# US 12,004,778 B2 · Spinal hook

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- Number: US 12,004,778 B2
- Document ID: US12004778B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/834,732
- Filed: 2022-06-07
- Published: 2022-12-15
- Granted: 2024-06-11
- Earliest claimed: 2021-06-11
- Assignees: Phoenix Children's Hospital, Inc.
- Applicants: Phoenix Children's Hospital, Inc.
- Inventors: David Bennett
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12004778B2

## CPC

- A61B 17/7032: {Screws or hooks with U-shaped head or back through which longitudinal rods pass}
- A61B 17/7035: {Screws or hooks, wherein a rod-clamping part and a bone-anchoring part can pivot relative to each other}
- A61B 17/7034: {characterised by a lateral opening}
- A61B 17/7056: {Hooks with specially-designed bone-contacting part}
- A61B 17/7067: {Devices bearing against one or more spinous processes and also attached to another part of the spine; Tools therefor}
- A61B 17/707: {Devices acting on, or attached to, a transverse process or rib; Tools therefor}
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)

## Abstract

A hook anchor for anchoring a fixation rod to a bone is disclosed. The hook anchor includes a hook body shaped in a curve of diminishing radius and a locking mechanism. The locking mechanism is to securely fix the hook anchor to the fixation rod. The curve of diminishing radius may be the shape of at least a portion of a Fibonacci curve. The bone can include at least one of a rib, a pelvis, and a vertebra. The hook body can be configured to engage with at least one of a spinous process a transverse process, and a pedicle of the vertebra.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A hook anchor for anchoring a fixation rod to a bone, comprising:
a hook body shaped in a curve, wherein the curve is a closed logarithmic spiral and a first rotation vector defining a radius of curvature at a first end of the curve is rotated by at least 270 degrees from a second rotation vector defining a second radius of curvature at a second end of the curve; and
a locking mechanism coupled to the hook body, the locking mechanism being configured to securely fix the hook anchor to the fixation rod.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The hook anchor of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of an interior surface of the hook body is concave so that a first side ridge is formed along a first edge of the interior surface of the hook body and a second side ridge is formed along a second edge of the interior surface of the hook body and wherein the first side ridge runs a length of the interior surface of the hook body so that the first side ridge is shaped in the logarithmic spiral and the second side ridge runs the length of the interior surface of the hook body so that the second side ridge is shaped in the logarithmic spiral.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The hook anchor of claim 2, wherein the interior surface of the hook body at a first end of the hook body includes a projection extending towards an interior of the hook body.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The hook anchor of claim 1, wherein the locking mechanism is removably coupled to the hook body.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The hook anchor of claim 4, wherein the locking mechanism is coupled to the hook body by a threaded connection.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The hook anchor of claim 4, wherein the hook body includes a plurality of locking mechanism mount points and the locking mechanism is configured to be selectively coupled to each locking mechanism mount point of the plurality of locking mechanism mount points.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The hook anchor of claim 1, wherein a length of the hook body is between 60 millimeters and 70 millimeters.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The hook anchor of claim 7, wherein a width of the hook body is between 8 millimeters and 20 millimeters.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The hook anchor of claim 8, wherein a thickness of the hook body is between 3 millimeters and 5 millimeters.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The hook anchor of claim 1, wherein the hook body includes titanium, titanium alloy, stainless steel, ceramic, and/or a polymer.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The hook anchor of claim 1, wherein the hook body is configured to engage a portion of bone that includes at least one of a rib, a pelvis, and a vertebra.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The hook anchor of claim 11, wherein the hook body is configured to engage with at least one of a spinous process a transverse process, and a pedicle of the vertebra.

### Claim 13

A spine stabilization system, comprising:
a fixation rod;
a first hook anchor, including:
a first hook body shaped in a curve, wherein the curve is a first closed logarithmic spiral and a first rotation vector defining a radius of curvature at a first end of the curve is rotated by at least 270 degrees from a second rotation vector defining a second radius of curvature at a second end of the curve, and
a first locking mechanism coupled to the first hook body, the first locking mechanism being configured to securely fix the first hook anchor to the fixation rod at a first location on the fixation rod; and
a second hook anchor, including:
a second hook body shaped in a second curve, wherein the second curve is a second closed logarithmic spiral and a first rotation vector defining a radius of curvature at a first end of the curve is rotated by at least 270 degrees from a second rotation vector defining a second radius of curvature at a second end of the curve, and
a second locking mechanism coupled to the second hook body, the second locking mechanism being configured to securely fix the second hook anchor to the fixation rod at a second location on the fixation rod.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The spine stabilization system of claim 13, wherein:
the first locking mechanism is removably coupled to the first hook body; and
the second locking mechanism is removably coupled to the second hook body.