US 2003/0229358 A1 · Wedge plate inserter/impactor and related methods for use in implanting an artificial intervertebral disc

Abstract

A wedge plate inserter/impactor instrument is provided primarily for holding, inserting, repositioning, removing, impacting, extracting, and otherwise manipulating an artificial intervertebral disc having features suitable for being manipulated thereby. A spring-loaded holding pin of the instrument can be used to engage a corresponding hole on the disc and confront the angled surfaces of the disc to enable the holding and manipulation of the disc. A forward wedge extension of the inserter/impactor has upper and lower surfaces that engage inwardly facing surfaces of the disc to hold the baseplates of the disc at a preferred lordosis angle with respect to one another. The instrument can engage the disc from a variety of surgical approach angles.

Claims1

Dependent claims

An instrument for holding an artificial intervertebral disc, the instrument comprising:

a shaft having a proximal end and a distal end, the distal head having a central distal surface for confronting a engagement surface of the artificial intervertebral disc,
a pin that is translatable parallel to the longitudinal axis of the shaft, the pin having a hooked end that is spring biased proximally toward a retracted position, and extendible distally away from the central distal surface toward an extended position,
wherein in the extended position, the pin is insertable into an engagement hole of the artificial intervertebral disc, and in the retracted position, when inserted in the engagement hole, spring biasingly holds the engagement surface of the artificial intervertebral disc against the central distal surface.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

10/425,267Filed 29 Apr 2003

Priority

4 Oct 2001

Published

11 Dec 2003

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification53 codes

A61F 2/442
For the spine, e.g. vertebrae or spinal discs: intervertebral or spinal discs, e.g. resilient
A61F 2/4425
Intervertebral or spinal discs, e.g. resilient: made of articulated components
A61F 2/446
For the fusion of spinal bodies, e.g. intervertebral fusion of adjacent spinal bodies, e.g. fusion cages: having a circular or elliptical…
A61F 2/4611
For insertion or extraction of endoprosthetic joints or of accessories thereof: of spinal prostheses

Family

Application09/970,479Continuation · filed 4 Oct 2001

Application10/151,280Continuation · filed 20 May 2002

Application10/175,417Continuation · filed 19 Jun 2002

Application10/256,160Continuation · filed 26 Sep 2002

Application10/282,356Continuation in part · filed 29 Oct 2002

Application10/282,356Continuation · filed 29 Oct 2002

Application10/425,267Continuation in part · filed 29 Apr 2003

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