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US 5,443,514 AGranted
Method for using spinal implants
AssigneeAcroMed Corporation
InventorArthur D. Steffee
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of fusing together the adjacent vertebrae using the spinal implant includes removing at least a portion of the spinal disc between the adjacent vertebrae. The spinal implant is inserted between the adjacent vertebrae with the first and second parallel side surfaces facing the adjacent vertebrae. The spinal implant is rotated into a position in which the parallel side surfaces extend from one of the adjacent vertebrae to the other adjacent vertebrae and the upper and lower surfaces engage the adjacent vertebrae.
Claims7
A method of fusing together adjacent vertebrae of a spinal column comprising the steps of:
- removing at least a portion of the disc between the adjacent vertebrae;
- providing a spinal implant with first and second side surfaces substantially parallel to each other and upper and lower surface means extending between the first and second side surfaces;
- inserting the spinal implant between the adjacent vertebrae with the first and second substantially parallel side surfaces of the spinal implant facing the adjacent vertebrae;
- and
- rotating the spinal implant into a position in which the parallel side surfaces of the spinal implant extend from one of the adjacent vertebrae to the other adjacent vertebrae and the upper and lower surface means engage the adjacent vertebrae.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.