Self-deploying locking screw retention device
AssigneeTitan Spine, LLC
InventorsChad J. Patterson, Peter F. Ullrich, JR.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A screw assembly and a spinal implant. The screw assembly includes a screw with a head and a shaft where a screw retention member is positioned beneath the head of the screw and substantially surrounds the shaft of the screw. The screw retention member is formed from a temperature-sensitive material. The screw retention member has a first contracted position adapted for inserting the screw through at least one hole in the spinal implant and a second expanded position adapted for retaining the screw within the at least one hole in the spinal implant. The screw retention member may be in the form of a coiled spring or a collar having a plurality of tabs.
Claims20
An interbody spinal implant assembly comprising:
- an interbody spinal implant including:
- a top surface, a bottom surface, opposing lateral sides, and opposing anterior and posterior portions;
- at least one of the top surface and the bottom surface has a roughened surface topography, without sharp teeth that risk damage to bone structures, adapted to grip bone through friction generated when the implant is placed between two vertebrae and to inhibit migration of the implant;
- and
- at least one hole extending through the implant sized and configured to receive a screw;
- and
- at least one screw including a screw retention member comprising a temperature-sensitive material, wherein the screw retention member has a first contracted position enabling the screw to be inserted through the at least one hole and a second expanded position for retaining the screw within the at least one hole.
A screw assembly for a spinal implant comprising:
- a screw comprising a head and a shaft;
- and
- a screw retention member positioned beneath the head of the screw and surrounding the shaft of the screw,
- wherein the screw retention member comprises a temperature-sensitive material, and the screw retention member has a first contracted position adapted for inserting the screw through at least one hole in the spinal implant and a second expanded position adapted for retaining the screw within the at least one hole in the spinal implant.
A method of deploying at least one screw retention member in a spinal implant comprising:
- inserting at least one screw having a screw retention member in a first contracted position into a hole of the spinal implant, wherein the screw retention member is formed from a temperature-sensitive material have a transformation temperature;
- and
- allowing the screw retention member to deploy into a second expanded position retaining the screw within the hole of the spinal implant when the temperature-sensitive material reaches or exceeds the transformation temperature.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.