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OwnerFrancis H. Breard, Henry J. M. Grafinventors
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The present invention relates to an inter-vertebral stabilizer having one or more flexible ligaments. Each flexible ligament can be engaged with two respective vertebrae and/or associated with two retaining elements, such as screws, each of which is suitable for being implanted in a respective vertebra. The present invention also relates to a process, and the associated apparatus, for determining or verifying the tension of such an inter-vertebral stabilizer before it is put into place on the spinal column. This process includes implanting, in each of the vertebrae concerned, a corresponding rigid rod extending outside the patient's body. The rods in each pair of adjacent rods are immobilized in an initial position. If the pain which is to be removed by the stabilizer persists, the process includes modifying the distance between the rods, then in immobilizing the rods in their new relative positions and in repeating the pain test. This cycle of operations is repeated, if necessary, until the pain disappears. The length to be allocated to the ligament is deduced from the distance then attained between the two rods.
An inter-vertebral stabilizer comprising at least one flexible ligament having an all-direction flexibility and at least two retaining elements, each retaining element having an implant portion configured to be implanted in a respective one of at least two successive vertebrae, a free head adjacent the implant portion for projecting from the respective vertebra when the implant portion is implanted in said verebra, and a lateral projection extending laterally from the head at a selected distance from the implant portion, said ligament being provided, at each end thereof, with a hanging means having a width less than the distance between the lateral projection and the implant portion for loose engagement around the free head of a respective one of the retaining elements, whereby the loose engagement of the ligament with the respective retaining element enables compensation for defects of a spine without hindering flexional and torsional movements thereof.
A process for stabilizing a length of the spinal column comprising at least two successive vertebrae, said process comprising the steps of;
An inter-vertebral stabilizer comprising at least one flexible ligament having an all-direction flexibility and at least two retaining elements, each retaining element having an implantation end implantable in a respective one of two successive vertebrae and a projecting free head, said ligament being provided at each end thereof with a hanging means for loosely engaging around the free head of a respective one of the retaining elements, at least two rods each having an end for temporary implantation in the respective vertebra, the rods being associated with at least one rigid link of adjustable length for joining the rods at a point remote from their implantation ends, whereby the rods and the link are employed for determining a proper relative position for stabilizing the vertebrae, and whereby the retaining elements and the ligament are employed for stabilizing the vertebrae in the relative position determined with the rods and the rigid link of adjustable length.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.