Percutaneous posterior fixation
AssigneeNuVasive, Inc.
InventorsHayden H. Chun, Matthew Tobias Jacobs
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Various implementations include spinal fixation components and related methods. Certain implementations include a tulip rod connector, including: a spinal rod slot having a first engagement direction; a cross-bar slot having a second engagement direction that is distinct from the first engagement direction; and a lock screw slot adjacent to the cross-bar slot, where the tulip rod connector enables locking of both a spinal rod in the spinal rod slot and a cross-bar in the cross-bar slot with a single lock screw action.
Claims20
A method of percutaneous posterior fixation on a patient, comprising:
- coupling a tulip rod connector to a spinal rod on a first side of the spinal midline of the patient, the tulip rod connector including:
- a pair of clamping members facing each other and defining a spinal rod slot for receiving the spinal rod;
- a cross-bar slot for receiving a cross-bar;
- a lock screw slot adjacent to the cross-bar slot, wherein the cross-bar slot is open to the lock screw slot such that the lock screw slot is defined by two opposing wings;
- and
- first and second compliant bending zones associated with the respective clamping members, and disposed between the clamping members and the opposing wings, each compliant bending zone being curved and tapering inwardly and then outwardly such that a downward force on the cross bar from a lock screw disposed in the lock screw slot causes both the first and second compliant bending zones to bend to provide a clamping force to the pair of clamping members;
- inserting the cross-bar in the cross-bar slot in the tulip rod connector;
- after inserting the cross-bar, applying a downward force on the cross-bar from the lock screw to cause both the first and second compliant bending zones to bend to provide a clamping force to the pair of clamping members in order to clamp the cross-bar to the tulip connector.
A method of percutaneous posterior fixation on a patient, comprising:
- coupling a first tulip rod connector to a first spinal rod on a side of the spinal midline of the patient, the first tulip rod connector including:
- a pair of clamping members facing each other and defining a spinal rod slot for receiving the spinal rod;
- a first cross-bar slot for receiving a cross-bar;
- a first lock screw slot adjacent to the first cross-bar slot, wherein the first cross-bar slot is open to the first lock screw slot such that the first lock screw slot is defined by two opposing wings;
- first and second compliant bending zones associated with the respective clamping members, and disposed between the clamping members and the opposing wings, each compliant bending zone being curved and tapering inwardly and then outwardly such that a downward force on the cross bar from a first lock screw disposed in the first lock screw slot causes both the and second compliant bending zones to bend to provide a clamping force to the pair of clamping members;
- coupling a second tulip rod connector to a second spinal rod on a second side of the spinal midline of the patient;
- inserting the cross-bar in the first cross-bar slot and a second cross-bar slot in the second tulip rod connector;
- after inserting the cross-bar, applying a downward force on the cross-bar from the first lock screw to cause both the first and second compliant bending zones of the first tulip connector to bend to provide a clamping force to the pair of clamping members in order to clamp the cross-bar to the first tulip connector;
- securing the cross-bar to the second tulip rod connector with a second lock screw disposed in the second tulip rod connector.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.