Intervertebral spacer
OwnerFrank S Janson, Albert N. Santilliinventors
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Abstract
A porous intervertebral spacer includes a plurality of fused, generally spherical beads of a biologically inert material, preferably titanium or a titanium alloy. The spacer can include elongate, tortuous strands of titanium wire mesh intermixed with the beads. The spacer also can be made entirely of strands of elongate, fused, tortuous titanium wire mesh. A method of fusing adjacent vertebrae of the spine includes the steps of excising a portion of an intervertebral disc separating adjacent vertebrae and portions of the adjacent vertebrae to define a graft bed, and inserting into she graft bed at least one porous intervertebral spacer according to the invention.
Claims34
An intervertebral spacer that is porous throughtout consisting essentially of a plurality of fused, generally spherical beads of a biologically inert material selected from the group consisting of substantially pure titanium and a titanium alloy.
A method of fusing adjacent vertebrae of the spine comprising the steps of:
- excising a portion of an intervertebral disc separating adjacent vertebra and portions of the adjacent vertebrae to define a graft bed, and
- inserting into the graft bed at least one porous intervertebral spacer that is porous throughtout consisting essentially of a plurality of fused, generally spherical beads of a biologically inert material selected from the group consisting of substantially pure titanium and a titanium alloy.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.