Bone screw extender reattachment system and methods
AssigneeWarsaw Orthopedic, Inc.
InventorsTimothy E. Hopkins, Larry T. McBride
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A bone screw extender reattachment system including an elongated reattachment rod having a proximal and a distal end. The distal end of the elongated reattachment rod includes a tip configured to attach to a head of a bone screw. The elongated reattachment rod is configured so that a screw extender assembly having an inner sleeve, an outer housing and an extender head can slide over the reattachment rod. The bone screw extender reattachment system also includes a tension plunger having a plunger-type heed and an elongated shaft configured to slide over the reattachment rod so as to communicate with the screw extender assembly.
Claims21
1-7. (canceled)
A method for reattaching a screw extender to a screw head in situ comprising:
- advancing a reattachment rod through the skin of a patient towards the spine to communicate with a head of a screw in the spine;
- capturing the screw head;
- advancing a screw extender assembly having an inner sleeve, and outer housing and an extender head and locking tabs, over the reattachment rod until the outer housing is adjacent to the screw head;
- inserting a cannulated tension plunger having a head attached to a cannulated elongated shaft over the reattachment rod and sliding the plunger down to contact the outer housing;
- applying pressure on the cannulated tension plunger while the locking tabs on the extender head are in an open position so that the outer housing engages the screw head;
- manipulating the locking tabs to a locked position so as to lock the screw extender assembly to the head of the screw;
- and
- removing the plunger and the reattachment rod leaving the screw extender assembly attached to the screw head.
A method for reattaching a screw extender to a screw head with a rod already in place comprising:
- advancing a screw extender assembly having an extender and a housing positioned within the extender, wherein the extender comprises an extender head having locking tabs into position with a spine having a screw with a rod positioned therein;
- inserting a solid tension plunger having a head attached to a solid shaft into a top portion of the extender head;
- applying pressure on the solid tension plunger so as to apply tension to the housing positioned within the extender while the locking tabs on the extender head are in an open position so as to advance the screw extender assembly over the screw head such that the screw extension assembly engages the screw head;
- manipulating the locking tabs of the extender into a locked position so as to lock the screw extender assembly onto the screw head;
- and
- removing the solid tension plunger thereby leaving the screw extender assembly attached to the screw head.
A method for reattaching a screw extender to a screw head in situ comprising:
- inserting a tip of a reattachment rod through a receiver of a screw in a spine and into a recess in a proximal end of a threaded shank of the screw;
- advancing a screw extender assembly having an inner sleeve, and outer housing and an extender head and locking tabs, over the reattachment rod until arms of the outer housing engage the receiver and threads on a distal end of the inner sleeve engage threads on internal surfaces of the receiver;
- inserting a tension plunger over the reattachment rod and sliding the tension plunger down to contact a ledge of the inner sleeve and a proximal end of the outer housing;
- applying pressure on the tension plunger while locking tabs on the extender head are in an open position so that the outer housing engages the receiver;
- manipulating the locking tabs to a locked position so as to lock the screw extender assembly to the receiver;
- and
- removing the plunger and the reattachment rod leaving the screw extender assembly attached to the receiver.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.