Human orthopedic vertebra implant

A vertebra structural implant for stabilizing adjacent vertebral bodies in a spinal column, the implant comprising:

• (a) a pair of implant plates adapted for attachment to adjacent vertebrae on opposite sides of the spinal column, each of the plates having an underside surface adapted to generally face the vertebrae, and a top surface adapted to generally face away from the vertebrae, and corresponding axially spaced mounting openings extending therethrough, the mounting openings on each plate being positionable on opposite sides of the spinal column to form at least first and second sets of laterally opposed mounting openings, the openings at the underside surface being rounded;
• (b) an attaching stud for each mounting opening, each attaching stud having a first end adapted for attachment to a vertebral body, and a second end adapted to extend through, and be secured within, one of the mounting openings in one of the implant plates;
• (c) axial adjustment means for providing axial adjustment between the plates and their respective attaching studs in adjacent vertebrae;
• (d) securing means associated with at least one of the sets of mounting openings for securing the second ends of the attaching studs within the mounting openings to prevent relative movement between the plates and their respective attaching studs;
• and
• (e) alignment means to compensate for angular misalignment between the attaching studs and the implant plates to reduce stress on the studs when the studs are fastened to the plates, said means comprising rounded surfaces on the second end of the studs matable with the rounded openings in the underside of the implant plates, and means connecting the securing means and the top surface of the implant plates to allow movement of the plate with respect to the stud in all directions before the securing means secures the stud to the implant plate.

A vertebra structural implant for connecting two or more vertebral bodies in axial and lateral directions in a spinal column, the implant comprising:

• (a) a pair of implant plates adapted for attachment to adjacent vertebrae on opposite sides of the spinal column, each of the plates having an underside surface adapted to generally face the vertebrae, and a top surface adapted to generally face away from the vertebrae and corresponding axially spaced mounting openings extending therethrough, the mounting openings in each plate being laterally alignable with the mounting openings on the other plate when the plates are positioned on opposite sides of the spinal column to form at least first and second sets of laterally opposed mounting openings:
• (b) an attaching stud for each mounting opening, each stud having a first end adapted for attachment to a vertebral body, and a second end adapted to extend through and be secured within one of the mounting openings in one of the implant plates;
• (c) axial adjustment means for providing axial adjustment between the plates and their respective attaching studs in adjacent vertebrae;
• (d) securing means associated with at least one of the sets of mounting openings for securing the second ends of the attaching studs within the mounting openings to prevent relative movement between the plates and their respective attaching studs;
• (e) a lateral cross brace having first and second ends and adapted to extend between the plates;
• (f) locking means associated with the lateral cross brace and the mounting openings of one of the sets of mounting openings for locking each end of the cross brace in a fixed position relative to one of the implant plates, to prevent slipping or rotating of the vertebrae being stabilized;
• and
• (g) alignment means to compensate for angular misalignment between the attaching studs and the associated implant plates to reduce stress on the studs when the studs are fastened to the plates.

A vertebra structural implant for connecting vertebral bodies in axial and lateral directions in a spinal column, the implant comprising:

• (a) a pair of implant plates adapted for attachment to adjacent vertebrae on opposite sides of the spinal column, each of the plates having an underside surface adapted to generally face the vertebrae, and a top surface adapted to generally face away from the vertebrae, and corresponding axially spaced mounting openings extending therethrough, the mounting openings in each plate being laterally alignable with the mounting openings on the other plate when the plates are positioned on opposite sides of the spinal column to form at least first and second sets of laterally opposed mounting openings, the openings of the first set of said openings being axially elongated slots and being surrounded by a curved bearing surface on the underside of the implant plate and the openings of the second set of said openings being circular and being surrounded by a curved bearing surface on the underside of the implant plate;
• (b) an attaching stud for each mounting opening, each stud having a first end adapted for attachment to a vertebral body, and a second end adapted to extend through, and be secured within, one of the mounting openings in one of the implant plates, the second stud end being threaded and smaller than the elongated slots and circular openings to allow for angular adjustment therebetween, each of the studs further comprising a curved bearing surface to mate with one of the curved bearing surfaces on the underside of the implant plates;
• (c) a series of laterally extending serrations along the top surfaces of the plates, adjacent the openings of the first set of openings and a series of axially extending serrations along the top surface of the plates adjacent the second set of openings;
• (d) lock washers having underside surfaces adapted to generally face the top surface of an implant plates, and an upper surface adapted to generally face away from the implant plates, each lock washer having serrations on its underside surface adapted to mate with the laterally extending serrations on the implant plate, and and an opening therethrough sized to loosely accommodate the second end of one of the studs, the openings being surrounded by a curved bearing surface on the upper surface of the washer;
• (e) lock nuts having a curved bearing surface adapted to mate with the curved bearing surface on the lock washer;
• and
• (f) a lateral cross brace having first and second ends, and being adapted to extend between the plates, set of plate openings, the cross brace having first and second ends adapted to be mounted at one of the openings of the second set of mounting openings, the cross brace having elongated slots in its end portions, said slots being wider than the second ends of the studs to receive the second end of the stud therein;
• the ends of the cross brace having serrations adapted to mate with the axially extending serrations in the plates, the slots in the ends of the lateral cross brace being surrounded by a curved bearing surface on the upper surface of the cross brace, and lock nuts having a curved bearing surface adapted to mate with the curved bearing surface on the cross brace to lock the cross brace in fixed position relative to the implant plates, said cross brace interconnecting the implant plates to prevent slipping or rotating of the vertebrae being stabilized;
• (g) said combination of slots and loosely fitting studs with the curved bearing surfaces compensating for angular misalignment between the attaching studs and the associated implant plates to reduce stress on the studs when the studs are fastened to the plates by the lock nuts.