Surgical instrument for moving a vertebra
AssigneeZimmer Spine, Inc.
InventorAlan Shluzas
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A surgical instrument includes a first device adapted to be connected to a fastener fixed to a first bone portion. A second device includes a first portion associated with the first device and a second portion for supporting a member which engages the fastener fixed to the first bone portion and secures a rod connected to the second bone portion to the fastener. The second portion is adapted for pressing the member against the rod. The first device has a part that prevents the second device from moving toward the fastener that is connected to the first device so that the member is rotated relative to the fastener but is not moved axially relative to the fastener in response to rotation of the second device.
Claims10
A method of treating a spinal location of a patient, comprising:
- providing an elongate body having a proximal end, a distal end, an outer surface and an inner surface, said elongate body defining a passage extending therethrough;
- inserting said distal end of said elongate body into the patient such that the distal end resides proximate the spinal location;
- configuring said elongate body so that the cross-sectional area of said passage at a first location is greater than the cross-sectional area of said passage at a second location, wherein the first location is distal to the second location, wherein configuring said elongate body causes said outer surface to engage body tissue;
- advancing through the passage a device having a first portion configured to engage a first implant coupled with a first vertebra and a second portion configured to engage a second implant coupled with a second vertebra;
- and
- providing relative motion between the first and second portions of the device to move the first vertebra with respect to the second vertebra in a plane generally transverse to the spine of the patient.
A method for manipulating at least one of an anchoring member and an implant, comprising:
- advancing an elongate body to a spinal location, the elongate body at least partially defining a passageway therethrough;
- advancing through the passageway an instrument configured to manipulate at least one of the anchoring members coupled with a first vertebra and the implant coupled with a second vertebra, the instrument being configured to limit a force applied by the instrument along an axis;
- and
- moving the implant with respect to the anchoring member along the axis to change the relative position of the first vertebra and the second vertebra in a plane generally transverse to the spine.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.