Method and apparatus for spinal distraction and fusion
AssigneeTranS1 Inc.
InventorsAndrew H. Cragg, Robert L. Assell, Eugene A. Dickhudt
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention provides an implantable spinal distraction/fusion rod with varied thread pitch and diameters along different portions of its length that it is capable of distracting two or more vertebral bodies relative to each other and/or facilitating the procedure of fusing the vertebral bodies together from within the spine. The present invention also provides for methods of using the rod to distract and/or fuse two or more vertebral bodies from within the spine.
Claims49
A method of treating the spine, comprising the steps of:
- identifying a site on the anterior surface of the sacrum;
- forming a lumen from the site into the sacrum, through a first vertebral body and into a second vertebral body;
- and
- introducing a distraction device into the lumen.
A method of treating the spine, comprising the steps of:
- identifying a site on the posterior surface of the sacrum;
- forming a nonlinear lumen from the site through the sacrum, through a first vertebral body and into a second vertebral body;
- and
- introducing a distraction device into the lumen.
A method of increasing the distance between a first vertebral body and a second vertebral body, comprising the steps of:
- providing an internal distraction device having an elongate body, a first threaded surface on a proximal portion of the body and a second threaded surface on a distal portion of the body;
- engaging the first threaded surface with the first vertebral body, and the second threaded surface with the second vertebral body;
- and
- rotating the distraction device to increase the distance between the first vertebral body and the second vertebral body.
An implantable distraction device, comprising:
- an elongate body, having a proximal end and a distal end;
- a proximal thread on the body, having a first pitch and a first major diameter;
- a distal thread on the body, having a second pitch and a second major diameter;
- wherein the first pitch is different than the second pitch and the first major diameter is greater than the second major diameter.
An axially-extending implantable rod, comprising:
- a distal section near a leading end of the rod that has threading and is capable of engaging with a first vertebral body;
- a proximal section near a trailing end of the rod that has threading and is capable of engaging with a second vertebral body that is located proximally relative to the first vertebral body;
- and
- an intermediate section extending between the distal and proximal sections;
- wherein the major diameter of the threading in the proximal section is greater than the major diameter of the threading in the distal section;
- wherein the thread pitch in the distal section is finer relative to the thread pitch in the proximal section such that advancement of the distal section distally into the second vertebral body by rotation causes an increase in distance between the first and second vertebral bodies.
A method of treating the spine, comprising the steps of:
- determining a desired change in disc height between targeted vertebral bodies, wherein the targeted vertebral bodies comprise a proximal body and a distal body;
- selecting an axially-extending rod with appropriate thread pitches in the distal and proximal sections to achieve the desired change in height;
- accessing the targeted bodies by creating an axial bore that extends in the distal direction from a sacral target point to a disc space between the targeted bodies;
- extending the axial bore in the distal direction to create an extended portion of the axial bore, wherein the extended portion has a smaller diameter than the portion of the axial bore extending from the sacral target point to the disc space between the targeted bodies;
- advancing and implanting the selected rod into the targeted bodies to achieve the desired change in disc height.
A method of treating the spine, comprising the steps of:
- advancing an implant axially through a first vertebral body, across a disc space and at least into a second vertebral body;
- rotating at least a portion of the implant in a first direction to increase the distance between the first and second vertebral bodies;
- introducing media between the first and second vertebral bodies;
- and
- rotating at least a portion of the implant in a second direction to decrease the distance between the first and second vertebral bodies.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.