Methods and systems for constraint of spinous processes with attachment
AssigneesThe Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University, Empirical Spine, Inc.
InventorsTodd ALAMIN, Ian BENNETT, Louis FIELDING, Colin CAHILL
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Abstract
Spinal implants for limiting flexion of the spine are implanted between a superior spinous process and an inferior spinous process or sacrum. The implants include upper straps which are placed over the upper spinous process, while the lower portions of the implant are attached to the adjacent vertebra or sacrum. The attachments may be fixed, for example using screws or other anchors, or may be non-fixed, for example by placing a loop strap through a hole in the spinous process or sacrum.
Claims12
(canceled)
A method for restricting flexion of a spine, said method comprising:
- positioning a structure over a spinous process of a vertebra without attachment;
- attaching the structure to a first end of at least one separate compliance member;
- and
- attaching a second end of the at least one separate compliance member to an adjacent vertebra or sacrum with one or more anchors so that said second end will be fixed at a point of attachment;
- wherein the compliance member elastically elongates to controllably restrict flexion of the vertebra relative to the adjacent vertebra or sacrum.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.