Surgical implant device and surgical implant insertion assembly for the translation and fusion of a facet joint of the spine

A surgical method for implanting a surgical implant device in a facet joint of a spine, comprising:

• forming a central hole across the facet joint and crossing a plane of an articulating surface of each of a superior facet and an inferior facet thereof;
• forming a pair of side holes parallel to the central hole across the facet joint and crossing the plane of the articulating surface of each of the superior facet and the inferior facet thereof;
• wherein each of the side holes partially overlap the central hole;
• and
• disposing a surgical implant device in the central hole and side holes, wherein the surgical implant device comprises:
• a substantially cylindrical central body portion, wherein the substantially cylindrical central body portion is disposed in the central hole;
• and
• a pair of substantially prismatic side portions extending in radially opposite directions disposed on either side of the substantially cylindrical central body portion, wherein the substantially prismatic side portions are disposed in the side holes.

A surgical implant insertion assembly for implanting a surgical implant device in a facet joint of a spine, comprising:

• a translation portion configured to securely engage the superior facet and the inferior facet of the facet joint and selectively rotate, thereby translating articulating surfaces of the superior facet and the inferior facet with respect to one another;
• and
• a cannulated retention portion disposed about the translation portion and configured to selectively engage the facet joint and selectively secure the superior facet and the inferior facet of the facet joint in a translated configuration;
• wherein the cannulated retention portion defines an internal bore through which holes are formed in the superior facet and the inferior facet and a surgical implant device is inserted into the facet joint once the translation portion is removed from the cannulated retention portion.

A surgical method for implanting a surgical implant device in a facet joint of a spine, comprising:

• translating articulating surfaces of a superior facet and an inferior facet of the facet joint with respect to one another using a surgical implant insertion assembly;
• securing the superior facet and the inferior facet in a translated configuration using the surgical implant insertion assembly;
• forming one or more holes across the facet joint and crossing a plane of an articulating surface of each of the superior facet and the inferior facet using the surgical implant insertion assembly as a guide;
• and
• disposing the surgical implant device in the one or more formed holes using the surgical implant insertion assembly as a guide.

A surgical method for implanting a surgical implant device in a facet joint of a spine, comprising:

• one or more of distracting and translating articulating surfaces of a superior facet and an inferior facet of the facet joint with respect to one another;
• forming one or more holes or recesses across the facet joint and crossing a plane of the articulating surface of each of the superior facet and the inferior facet thereof;
• and
• disposing a surgical implant device in the one or more holes or recesses to secure the facet joint in one or more of a distracted configuration and a translated configuration.

A surgical implant device configured to be implanted in a facet joint of a spine, comprising:

• a substantially cylindrical central body portion;
• and
• one or more substantially prismatic side portions extending radially from the substantially cylindrical central body portion;
• wherein the substantially cylindrical central body portion is configured to be disposed in a central hole formed across the facet joint and crossing a plane of an articulating surface of each of a superior facet and an inferior facet thereof;
• wherein each of the one or more substantially prismatic side portions is configured to be disposed in a side hole parallel to the central hole formed across the facet joint and crossing the plane of the articulating surface of each of the superior facet and the inferior facet thereof;
• and
• wherein each of the one or more side holes partially overlap the central hole.

A surgical method for implanting a surgical implant device in a facet joint of a spine, comprising:

• forming a central hole across the facet joint and crossing a plane of an articulating surface of each of a superior facet and an inferior facet thereof;
• forming one or more side holes parallel to the central hole across the facet joint and crossing the plane of the articulating surface of each of the superior facet and the inferior facet thereof;
• wherein each of the one or more side holes partially overlap the central hole;
• and
• disposing a surgical implant device in the central hole and the one or more side holes, wherein the surgical implant device comprises:
• a substantially cylindrical central body portion, wherein the substantially cylindrical central body portion is disposed in the central hole;
• and
• one or more substantially prismatic side portions extending radially from the substantially cylindrical central body portion, wherein the one or more substantially prismatic side portions are disposed in the one or more side holes.