a threaded post having external threads, the threaded post affixed to one of the superior plate or the inferior plate;
- a gear nut, the gear nut having internal threads configured to engage external threads of the threaded post, the gear nut being held in one of the superior plate or inferior plate not affixed to the threaded post, wherein the superior plate or inferior plate not affixed to the threaded post has an end with a slot or channel to receive the threaded post and a side opening to receive and hold the gear nut;
- and
- wherein the rotation of the gear nut engages the external threads of the threaded post thereby coupling the superior plate to the inferior plate to form the expandable laminoplasty device, rotation of the gear nut causes relative movement of the superior plate and inferior plate from contracted to expanded positions wherein stopping the rotation of the gear nut fixes an amount of linear expansion between the superior and inferior plates.
A method of performing a laminoplasty comprises the steps of:
- preparing a cervical vertebra by cutting through a lamina and partially cutting through the lamina at a spaced second location;
- providing an expandable laminoplasty device having:
- a superior plate;
- an inferior plate;
- a threaded post having external threads, the threaded post affixed to one of the superior plate or the inferior plate;
- a gear nut, the gear nut having internal threads configured to engage external threads of the threaded post, the gear nut being held in one of the superior plate or inferior plate not affixed to the threaded post, wherein the superior plate or inferior plate not affixed to the threaded post has an end with a slot or channel to receive the threaded post and a side opening to receive and hold the gear nut;
- and
- wherein the rotation of the gear nut engages the external threads of the threaded post thereby coupling the superior plate to the inferior plate to form the expandable laminoplasty device, rotation of the gear nut causes relative movement of the superior plate and inferior plate from contracted to expanded positions wherein stopping the rotation of the gear nut fixes an amount of linear expansion between the superior and inferior plates;
- positioning the expandable laminoplasty device in a contracted position on the vertebra with a hooked end of the superior plate on the cut lamina and the inferior plate on the lateral mass of the vertebra;
- fastening ends of both superior and inferior plates to the cut lamina and the lateral mass respectively using fasteners;
- and
- rotating the gear nut to expand the expandable laminoplasty device thereby enlarging a spinal canal opening of the vertebra and completing the laminoplasty.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.