Interior insert ball and dual socket joint
AssigneeJoint Synergy, LLC
InventorsRobert Doubler, John Hammill, Robert Diaz
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A spinal implant is inserted between adjacent vertebrae to function as an disk prosthesis. The prosthesis has two plates fastened to adjacent vertebrae facing each other. The facing sides of the plates each have a depending skirt formed as concentric arcs of about 90 degrees. The skirts are either bowed or tapered in the axial direction. Depressions are centrally located between the arcs of the plates and a ball is universally movable in the depressions. A spring mechanism is centrally located in the plates to provide axial compression. One plate has a through bore and one plate has a receptacle, each, receiving a sleeve with a depression for holding the ball.
Claims14
A spinal implant for placement between adjacent vertebrae to replace disk material comprising a first plate and a second plate adapted to interlock about a central axis, said first plate having a vertebrae engaging side and a disk side, a first depression in said central axis of said disk side of said plate, said second plate having a second vertebrae engaging side and a second disk side, a second depression in said central axis of said second disk side of said second plate, said first depression and said second depression facing each other and forming a spherical shaped cavity, and a ball universally mounted in said spherical shaped cavity, a resilient material contacting one of said first plate and said second plate whereby said first plate is adapted to contact a vertebrae and said second plate is adapted to contact an adjacent vertebrae with said spherical shaped cavity adapted to form bearing surfaces for said ball along said central axis and forming a dynamic universal joint.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.