Spinal implant with attached ligament
OwnerKevin T. Foley, T. Andrew Simonton +1inventors
InventorsKevin T. Foley, T. Andrew Simonton, Craig M. Squires
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Implantable devices are provided useful for creating fusion particularly in intervetebral spinal fusion. The device is formed of any rigid biocompatible material and has a body portion with an attached ligament extending from the body portion. The ligament can extend upwardly from the body portion and downwardly from the body portion, and is made from a flexible material. In one application, the body portion is inserted into a disc space and the flexible ligament is secured to vertebrae on either side of the disc space.
Claims32
An implant, comprising:
- a body portion having a hollow cavity for receiving bone growth material, said body positionable in the disc space between adjacent upper and lower vertebrae;
- and
- a ligament attached to said body portion between the adjacent upper and lower vertebrae, said ligament extending from said body portion along the upper vertebra and along the lower vertebra, wherein said ligament is made from a flexible material.
An implant, comprising:
- a rigid body portion extending between a first bearing surface and a second bearing surface, each of said first and second bearing surfaces positionable adjacent a respective one of an upper vertebral endplate and a lower vertebral endplate;
- a flexible ligament attachable to said body portion, said flexible ligament including:
- a first portion extending from said body in a first direction for attachment to the upper vertebra;
- and
- a second portion extending from said body in a second direction for attachment to the lower vertebra.
A spinal system, comprising:
- a first implant including:
- a first body portion positionable in the disc space between adjacent upper and lower vertebrae;
- a first ligament extending from said body portion along the body of said upper vertebra and along the body of said lower vertebra, wherein said first ligament is made from a flexible material;
- a second implant including:
- a second body portion positionable in the disc space between adjacent upper and lower vertebrae;
- and
- a second ligament extending from said second body portion along the body of said upper vertebra and along the body of said lower vertebra, wherein said second ligament is made from a flexible material.
A method of fusing adjacent vertebrae through a disc space between adjacent vertebrae, comprising:
- providing a hollow implant having a body portion with an upper bearing surface and opposite lower bearing surface, said implant further including a flexible ligament extending from the body portion;
- placing bone growth material in the hollow implant;
- accessing the disc space between adjacent vertebrae;
- inserting the body portion of the implant into the disc space;
- and
- securing the flexible ligament to one of the adjacent vertebrae.
A method of preparing a spinal implant, comprising:
- providing a body portion adapted for insertion in the spinal disc space between adjacent first vertebra and a second vertebra;
- providing bone engaging surfaces on the body portion;
- and
- attaching a flexible ligament to said body portion, said flexible ligament including a first portion extending from said body in a first direction for attachment to the first vertebra and a second portion extending from said body in a second direction for attachment to the second vertebra.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.