Surgical implant with guiding rail
AssigneeStryker Spine
InventorsBryan D. Milz, Christine Herrmann, Thomas A. Alheidt, Lee L. Thibodeau
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A prosthetic intervertebral spacer is disclosed. The spacer preferably includes a body and an interface extending away from the body for use during implantation of the spacer. Methods of implanting the spacer and tools used during such procedure are also disclosed.
Claims21
(canceled)
A prosthetic intervertebral spacer comprising:
- a body having front and rear ends, anterior and posterior sides each extending from the front end to the rear end, and top and bottom surfaces each extending from the front end to the rear end and from the anterior side to the posterior side;
- and
- an interface for engaging a tool, the interface extending from a surface at the rear end of the body along an arcuate path, wherein a cross-section of the interface in a plane extending between the top and bottom surfaces is defined by a neck portion extending from the surface at the rear end of the body and a lip portion extending from the neck portion, the lip portion being wider than the neck portion in a direction extending between the top and bottom surfaces.
The spacer of claim 9, wherein curves of the rear end and at least a portion of the arcuate path lie on concentric circles.
A prosthetic intervertebral spacer comprising:
- a body defined by an outer wall having a convexly curved front end, a convexly curved rear end, a convex anterior side and a concave posterior side each extending between the front and rear ends, and top and bottom surfaces each connecting the anterior and posterior sides and extending between the front and rear ends;
- and
- an interface for engaging a tool, the interface extending from a surface at the rear end of the outer wall along an arcuate path, wherein a cross-section of the interface in a plane extending between the top and bottom surfaces is defined by a neck portion extending from the surface at the rear end of the outer wall and a lip portion extending from the neck portion, the lip portion being wider than the neck portion in a direction extending between the top and bottom surfaces.
A method of inserting and positioning a prosthetic intervertebral spacer in an intervertebral disc space between two adjacent vertebrae, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a spacer including a body having a front end, a rear end, a longitudinal axis, and an interface extending away from the body and being connected to the rear end of the body;
- engaging a tool to the interface;
- forming a hole through only a portion of an annulus fibrosus while leaving the remainder of the annulus fibrosis intact;
- inserting the spacer at least partially into the intervertebral disc space by moving the tool along an insertion direction;
- and
- allowing the spacer to rotate with respect to the insertion direction within the intervertebral disc space while continuing to move the tool along the insertion direction, wherein the tool maintains its engagement to the interface during the steps of inserting and allowing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.