Spinal disc prosthesis apparatus and placement method
AssigneeLamprich Medical, LLC
InventorsLonnie Lamprich, Bradley Lamprich
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Abstract
A spinal disc prosthesis and method of placing a spinal disc prosthesis between adjacent vertebrae are provided. The inventive spinal disc prosthesis can comprise one or more solid, compressible prosthesis elements that are formed prior to the method of placing the prosthesis, or one or more solid prosthesis elements that are formed in situ. The inventive method of placing a spinal disc prosthesis between adjacent vertebrae of a patient is based on a posterior approach. The invention also includes a spinal disc prosthesis insertion apparatus and specially constructed surgical instruments for use in carrying out the method.
Claims44
A spinal disc prosthesis insertion apparatus, comprising:
- a shell including a hollow interior, an open upper end, and an open lower end opposing said open upper end;
- and
- a compressed, solid compressible prosthesis element slidably disposed in said shell.
A method of placing a spinal disc prosthesis including two solid prosthesis elements between adjacent spinal vertebrae comprising the steps of:
- (a) forming an enlarged partially circular space from the back and to one side of the space between adjacent vertebrae previously occupied by a degenerated disc;
- (b) forming additional spaces within the interiors of the adjacent vertebrae, each of said additional spaces intersecting said enlarged partially circular space and including an upper surface adjacent to said enlarged partially circular space;
- (c) placing a solid prosthesis element in said portion of said enlarged partially circular space that intersects said additional spaces and in said additional spaces whereby said upper surfaces of said additional spaces prevent said prosthesis element from coming out of said additional spaces;
- and
- (d) repeating steps (a), (b) and (c) from the back and to the other side of the space between adjacent vertebrae.
A method of placing a spinal disc prosthesis including one or more solid prosthesis elements between adjacent spinal vertebrae comprising the steps of:
- (a) forming a first enlarged partially circular space from the back and to one side of the space between adjacent vertebrae previously occupied by a degenerated disc;
- (b) forming a first set of additional spaces within the interiors of the adjacent vertebrae, each of said additional spaces of said first set intersecting said first enlarged partially circular space and including an upper surface adjacent to said first enlarged partially circular space;
- (c) forming a second enlarged partially circular space from the back and to the other side of the space between the adjacent vertebrae previously occupied by the degenerated disc;
- (d) forming a second set of additional spaces within the interiors of the adjacent vertebrae, each of said additional spaces of said second set intersecting said second partially circular enlarged space and including an upper surface adjacent to said second partially circular enlarged space;
- (e) interconnecting said first set of additional spaces, said second set of additional spaces and the portions of said first and second enlarged partially circular spaces that intersect the respective additional spaces to form an enlarged disc cavity within the interiors of the adjacent vertebrae, said enlarged disc cavity including an upper surface between said first and second enlarged partially circular spaces and said upper cavities of said first and second sets of additional spaces;
- and
- (f) placing a solid prosthesis element in said enlarged disc cavity whereby said upper surfaces of said enlarged disc cavity prevent said prosthesis element from coming out of said first and second enlarged partially circular spaces.
A spinal disc prosthesis consisting of a single compressible prosthesis element that can be compressed to a size that allows the element to be inserted through the back of a patient into an enlarged disc cavity formed within the interiors of adjacent spinal vertebrae of the patient.
A router for forming additional spaces within the interiors of adjacent spinal vertebrae that intersect an enlarged partially circular space formed from the back and to one side of a space between the adjacent vertebrae that was previously occupied by a degenerated disc, said router comprising:
- an enlarged cylindrical portion of a size sufficient to form said additional spaces and having a diameter equal to or slightly less than the diameter of said enlarged partially circular space, said enlarged cylindrical portion including a flat upper surface, a flat lower surface and a cylindrical body connecting said upper surface to said lower surface, said cylindrical body including a plurality of sharp cutting points on the outside surface thereof for forming said additional spaces;
- and
- a cylindrical shaft extending outwardly from said upper surface of said enlarged cylindrical portion, said shaft having a diameter substantially less than the diameter of said enlarged cylindrical portion.
A rasp comprising an elongated shaft and a file portion attached to said shaft and transversely extending therefrom.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.