US 12,409,043 B2Granted

Flexible chain implants and instrumentation

AssigneeDePuy Synthes Products, Inc.

InventorsCurtis Compton, Dennis Chien, Robert Delurio, Dominique Messerli

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A flexible chain implant for insertion into an interior volume of a vertebral body. The implant may be implanted in an insertion position for sliding through a cannula and is flexible for packing into the interior volume in an implanted configuration. The implant randomly separates in the implanted configuration. The implant includes a top member and a bottom member, wherein the top and bottom members are coupled to one another at a coupled portion. The top and bottom members preferably each include an inner surface such that the inner surfaces include a plurality of alternating projections and recesses so that the projections are received within the recesses in an insertion position. Alternatively, the implant may include a plurality of substantially non-flexible bodies and a plurality of substantially flexible links interconnecting the bodies. The non-flexible bodies include a plurality of facets and/or abutment surfaces.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A method of implanting a flexible chain implant, the method, comprising:

loading a flexible chain implant into a cannula of an introducer, wherein the loading step comprises weaving a plurality of bodies of the flexible chain implant into a plurality of coils of an advancement mechanism insertable within the cannula, the flexible chain implant having a plurality of links that interconnect the plurality of bodies, wherein the advancement mechanism is elongate along a central axis, and the plurality of coils define an inner diameter that is spaced from the central axis such that the plurality of coils are open between the central axis and the inner diameter, wherein the inner diameter diminishes in a distal direction from a proximal end of the advancement mechanism to a distal end thereof;
inserting a distal end of the introducer into an interior volume within bone;
and
rotating the advancement mechanism within the cannula, thereby advancing the flexible chain implant through the cannula and outward from the distal end of the introducer and into the interior volume.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/874,870Filed 15 May 2020 · continuation
Priority: 29 Jun 2007
Published: US 2020/0306054 A11 Oct 2020
Granted: 9 Sep 2025
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification25 codes

A61F 2/442
For the spine, e.g. vertebrae or spinal discs: intervertebral or spinal discs, e.g. resilient
A61B 17/7094
Spinal positioners or stabilisers, e.g. stabilisers comprising fluid filler in an implant: solid vertebral fillers; devices for inserting such fillers
A61F 2/4455
For the spine, e.g. vertebrae or spinal discs: for the fusion of spinal bodies, e.g. intervertebral fusion of adjacent spinal bodies, e.g. fusion…
A61F 2/4611
For insertion or extraction of endoprosthetic joints or of accessories thereof: of spinal prostheses

Family

Application60/947,258Us provisional application · filed 29 Jun 2007
PCT/US2008/068836Parent of this division · filed 30 Jun 2008
Application14/165,979Parent of this continuation · filed 28 Jan 2014
US 8,673,010 B2Parent of this division · filed 18 Mar 2014
Application15/869,442Parent of this continuation · filed 12 Jan 2018
US 9,907,667 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 6 Mar 2018
US 2020/0306054 A1Pre-grant publication · published 1 Oct 2020
US 10,716,679 B2Parent of this continuation
Application12/601,468Parent of this division
Application14/165,979Parent of this division
US 2010/0185290 A1Published application
US 2014/0142707 A1Published application
US 2018/0133020 A1Published application
US 12,409,043 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.