Artificial facet joint
AssigneeDePuy Spine, Inc.
InventorsSeungkyu Daniel Kwak, John Riley Hawkins, Amie Borgstrom, William Dunbar
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Abstract
Various methods and devices for replacing damaged, injured, diseased, or otherwise unhealthy posterior elements, such as the facet joints, the lamina, the posterior ligaments, and/or other features of a patient's spinal column, are provided. In one exemplary embodiment, the methods and devices are effective to mimic the natural function of the spine by allowing flexion, extension, and lateral bending of the spine, while substantially restricting posterior-anterior shear and rotation of the spine.
Claims32
An implantable device for stabilizing the spine, comprising:
- a first member adapted to couple to a first vertebra and having a bearing element rotatably disposed therein with an opening formed therethrough;
- a second member adapted to couple to a second vertebra adjacent to the first vertebra, the second member including an extension rod adapted to extend through the opening formed in the bearing element to control movement between the first and second vertebrae.
A method for stabilizing the posterior element in adjacent vertebrae, comprising:
- coupling a first member to a first vertebra and a second member to a second vertebra such that an extension rod on the first member extends through a bearing element rotatably disposed within the second member to control movement of the first and second vertebrae relative to one another.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.