US 6,039,763 AGranted

Articulating spinal disc prosthesis

AssigneeDisc Replacement Technologies, Inc.

InventorAlexis P. Shelokov

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Abstract

The artificial spinal disc of the invention is intended to articulate in a manner resembling a human knee articulation. The artificial spinal disc includes two plates each having a planar outer surface and an articulating inner surface. The planar outer surfaces contact adjacent inferior and superior surfaces of two adjacent vertebrae having the spinal disc implanted therebetween. The planar surfaces of the plates are affixed to the adjacent vertebrae. The articulating surfaces of the artificial spinal disc will be generally bimodal-shaped such that a first articulating surface will have two convex shaped articulating portions and the second articulating surface will have two concave shaped articulating portions. The concave and convex shaped portions of the respective plates will be generally complementary. The articulation of the artificial spinal disc will generally resemble that of a human knee.

Claims25

Dependent claims

An artificial spinal disc which articulates, said disc comprising:

a first plate having a first outer periphery, a substantially flat first superior surface, a first inferior articulating surface, a first anterior end, a first posterior end, a first lateral side and a second lateral side;
and
a second plate having a second outer periphery, a substantially flat second inferior surface, a second superior articulating surface, a second anterior end, a second posterior end, a third lateral side and a fourth lateral side;
wherein:
said first and second plates can articulate in an anteroposterior fashion when said first inferior surface, said first anterior end and said first posterior end are juxtaposed said second superior surface, said second anterior end and said second posterior end, respectively;
at least one of said first inferior articulating surface and said second superior articulating surface comprises a changing anteroposterior arc of radius;
and
said disc has an instant center of rotation in flexion which moves in an anteroposterior direction during anteroposterior articulation of said disc.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.