Expandable containment devices and methods
AssigneeWarsaw Orthopedic, Inc.
InventorAnthony J. Melkent
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An expandable containment device is provided for use in containing a flowable material. The containment device includes an expandable housing extending along a longitudinal axis and defining an interior region, and including a first housing portion movably engaged with a second housing portion to allow expansion of the housing generally along the longitudinal axis to provide the housing with an axial dimension extending between adjacent bone structures. The containment device further includes an input port in fluid communication with the interior region of the housing and configured to deliver a flowable material into the interior region of the housing.
Claims46
An expandable containment device for use in containing a flowable material, comprising:
- an expandable housing extending along a longitudinal axis and defining an interior region, said expandable housing including a first housing portion movably engaged with a second housing portion to allow expansion of said housing generally along the longitudinal axis to provide said housing with an axial dimension extending between adjacent bone structures;
- and
- an input port in fluid communication with said interior region and configured to deliver a flowable material into said interior region of said expandable housing.
An expandable containment device for use in containing a flowable material, comprising:
- an expandable housing extending along a longitudinal axis and defining an interior region, said expandable housing including first and second housing portions each defining a hollow interior, said hollow interiors cooperating with one another to define said interior region of said housing, one of said housing portions telescopically received within said hollow interior of the other of said housing portions to allow expansion of said housing generally along the longitudinal axis to provide said housing with an axial dimension extending between adjacent bone structures;
- and
- an input port in fluid communication with said interior region and configured to deliver a flowable material into said interior region of said expandable housing.
The expandable containment device of claim 33, wherein said flowable material comprises bone cement or paste.
A method of supporting adjacent bone structures, comprising:
- providing an expandable containment device;
- positioning the expandable containment device within a space between the adjacent bone structures;
- delivering a flowable material into the expandable containment device;
- expanding the expandable containment device to extend between the adjacent bone structures.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.