Ratcheting fixation plate
AssigneeSDGI Holdings, Inc.
InventorsRobert Farris, Jason May, Alexander Vaccaro
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Devices and methods for spinal fixation employ at least first and second plates that are configured to allow progressive sliding advancement of the plate members toward one another and limit movement of the plate members away from one another after installation. A spring member associated with one bone plate may engage toothed section(s) on the other bone plate. The bone plates may each have arms that are spaced from one another and engaged by corresponding arms on the other bone plate. There may be more than two bone plates, with multiple restricted movement regions.
Claims56
A bone plate device comprising:
- a first plate member adapted to be secured to a bone;
- a second plate member adapted to be secured to a bone and coupled to said first plate member;
- said first plate member having first and second toothed sections thereon disposed on opposite sides of a longitudinal axis of said bone plate device, each of said toothed sections comprising a plurality of teeth;
- a spring member engaging said second plate member and displaceably engaging said first and second toothed sections;
- wherein engagement of said spring member and said toothed sections enables progressive sliding advancement of said plate members toward one another and limits movement of said plate members away from one another.
A bone plate device comprising:
- a first plate member adapted to be secured to a bone and having first and second arms spaced from one another and disposed on opposing sides of a longitudinal axis of said bone plate device;
- each of said first and second arms having an associated centerline;
- each said first and second arms having an inner surface, with respect to said axis, having first and second toothed sections thereon respectively, each of said toothed sections comprising a plurality of teeth;
- a second plate member adapted to be secured to a bone and coupled to said first plate member;
- said second plate member having third and fourth arms extending toward said first plate member;
- said third arm engaging said first arm and said fourth arm engaging said second arm;
- wherein said third arm extends inward toward said axis farther than said first arm and extends farther outward away from said axis than said centerline of said first arm;
- wherein said toothed sections form a portion of a locking mechanism that allows progressive sliding advancement of said plate members toward one another and limits movement of said plate members away from one another.
A method of fixing two vertebrae together using a bone plate device having at least two bone plate members, comprising:
- securing a first plate member to a first vertebrae;
- said first plate member having first and second toothed sections thereon disposed on opposite sides of a longitudinal axis of said bone plate device, each of said toothed sections comprising a plurality of teeth;
- securing a second plate member adapted to a second vertebrae;
- coupling said second plate member with said first plate member so as to enable progressive sliding advancement of said plate members toward one another and limit movement of said plate members away from one another by displaceably engaging a spring member with said first and second toothed sections while said spring member engages said second plate member.
A method of fixing two vertebrae together using a bone plate device having at least two bone plate members, comprising:
- securing a first plate member to a first vertebrae;
- said first plate member having first and second arms disposed on opposite sides of a longitudinal axis of said bone plate device;
- each of said first and second arms having an associated centerline;
- each said first and second arms having an inner surface, with respect to said axis, having first and second toothed sections thereon respectively, each of said toothed sections comprising a plurality of teeth;
- securing a second plate member adapted to a second vertebrae;
- said second plate member having third and fourth arms extending toward said first plate member;
- engaging said first arm with said third arm such that said third arm extends inward toward said axis farther than said first arm and extends outward away from said axis farther than said centerline of said first arm;
- engaging said second arm with said fourth arm;
- coupling said second plate member with said first plate member so as to enable progressive sliding advancement of said plate members toward one another and limit movement of said plate members away from one another via said toothed sections.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.