Artificial disc
AssigneeAxioMed Spine Corporation
InventorJames Michael Kuras
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An artificial disc (10) to replace a damaged spinal disc in a spinal column (16) includes a resilient core (60) having an upper surface (62) and a lower surface(64). An upper retaining member (20) has an outer surface (22) engageable with a first vertebra (12) of the spinal column (16) and an inner surface (24) affixed to the upper surface (62) of the resilient core (60). A lower retaining member (40) has an outer surface (42) engageable with a second vertebra (14) of the spinal column (16) and an inner surface (44) affixed to the lower surface (64) of the resilient core (60). One of the upper and lower retaining members (20, 40) has an opening (30, 50) extending through the outer and inner surfaces into which the resilient core (60) deflects upon relative movement of the upper and lower retaining members (20, 40).
Claims22
An artificial disc to replace a damaged spinal disc in a spinal column, said artificial disc comprising:
- a resilient core having an upper surface and a lower surface;
- an upper retaining member having an outer surface engageable with a first vertebra of the spinal column and an inner surface affixed to said upper surface of said resilient core;
- and
- a lower retaining member having an outer surface engageable with a second vertebra of the spinal column and an inner surface affixed to said lower surface of said resilient core;
- one of said upper and lower retaining members having an opening extending through said outer and inner surfaces of said one of said upper and lower retaining members.
An artificial disc to replace a damaged spinal disc in a spinal column, said artificial disc comprising:
- a resilient core having an upper surface and a lower surface;
- an upper retaining member having an outer surface engageable with a first vertebra of the spinal column and an inner surface affixed to said upper surface of said resilient core;
- and
- a lower retaining member having an outer surface engageable with a second vertebra of the spinal column and an inner surface affixed to said lower surface of said resilient core;
- one of said upper and lower retaining members having an opening extending through said inner surface of said one of said upper and lower retaining members into which said resilient core deflects upon relative movement between said upper and lower retaining members.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.