Locking coupler device for spine alignment
AssigneeGlobus Medical, Inc.
InventorKurt Faulhaber
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Embodiments are directed to an apparatus for aligning vertebrae of a curved spine that may include a coupler having a longitudinal axis, a proximal end, and a distal end, wherein the proximal end comprises first threads, wherein the distal end comprises a mating surface for disposition around a rod attached to a spinal column, and wherein the coupler applies a compressive clamping force to the rod. The apparatus further may include a nut having second threads corresponding to the first threads, wherein the nut is attachable to the coupler proximal end. The apparatus further may include a driver disposable at least partially around the coupler, wherein the driver applies a clamping force to the coupler, and wherein the nut applies a linear force to the driver when tightened.
Claims10
A method of aligning vertebrae of a curved spine comprised of:
- providing a locking rod coupler including a locking coupler having a mating surface shaped to receive and secure a rod attached to a plurality of bone screws that are already inserted into vertebral bodies and that have already received the rod in a head sleeve of the inserted bone screws, and wherein the locking coupler is adapted to apply a compressive clamping force to the rod so as to fix the locking rod coupler to the rod;
- providing a sliding rod coupler adapted to be slidable on the rod and to slide against one of the inserted bone screws relative to the locking coupler secured to the rod in order to adjust a distance between two inserted bone screws, the adjustment causing one inserted bone screw to slide along the rod;
- attaching the locking rod coupler and the sliding rod coupler to a distractor which is configured to slide the sliding rod coupler relative to the locking rod coupler.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.