# US 2014/0155942 A1 · Minimal profile anterior bracket for spinal fixation

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- Number: US 2014/0155942 A1
- Document ID: US20140155942A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/176,641
- Filed: 2014-02-10
- Published: 2014-06-05
- Earliest claimed: 2010-05-19
- Assignees: K2M, Inc.
- Applicants: K2M, Inc.
- Inventors: Josef E. Gorek; Scott Jones
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140155942A1

## CPC

- A61B 17/7059: {Cortical plates (A61B17/7007, A61B17/7058 take precedence)}
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)

## Abstract

A spinal fixation device for securing to a spine includes a body having one or more longitudinal members extending between a pair of wedge members. Each wedge member defines one or more openings therethrough for the reception of a bone screw. The wedge members are disposed on opposite ends of the one or more longitudinal members. One of the wedge members is positionable within a first intervertebral space and the other wedge member is positionable within a second intervertebral space. The one or more longitudinal members define a length that spans one or more vertebrae. The one or more longitudinal members are positionable within the one or more vertebrae when the wedge members are positioned within the respective first and second intervertebral spaces to maintain the body in a minimal profile orientation relative to the spine.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of securing a spinal fixation device to an anterior portion of a spine, comprising:
providing a spinal fixation device having a body including at least one longitudinal member extending between a pair of wedge members;
forming at least one recess within at least one vertebra of the spine;
positioning the at least one longitudinal member at least partially within the at least one recess;
positioning one of the wedge members at least partially in a first intervertebral space of the spine;
positioning the other wedge member at least partially in a second intervertebral space of the spine; and
securing the spinal fixation device to the anterior portion of the spine so that the spinal fixation device is in a minimal profile orientation relative to the anterior portion of the spine.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further including:
forming the at least one recess along a plurality of contiguous vertebrae of the spine; and
positioning the at least one longitudinal member at least partially within the at least one recess along each of the plurality of contiguous vertebrae.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further including securing each wedge member to a second vertebra of the spine with at least one bone screw, the second vertebra being adjacent the at least one vertebra.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further including spanning the at least one longitudinal member along a plurality of vertebrae.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further including of positioning the at least one longitudinal member within the at least one recess in a zero profile orientation relative to the anterior portion of the spine.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further including positioning the at least one longitudinal member within the at least one recess in a low profile orientation relative to the anterior portion of the spine.