Flexible fastening system
AssigneeK2M, Inc.
InventorsBehrooz Akbarnia, Burt Yaszay, Brandon Moore, Stuart Weikel, Clint Boyd
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A flexible implant system includes a flexible implant, an implant housing, and an implant set screw. The flexible implant is configured to loop around a portion of a bony element. The implant housing includes a housing body defining a rod passage configured to receive an rod. The housing body also defines an implant passage that receives a portion of the flexible implant. The implant set screw engages the flexible implant within the implant passage to fix the flexible implant to the implant housing.
Claims19
A method for securing a spinal rod to a bony element, comprising:
- looping a flexible member around the bony element;
- positioning the spinal rod in a first passage of a housing of unitary construction;
- passing a portion of the flexible member through a second passage of the housing in a first direction, the flexible member being separable from the housing;
- tensioning the flexible member about the bony element;
- and
- advancing a securement member along an axis in a second direction transverse to the first direction to secure at least one of the spinal rod within the first passage via a third passage and the flexible member within the second passage via a fourth passage to the housing,
- wherein the third passage and the fourth passage are substantially parallel.
A spinal fixation method, comprising:
- passing a first portion of a flexible member around a portion of a vertebra;
- inserting first and second ends of the flexible member into a first passage of an implant housing;
- positioning a spinal rod in a second passage of the implant housing via a third passage extending transverse to the second passage;
- tensioning the flexible member with a tensioning instrument coupled to the flexible member and the implant housing;
- and
- locking the flexible member within the first passage by threading a securement member in a fourth passage extending transverse to the first passage.
A spinal fixation method, comprising:
- passing at least one of a first end and a second end of a flexible member around a portion of a vertebra;
- inserting the first and second ends of the flexible member in a first passage of an implant housing;
- positioning a spinal rod in a second passage of the implant housing;
- tensioning the flexible member with a tensioning instrument coupled to the flexible member and the implant housing;
- and
- locking the spinal rod within the second passage by threading a securement member in a third passage extending transverse to the first passage.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.