System and method for blocking and/or retaining a prosthetic spinal implant
AssigneeWarsaw Orthopedic, Inc.
InventorHai H. Trieu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Devices for anchoring and/or blocking spinal implants in an intervertebral disc space are disclosed. In one aspect of the invention the device includes a rigid blocking member having one end unconnected and free to block a spinal implant, and another end attached to a securing member to secure the blocking member to the spine. Methods for using the inventive anchoring/blocking implants are also provided.
Claims20
A device for maintaining separation between naturally adjacent vertebrae in a human while cushioning the intervertebral space, the device comprising:
- a first L-shaped blocking member having an anchoring arm and a blocking arm, the L-shaped blocking member being sized and adapted to be coupled to a human vertebra;
- a securing member for coupling the anchoring arm to a human vertebra;
- and
- an intervertebral disc implant sized and adapted to be positioned between two, naturally adjacent vertebrae in a human;
- wherein the blocking arm of the L-shaped blocking member is sized and adapted to block the intervertebral disc implant from being expelled from an intervertebral disc space while remaining free and unconnected to the intervertebral disc implant.
A device for maintaining separation between naturally adjacent human vertebrae, the device comprising an L-shaped blocking member having an anchoring arm and a blocking arm;
- and
- a spinal implant sized and adapted to be positioned between two, naturally adjacent human vertebrae in a disc nucleus space;
- wherein the anchoring arm is sized and adapted to be anchored to a human vertebra;
- and
- wherein the blocking arm is sized and adapted to extend into an opening in a disc annulus without extending into the disc nucleus space, and is thereby to be positioned to block the spinal implant in the disc nucleus space while remaining unconnected to the spinal implant.
A device for maintaining separation between naturally adjacent human vertebrae, the device comprising a pair of L-shaped blocking members, wherein each blocking member has an anchoring arm and a blocking arm;
- and
- a spinal implant sized and adapted to be positioned between naturally adjacent human vertebrae in a disc nucleus space;
- wherein each of the anchoring arms is sized and adapted to be anchored to a respective one of the naturally adjacent human vertebra;
- and
- wherein each of the blocking arms is sized and adapted to extend into an opening in a disc annulus without extending into the disc nucleus space, and are thereby to be positioned to block the spinal implant in the disc nucleus space while remaining unconnected to the spinal implant.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.