Bone fixation system
AssigneeDalmatic Lystrup A/S
InventorsVagn Erik Dall, Cody Eric Bunger
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Abstract
In a fixation system for controlling the alignment of adjacent vertebra after spinal surgery, aligned fixation rods are held in a mount on each of such vertebra, with their juxtaposed ends received in a sleeve between the mounts. At least one of the rods is movable in the sleeve relative to the other to allow controlled movement of adjacent vertebra. In some embodiments, the sleeve can itself be held in a mount installed on one of such vertebra with the aligned fixation rods being capable of relative movement therein. The system allows the spine to grow without the need for further surgery.
Claims15
A bone fixation system for controlling the alignment of adjacent vertebrae after spinal surgery, which system comprises aligned first and second fixation rods;
- first and second mounts for installation on respective spaced vertebrae and for securing said first and second fixation rods, respectively;
- and a third mount for installation on a third vertebrae between the first and second mounts and respective spaced vertebrae, said third mount for securing a sleeve for receiving the juxtaposed ends of the first and second fixation rods in alignment between the first and second mounts, at least one of the aligned fixation rods being movable in the sleeve relative to the other to allow controlled movement of adjacent vertebra.
A method of controlling the alignment of adjacent vertebra after spinal surgery, which method comprises fitting first and second mounts for fixation rods on each of two vertebrae in the spine under surgery;
- fitting a third mount with a sleeve on a vertebra between the two vertebrae;
- and securing first and second aligned fixation rods in the first and second mounts, respectively, with juxtaposed ends of said first and second aligned fixation rods in the sleeve in which at least one of the rods is slideable, movement of said at least one rod in the sleeve allowing the spine to grow without further intervention.
A method according to claim 14 wherein the rod movable in the sleeve has a curved section extending into the sleeve, and wherein the sleeve is correspondingly curved.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.