Vertebral body replacement

A prosthesis comprising:

• a hollow strut having a first hollow end an a second hollow end with a longitudinal axis extending from the first hollow end and the second hollow end, said strut having a substantially kidney shaped cross-section;
• and
• a pair of end caps which are substantially kidney shaped in a plane substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the strut, with each having a central substantially kidney shaped opening passing therethrough, each end cap further including a pair of extensions lying along an axis defined by a coronal plane and being substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, each extension having a distal tip that extends along the axis defined by the coronal plane and into the kidney shaped opening in each end cap, each extension having a bone engaging pin extending substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis from the distal tip, wherein the bone engaging pins engage adjacent vertebral bodies to improve stability of the prosthesis.

A prosthesis comprising:

• a hollow strut having a first hollow end and a second hollow end with a longitudinal axis that extends from the first hollow end to the second hollow end;
• and
• a pair of end caps with each having an end wall which is adapted to engage a respective vertebra, a periphery of each end wall extending further from the strut than a remainder of the end wall, each end wall defining a central opening passing through each end cap and having a pair of extensions lying along an axis defined by a coronal plane and being substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, each extension having a distal tip that extends along the axis defined by the coronal plane and into the central opening, each extension having a bone engaging pin extending substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis from the distal tip, wherein the bone engaging pins engage adjacent vertebral bodies to improve stability of the prosthesis.

A vertebral body replacement prosthesis comprising:

• a strut terminated at one end by an end cap which is adapted to engage a vertebra, the end cap having an inwardly directed end which is directed towards the strut and an outwardly directed end which, in use, is directed toward the vertebra, the outwardly directed end defining a vertebra engaging surface which is offset from a plane extending perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the strut, the outwardly directed end defined by a pair of extensions lying along an axis defined by a coronal plane and being substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, each extension having a distal tip that extends along the axis defined by the coronal plane and into a central opening of the end cap with each extension having a bone engaging pin that extends substantially parallel with the longitudinal axis from the distal tip, wherein the bone engaging pins engage adjacent vertebral bodies to improve stability of the prosthesis.