Vertebral body replacement
AssigneeNuVasive, Inc.
InventorsShaeffer Bannigan, Ryan Donahoe
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention involves a system and methods for assembling and implanting a vertebral body implant. The vertebral body implant includes, but is not necessarily limited to, an expandable core body and endplates that can be attached at both ends. End plates of various shapes, sizes and angles are attachable to the expandable core in a plurality of positions so that a suitable vertebral body implant can be implanted between vertebrae from an anterior, anterior-lateral, lateral, posterior or posterior-lateral approach.
Claims19
An implant comprising:
- an expandable body including:
- an outer core,
- an inner core configured to engage the outer core along a longitudinal axis of the expandable body,
- an adjustment ring configured to couple to the outer core and adjust a relative position of the inner core to the outer core, and
- a first attachment feature disposed at a first end of the expandable body;
- and
- a first endplate configured to couple to the expandable body at the first end via the first attachment feature, wherein the first attachment feature includes a plurality of threaded holes disposed about a central aperture, wherein the first endplate is configured to couple to the expandable body in a plurality of rotational positions about the longitudinal axis of the expandable body, the rotational positions defined by the plurality of threaded holes.
A method of providing support in a space remaining after removal of at least part of a vertebra, comprising:
- providing an implant comprising:
- an expandable body comprising:
- an outer core, an inner core configured to engage the outer core along a longitudinal axis of the expandable body, an adjustment ring, and a first attachment feature at a first end of the expandable body, wherein the first attachment feature comprises a plurality of threaded holes disposed about a central aperture, and
- a first endplate configured to couple to the expandable body in a plurality of rotational positions about the longitudinal axis of the expandable body, the rotational positions defined by the plurality of threaded holes;
- coupling the first end plate to the expandable body in one of a plurality of rotational positions defined by the plurality of threaded holes;
- coupling the adjustment ring to the outer core;
- positioning an implant in the space;
- and
- rotating the adjustment ring to adjust a position of the inner core relative to the outer core, thereby adjusting a body length of the expandable body.
A method of providing support in a space remaining after removal of at least part of a vertebra, comprising:
- providing an implant including:
- an expandable body comprising an adjustment ring, and
- an endplate;
- coupling the endplate to the expandable body via an attachment feature at one of a plurality of rotational positions about the longitudinal axis of the expandable body, wherein the attachment feature comprises a plurality of threaded holes disposed about a central aperture, the rotational positions defined by the plurality of threaded holes;
- releasably coupling an expanding tool to the implant, the expanding tool comprising:
- a distal handle, and
- a proximal engagement region configured to engage the adjustment ring of the expandable body;
- and
- rotating the distal handle of the expanding tool, thereby rotating the adjustment ring to adjust a body length of the expandable body.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.