Apparatus and Methods for Inserting an Interbody Fusion Device

An apparatus for use in spinal interbody fusion surgery, comprising in combination:

• a spinal interbody fusion implant comprising a body including an open distal end, an open proximal end, a hollow interior communicating with said open distal end and said open proximal end, a top surface and a bottom surface, each of said top surface and said bottom surface including an engagement surface depending transversely therefrom and being disposed adjacent to and facing the distal end of said implant;
• an inserter comprising an implant holder and an expander, said implant holder comprising a proximal end and a distal end, said proximal end extending exteriorly outside the proximal end of said implant body, the distal end extending within said hollow interior of said implant body and including a pair of flexible arms each terminating in a tip portion having an exterior tapered surface, each tip portion including a latching surface in cooperative releasable latched engagement with a respective engagement surface on the top surface and the bottom surface of said implant body, said flexible arms being normally biased toward each other;
• and
• said expander being supported by said implant holder for movement between said flexible arms in both proximal and distal directions, said expander comprising a distal portion for disposition between said tip portions of said arms and being of size and configuration to move said tip portions away from each other and to cause said cooperative engagement between said latching surfaces on said tip portion and said engagement surfaces on said implant body, said expander including an end extent that includes a tapered surface that upon such disposition of said expander defines with the tapered exterior surfaces of said tip portions a tapered distal tip projecting exteriorly beyond the distal end of said implant body.

A method of inserting a spinal implant between opposing tissue surfaces of a spine, comprising the steps of:

• releasably attaching an inserter to a hollow spinal implant having a proximal open end and a distal open end such that an expandable distal end of said inserter defines a tapered distal tip that extends distally beyond the distal open end of said implant;
• inserting said implant with said inserter attached thereto between opposing tissue surfaces of a spine with the tapered surface of the distal end of said inserter providing an initial distraction of said tissue surfaces;
• and
• contracting said expandable distal end of said inserter to remove said inserter from said implant.

A method of inserting a spinal interbody fusion implant into the intradiscal space between endplates of opposing vertebral bodies of a spine, comprising the steps of:

• releasably attaching an inserter to a hollow spinal implant having a proximal open end and a distal open end such that an expandable distal end of said inserter defines a tapered distal tip that extends distally beyond the distal open end of said implant;
• inserting said implant with said inserter attached thereto into the intradiscal space between endplates of opposing vertebral bodies of a spine with the tapered surface of the distal end of said inserter providing an initial distraction between said vertebral bodies;
• and
• contracting said expandable distal end of said inserter to remove said inserter from said implant.