Expansion member for insertion into a body tissue space
AssigneeSpine Wave, Inc.
InventorsWES JOHNSON, TYLER LIPSCHULTZ, LARRY WALES, ROBERT KIEVAL
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus and method is provided for interbody fusion including distracting, in a given direction, and supporting opposing vertebral bodies. A plurality of wafers are consecutively inserted between the vertebral bodies to create a column of wafers. The column of wafers is oriented between the vertebral bodies so as to expand in the given direction as the wafers are consecutively added to the column.
Claims12
An expansion member for sequential insertion into a space between opposing tissue surfaces to be distracted, comprising:
- an elongated body having an upper surface and an opposite lower surface, and an insertion end and an opposite trailing end;
- a female feature defined on one of said upper and lower surface, said female feature defining an elongated recess having an opening at said trailing end, an engagement surface adjacent said opening and an end wall at the insertion end opposite said opening;
- a male feature defined on the other of said upper and lower surface, said male feature including an elongated boss configured to be received within a recess of an adjacent elongated body and having an engagement surface at the trailing end arranged to engage with a recess engagement surface of said adjacent elongated body when said boss is within said recess;
- and
- resilient interlocking features defined between said female and male features for resiliently interlocking adjacent elongated bodies when the male feature of one body is inserted into said female feature through said opening.
An expansion member for sequential insertion into a space between opposing tissue surfaces to be distracted, comprising:
- an elongated body having an upper surface and an opposite lower surface, and an insertion end and an opposite trailing end;
- a female feature defined on one of said upper and lower surface, said female feature having an opening at said trailing end;
- and
- a male feature defined on the other of said upper and lower surface;
- and
- a locking feature adjacent the trailing end of said elongated body for locking adjacent elongated bodies against relative movement along the length of the bodies when the male feature of one elongated body is inserted into said female feature through said opening of an adjacent elongated body, said locking feature comprising a locking surface for engagement with a cooperative locking surface adjacent the trailing end of said adjacent elongated body.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.