Method for Using a Guard for Creating a Socket Posteriorly in the Spine
AssigneeWarsaw Orthopedic, Inc.
InventorGary K. Michelson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for guiding a bone removal device to form a socket in the human spine and for inserting a cortical bone implant into the socket. The method includes placing a guard against the posterior aspect of the spine, the guard having a passage therethrough, inserting the bone removal device into the passage, removing a portion of a facet joint with the bone removal device to create the socket having a maximum height, and inserting the cortical bone implant into the socket. The cortical bone implant has a leading end, a trailing end, a mid-longitudinal axis through the ends, and a height transverse to the mid-longitudinal axis, the height of the cortical bone implant being greater than the maximum height of the socket.
Claims20
A method for inserting a bone implant into a posterior aspect of the human spine, comprising:
- placing a guard against the posterior aspect of the spine, the guard having a passage therethrough;
- inserting a bone removal device into the passage of the guard, the bone removal device having a cutting portion;
- removing a portion of a facet joint with the bone removal device;
- and
- inserting the bone implant through the passage of the guard and into the spine, the bone implant having a leading end, a trailing end, a mid-longitudinal axis through the ends, and a height transverse to the mid-longitudinal axis, the bone implant promoting fusion between two adjacent vertebra.
A method for inserting an implant into a posterior aspect of the human spine, comprising:
- placing a guard against the posterior aspect of the spine, the guard having a passage therethrough;
- inserting a bone removal device into the passage of the guard, the bone removal device having a cutting portion;
- removing a portion of a facet joint with the bone removal device;
- and
- inserting an implant through the passage of the guard and into the spine, the implant having a leading end, a trailing end, a mid-longitudinal axis through the ends, and a height transverse to the mid-longitudinal axis, the implant being configured to permit fusion between two adjacent vertebra through the implant.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.