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US 12,594,165 B2Granted
Expandable medical implant for adolescent cranium defects
AssigneeDePuy Synthes Products, Inc.
InventorsStefan Knueppel, Robert Schoutens, Steffan Daniel
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present disclosure is directed to an expandable medical implant for the repair of cranium defects in adolescent patients. The implants of the present disclosure can include a plurality of interconnected links that are movable with respect to each other as the underlying cranium grows and expands.
Claims10
An expandable bone implant comprising:
- a plurality of interconnected links including a hub and a plurality of peripheral links, wherein at least two of the interconnected links define respective bone fixation holes that are configured to receive respective bone fixation elements so as to fix the implant to an underlying bone;
- and
- a plurality of connectors connected to the hub and respective different ones of the plurality of peripheral links, such that the peripheral links are spaced from the hub in a medial-lateral direction and an anterior-posterior direction, wherein the connectors are elongate from the hub to the respective different ones of the plurality of peripheral links along respective directions of extension;
- wherein the interconnected links are configured such that when the implant is fixed to the underlying bone, growth of the underlying bone causes the connectors to expand the implant from a first size to a second size, wherein the hub and at least some of the plurality of peripheral links are spaced apart from each other by respective first distances or abut each other along the respective directions of extension at the first size, and the at least some of the plurality of peripheral links are movable away from the hub to the second size along the respective directions of extension more than respective perpendicular directions that are perpendicular to the respective directions of extension, such that the at least some of the plurality of peripheral links are spaced from the hub at respective second distances along the respective directions of extension, and
- wherein the connectors are translatably coupled to at least one of the hub and the respective different one of the peripheral links so as to permit movement of the peripheral links away from the hub in a straight linear direction.
2 more elements
An expandable bone implant comprising:
- a plurality of interconnected links including a hub and a plurality of peripheral links, wherein at least two of the interconnected links define respective bone fixation holes that are configured to receive respective bone fixation elements so as to fix the implant to an underlying bone;
- and
- a plurality of connectors connected to the hub and respective different ones of the plurality of peripheral links, such that the peripheral links are spaced from the hub in a medial-lateral direction and an anterior-posterior direction, wherein the connectors are elongate from the hub to the respective different ones of the plurality of peripheral links along respective directions of extension;
- wherein the interconnected links are configured such that when the implant is fixed to the underlying bone, growth of the underlying bone causes the connectors to expand the implant from a first size to a second size, wherein the hub and at least some of the plurality of peripheral links are spaced apart from each other by respective first distances or abut each other along the respective directions of extension at the first size, and the at least some of the plurality of peripheral links are movable away from the hub to the second size along the respective directions of extension more than respective perpendicular directions that are perpendicular to the respective directions of extension, such that the at least some of the plurality of peripheral links are spaced from the hub at respective second distances along the respective directions of extension, and
- wherein the hub and the peripheral links define respective channels, and the connectors define first and second opposed connection members that are received in respective channels of the hub and a respective different one of the peripheral links.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.