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US 11,766,340 B2Granted
Articulating expandable intervertebral implant
AssigneeGlobus Medical, Inc.
InventorsMark Weiman, Kurt Faulhaber
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A spacer for separating bones of a joint, the spacer includes a frame having a longitudinal axis, and ramped surfaces. An endplate configured to engage a bone of the joint has ramped surfaces mateable with the ramped surfaces of the frame. When the endplate is moved relative to the frame in a direction along the longitudinal axis of the frame, the endplate is moved in a direction away from the frame to increase the height at least one end of the spacer. A second endplate configured to engage a second bone of the joint can be similarly configured.
Claims19
A method for stabilizing adjacent vertebrae comprising:
- accessing an area between adjacent vertebrae;
- providing an intervertebral spacer having:
- a frame having a longitudinal axis and a ramped surface;
- a first endplate configured to engage a first bone and having a ramped surface in contact with the ramped surface of the frame, whereby when the first endplate moves relative to the frame in a direction along the longitudinal axis of the frame, the ramped surface of the first endplate interacts with the ramped surface of the frame to move the first end plate vertically away from the frame to open the intervertebral spacer;
- a second endplate configured to engage a second bone adjacent the first bone, the second endplate having a ramped surface in contact with the ramped surface of the frame, whereby when the second endplate is moved relative to the frame in a direction along the frame longitudinal axis, the second endplate is moved vertically in a direction away from the frame;
- a link longitudinally moveable with respect to the frame and pivotally coupled to the first endplate to longitudinally move the first endplate;
- and
- an actuating screw connected to the link and configured to move the link longitudinally;
- and
- positioning the intervertebral spacer in an intervertebral space between the first and second bones;
- and
- actuating the actuating screw to move the link longitudinally thereby moving the first endplate vertically to expand the spacer.
9 more elements
A method of separating bones of a joint, the method comprising:
- inserting a spacer between bones of the joint, the spacer including:
- a frame having a longitudinal axis and at least one ramped surface;
- a first endplate configured to engage a first bone of the joint, and having at least one ramped surface mateable with the at least one ramped surface of the frame, whereby when the first endplate is moved relative to the frame in a direction along the frame longitudinal axis, at least one end of the first endplate is moved in a direction away from the frame to open the spacer;
- a second endplate configured to engage a second bone of the joint, the second endplate having at least one ramped surface in contact with the at least one ramped surface of the frame, whereby when the second endplate is moved relative to the frame in a direction along the frame longitudinal axis, the second endplate is moved vertically in a direction away from the frame;
- a link moveable with respect to the frame, the link having a projection pivotally engageable with the first endplate to thereby move the first endplate along the frame longitudinal axis when the link is moved with respect to the frame;
- and
- an actuating screw moveable with respect to the frame and connected to the link to cause movement of the link when the actuating screw is moved with respect to the frame;
- actuating the actuating screw to cause the link to move and thereby displace the first and second endplate, wherein the at least one ramped surface of the first end plate slides along the at least one ramped surface of the frame to cause at least one end of the first endplate to move in a direction away from the frame while the opposite end of the first endplate pivots at the link.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.