# US 2014/0194991 A1 · Stable device for intervertebral distraction and fusion > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0194991 A1 - Document ID: US20140194991A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/153,281 - Filed: 2014-01-13 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2009-03-19 - Assignees: Ex Technology, LLC - Applicants: Ex Technology, LLC - Inventors: Omar F. Jimenez - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140194991A1 ## CPC - A61F 2/447: {substantially parallelepipedal, e.g. having a rectangular or trapezoidal cross-section} - A61F 2/442: {Intervertebral or spinal discs, e.g. resilient (non-disc-shaped intervertebral inflatable pockets A61F2/441; non-disc-shaped intervertebral fusion implants A61F2/4455)} - A61F 2/4611: {of spinal prostheses} - A61F 2/30965: {Reinforcing the prosthesis by embedding particles or fibres during moulding or dipping} - A61F 2/482: {Electrical means} - A61F 2002/2817: {Bone stimulation by chemical reactions or by osteogenic or biological products for enhancing ossification, e.g. by bone morphogenetic or morphogenic proteins [BMP] or by transforming growth factors [TGF]} - A61F 2002/2835: {Bone graft implants for filling a bony defect or an endoprosthesis cavity, e.g. by synthetic material or biological material} - A61F 2002/30087: {piezoelectric} - A61F 2002/30092: {using shape memory or superelastic materials, e.g. nitinol} - A61F 2002/30364: {Rotation about the common longitudinal axis} - A61F 2002/30367: {with additional means for preventing said rotation} - A61F 2002/30471: {connected by a hinged linkage mechanism, e.g. of the single-bar or multi-bar linkage type} - A61F 2002/30507: {using a threaded locking member, e.g. a locking screw or a set screw} - A61F 2002/30522: {releasable, e.g. using a releasable ratchet} - A61F 2002/30523: {by means of meshing gear teeth} - A61F 2002/30525: {Worm gears} - A61F 2002/30556: {for adjusting thickness} - A61F 2002/30593: {hollow} - A61F 2002/30601: {telescopic} - A61F 2002/30616: {Sets comprising a plurality of prosthetic parts of different sizes or orientations} - A61F 2002/30624: {Hinged joint, e.g. with transverse axle restricting the movement} - A61F 2002/30777: {Oblong apertures} - A61F 2002/30827: {Plurality of grooves} - A61F 2002/30841: {Sharp anchoring protrusions for impaction into the bone, e.g. sharp pins, spikes} - A61F 2002/30843: {Pyramidally-shaped} - A61F 2310/00017: Iron- or Fe-based alloys, e.g. stainless steel - A61F 2310/00023: Titanium or titanium-based alloys, e.g. Ti-Ni alloys - A61F: FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS (dental prosthetics A61C) ## Abstract Improved methods and apparatuses for vertebral body distraction and fusion in accordance with various embodiments employ mechanisms for stabilizing a device so that the device can stay in the body and stably support the disc space during vertebral fusion following distraction of the adjacent vertebra by operation of the device. The device is inserted into the disc space and distracted from a compressed configuration to an expanded configuration to distract the disc space. Mechanisms for stabilizing the device in the expanded configuration constrain the device to zero degrees of freedom of movement to allow the device to stably support the disc space. A bone growth stimulant for promoting vertebral fusion can be inserted into an open space defined by the device, which continues to stably support the disc space during vertebral fusion. ## Claims ### Claim at position 1 1-22. (canceled) ### Claim 23 A distractible intervertebral body fusion device adapted to be implanted into an intervertebral disc space in a patient's body, comprising: a first base plate having an outer bearing surface configured to interface with a first vertebra of the intervertebral disc space; a second base plate having an outer bearing surface configured to interface with a second vertebra of the intervertebral disc space; a plurality of blocks disposed between the first base plate and the second base plate; an arm assembly extending between the first base place and the second base plate on each of a first side and a second side of the base plates, each arm assembly comprising: a first arm comprising first and second structural members, the first structural member hingedly attached at one end to one of the first base plate and the second base plate and at an opposing end to one of the blocks, and the second structural member hingedly attached at one end to the other of the first base plate and the second base plate and at an opposing end to the one of the blocks to which the first structural member is attached; a second arm directly adjacent to the first arm and comprising third and fourth structural members, the third structural member hingedly attached at one end to one of the first base plate and the second base plate and at an opposing end to one of the blocks, and the fourth structural member hingedly attached at one end to the other of the first base plate and the second base plate and at an opposing end to the one of the blocks to which the third structural member is attached; and a third arm linearly displaced from the first arm and the second arm and comprising fifth and sixth structural members, the fifth structural member hingedly attached at one end to one of the first base plate and the second base plate and at an opposing end to one of the blocks, and the sixth structural member hingedly attached at one end to the other of the first base plate and the second base plate and at an opposing end to the one of the blocks to which the fifth structural member is attached; and first and second actuation members, the first actuation member adapted to extend through the blocks attached to the first, second and third arms of the arm assembly on the first side of the base plates and the second actuation member adapted to extend through the blocks attached to the first, second and third arms of the arm assembly on the second side of the base plates, each actuation member independently operable to drive the respective blocks closer together to expand the respective arms to cause the first base plate and the second base plate to move away from each other into a distracted position. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The device of claim 23, wherein each actuation member is a threaded member such that rotation of each actuation member in a first direction causes the respective arms to expand and rotation of each actuation member in a second direction opposite of the first direction causes the respective arms to collapse. ### Claim 25 (depends on 23) The device of claim 23, wherein the first arm and the second arm abut each other. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The device of claim 25, wherein the one end of the first structural member hingedly attached to the one of the first base plate and the second base plate abuts the one end of the third structural member hingedly attached to the one of the first base plate and the second base plate and the one end of the second structural member hingedly attached to the other of the first base plate and the second base plate abuts the one end of the fourth structural member hingedly attached to the other of the first base plate and the second base plate. ### Claim 27 (depends on 23) The device of claim 23, wherein each of structural members is hingedly attached to the respective first base plate or second base plate with a pin and further hingedly attached to the respective block with a pin. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The device of claim 27, wherein the first structural member and third structural member are attached to the one of the first base plate and the second base plate with separate pins and the second structural member and fourth structural member are attached to the other of the first base plate and the second base plate with separate pins. ### Claim 29 (depends on 23) The device of claim 23, wherein one or more blocks adjacent a common side of the first side and the second side of the base plates are separately driveable with the respective actuation member with respect to the other blocks on the common side such that the corresponding arms on the common side can be expanded different amounts to position at least one of the first and second base plates in an angled configuration adapted to match a unique lordosis of a specific patient. ### Claim 30 A distractible intervertebral body fusion device adapted to be implanted into an intervertebral disc space in a patient's body, comprising: a first base plate; a second base plate; a first arm on each of a first side and a second side of the base plates extending between the first base plate and the second base plate, each first arm hingedly attached at one end to the first base plate and at an opposing end to the second base plate; a second arm directly adjacent to the first arm on each of the first side and the second side of the base plates extending between the first base plate and the second base plate, each second arm hingedly attached at one end to the first base plate and at an opposing end to the second base plate; and a third arm linearly displaced from the first arm and the second arm on each of the first side and the second side of the base plates extending between the first base plate and the second base plate, each third arm hingedly attached at one end to the first base plate and at an opposing end to the second base plate; and first and second actuation members, each actuation member independently operable to expand the first, second and third arms on a respective side of the base plates to cause the first base plate and the second base plate to move away from each other into a distracted position. ### Claim 31 (depends on 30) The device of claim 30, wherein each actuation member is a threaded member such that rotation of each actuation member in a first direction causes the respective arms to expand and rotation of each actuation member in a second direction opposite of the first direction causes the respective arms to collapse. ### Claim 32 (depends on 30) The device of claim 30, wherein the first arm and the second arm abut each other. ### Claim 33 (depends on 32) The device of claim 32, wherein the one end of the first arm hingedly attached to the first base plate abuts the one end of the second arm hingedly attached to the first base plate and the opposing end of the first arm hingedly attached to the second base plate abuts the opposing end of the second arm hingedly attached to the second base plate. ### Claim 34 (depends on 30) The device of claim 30, wherein each of the arms is hingedly attached to the first base plate with a pin and to the second base plate with a pin. ### Claim 35 (depends on 34) The device of claim 34, wherein the first arm and the second arm are hingedly attached to the first base plate with separate pins and to the second base plate with separate pins. ### Claim 36 (depends on 30) The device of claim 30, wherein at least two of the first arm, second arm and third arm on each of the sides of the base plates are separately expandable with respect to each other with the respective actuation member such that the arms can be expanded different amounts to position at least one of the first and second base plates in an angled configuration adapted to match a unique lordosis of a specific patient. ### Claim 37 (depends on 30) The device of claim 30, wherein each arm comprises two structural members. ### Claim 38 A distractible intervertebral body fusion device adapted to be implanted into an intervertebral disc space in a patient's body, comprising: a first base plate having an outer bearing surface configured to interface with a first vertebra of the intervertebral disc space and first and second sides; a second base plate having an outer bearing surface configured to interface with a second vertebra of the intervertebral disc space and first and second sides; a pair of first arms extending between and hingedly attached to the first base plate and the second base plate, one of the first arms on each of the first and second sides of the base plates; a pair of second arms extending between and hingedly attached to the first base plate and the second base plate, one of the second arms on each of the first and second sides of the base plates, wherein the first pair of arms and second pair of arms are expandable between a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration in which the first base plate and the second base plate are distracted with respect to each other; a pair of stabilizing arms extending between and hingedly attached to the first base plate and the second base plate, one of the stabilizing arms on each of the first and second sides of the base plates; a pair of actuation members, each actuation member extending adjacent one of the first and second sides of the base plates and independently operable to expand the first, second and stabilizing arms along the respective side of the base plates to distract the base plates with respect to each other; and wherein the stabilizing arms are adapted to stably maintain the base plates in the distracted position under in-vivo loads with zero degrees of freedom. ### Claim 39 (depends on 38) The device of claim 38, further comprising a plurality of blocks positioned between the first base plate and the second base plate, each block operably connected with at least one of the arms, and wherein the actuation members each extend through at least some of the blocks. ### Claim 40 (depends on 38) The device of claim 38, wherein each actuation member is a threaded member such that rotation of each actuation member in a first direction causes the respective arms to expand and rotation of each actuation member in a second direction opposite of the first direction causes the respective arms to collapse. ### Claim 41 (depends on 38) The device of claim 38, wherein each arm comprises two structural members. ### Claim 42 (depends on 38) The device of claim 38, wherein at least two of the first arm, second arm and stabilizing arm on each of the sides of the base plates are separately expandable with respect to each other with the respective actuation member such that the arms can be expanded different amounts to position at least one of the first and second base plates in an angled configuration adapted to match a unique lordosis of a specific patient.