Supplemental spine fixation device and method

An implant for rigidly positioning spinous processes comprising:

• a first hook adapted to engage a first spinous process;
• a second hook adapted to engage a second spinous process;
• a body adapted to be positionable between the first spinous process and the second spinous process;
• a hub;
• said first hook, said second hook, and said body mounted to said hub;
• and
• wherein said body is movable relative to at least one of said first hook and said second hook;
• said hub includes an axis;
• and
• said body includes a bore, with said axis received in said bore in order to allow said body to move relative to said axis.

An implant for rigidly positioning spinous processes comprising:

• a first hook adapted to engage a first spinous process;
• a second hook adapted to engage a second spinous process;
• a body adapted to be positionable between the first spinous process and the second spinous process;
• a hub;
• said first hook, said second hook, and said body mounted to said hub;
• and
• wherein said body is movable relative to at least one of said first hook and said second hook;
• said hub includes an axis;
• and
• said body includes a slot, with said axis received in said slot in order to allow said body to move relative to said axis.

An implant for rigidly positioning spinous processes comprising:

• a first hook adapted to engage a first spinous process;
• a second hook adapted to engage a second spinous process;
• a body adapted to be positionable between the first spinous process and the second spinous process;
• a hub;
• said first hook, said second hook, and said body mounted to said hub;
• and
• wherein said body is movable relative to at least one of said first hook and said second hook;
• said hub includes a hub body and an axis which is movable mounted to said hub body;
• and
• said body is mounted on said axis.

An implant for rigidly positioning spinous processes comprising:

• a first hook adapted to engage a first spinous process;
• a second hook adapted to engage a second spinous process;
• a body adapted to be positionable between the first spinous process and the second spinous process;
• a hub;
• said first hook, said second hook, and said body mounted to said hub;
• and
• wherein said body is movable relative to at least one of said first hook and said second hook;
• and
• said hub includes a lock that locks the position of said first hook and said second hook relative to said hub.

An implant for rigidly positioning spinous processes comprising:

• a first hook adapted to engage a first spinous process;
• a second hook adapted to engage a second spinous process;
• a body adapted to be positionable between the first spinous process and the second spinous process;
• a hub;
• said first hook, said second hook, and said body mounted to said hub;
• and
• wherein said body is movable relative to at least one of said first hook and said second hook;
• and
• at least one of said first hook and said second hook is mounted relative to said hub so that at least on of said first hook and said second hook can move relative to said hub in order to accommodate at least one of the first and second spinous processes.

An implant for rigidly positioning spinous processes comprising:

• a first hook adapted to engage a first spinous process;
• a second hook adapted to engage a second spinous process;
• a body adapted to be positionable between the first spinous process and the second spinous process;
• a hub;
• said first hook, said second hook, and said body mounted to said hub;
• and
• wherein said body is movable relative to at least one of said first hook and said second hook;
• and
• at least one of said first hook and said second hook is swivel mounted.

An implant for rigidly positioning spinous processes comprising:

• a first hook adapted to engage a first spinous process;
• a second hook adapted to engage a second spinous process;
• a body adapted to be positionable between the first spinous process and the second spinous process;
• a hub;
• said first hook, said second hook, and said body mounted to said hub;
• and
• wherein said body is movable relative to at least one of said first hook and said second hook;
• and
• said body is elliptically shaped.

An implant for rigidly positioning spinous processes comprising:

• a first hook adapted to engage a first spinous process;
• a second hook adapted to engage a second spinous process;
• a body adapted to be positionable between the first spinous process and the second spinous process;
• a hub;
• said first hook, said second hook, and said body mounted to said hub;
• and
• wherein said body is movable relative to at least one of said first hook and said second hook;
• and
• said body has a smooth continuous shape which is adapted to be in contact with at least one of the spinous processes.

An implant for rigidly positioning spinous processes comprising:

• a first hook adapted to engage a first spinous process;
• a second hook adapted to engage a second spinous process;
• a body adapted to be positionable between the first spinous process and the second spinous process;
• a hub;
• said first hook, said second hook, and said body mounted to said hub;
• and
• wherein said body is movable relative to at least one of said first hook and said second hook;
• and
• said body has a smooth continuous shape which is adapted to be in contact with at least one of the spinous processes and wherein said shape is elongated.

An implant for rigidly positioning spinous processes comprising:

• a first hook adapted to engage a first spinous process;
• a second hook adapted to engage a second spinous process;
• a body adapted to be positionable between the first spinous process and the second spinous process;
• a hub;
• said first hook, said second hook, and said body mounted to said hub;
• and
• wherein said body is movable relative to at least one of said first hook and said second hook;
• and
• said first hook and said second hook each have interlock in order to allow said first hook to interlock with said second hook.

An implant for rigidly positioning spinous processes comprising:

• a first hook adapted to engage a first spinous process;
• a second hook adapted to engage a second spinous process;
• a body adapted to be positionable between the first spinous process and the second spinous process;
• a hub;
• said first hook, said second hook, and said body mounted to said hub;
• and
• wherein said body is movable relative to at least one of said first hook and said second hook;
• said first hook and said second hook have first and second interlocks respectively;
• said hub has a third interlock;
• and
• said third interlock can lock said first interlock and said second interlock to said hub.

An implant for rigidly positioning spinous processes comprising:

• a first hook adapted to engage a first spinous process;
• a second hook adapted to engage a second spinous process;
• a body adapted to be positionable between the first spinous process and the second spinous process;
• a hub;
• said first hook, said second hook, and said body mounted to said hub;
• and
• wherein said body is movable relative to at least one of said first hook and said second hook;
• and
• said hub is shaped in a manner so that it can accept at least one of said first hook and said second hook in a certain orientation.

An implant for rigidly positioning spinous processes comprising:

• a first hook adapted to engage a first spinous process;
• a second hook adapted to engage a second spinous process;
• a body adapted to be positionable between the first spinous process and the second spinous process;
• a hub;
• said first hook, said second hook, and said body mounted to said hub;
• and
• wherein said body is movable relative to at least one of said first hook and said second hook;
• said hub includes a first hub portion and a second hub portion;
• wherein said first hub portion and said second hub portion can be mated together;
• and
• wherein said first hub portion can engage said first and second hooks and said second hub portion can engage said body.

An implant for rigidly positioning spinous processes comprising:

• a first hook adapted to engage a first spinous process;
• a second hook adapted to engage a second spinous process;
• a body adapted to be positionable between the first spinous process and the second spinous process;
• a hub;
• said first hook, said second hook, and said body mounted to said hub;
• and
• wherein said body is movable relative to at least one of said first hook and said second hook;
• and
• said hub includes a rack and pinion that can position at least one of said first hook and said second hook.

An implant for rigidly positioning spinous processes comprising:

• a first hook adapted to engage a first spinous process;
• a second hook adapted to engage a second spinous process;
• a body adapted to be positionable between the first spinous process and the second spinous process;
• a hub;
• said first hook, said second hook, and said body mounted to said hub;
• and
• wherein said body is movable relative to at least one of said first hook and said second hook;
• and
• said hub means includes a gear arrangement that can position at least one of said first hook and said second hook.

An implant for rigidly positioning spinous processes comprising:

• a first hook adapted to engage a first spinous process;
• a second hook adapted to engage a second spinous process;
• a body adapted to be positionable between the first spinous process and the second spinous process:
• a hub;
• said first hook, said second hook, and said body mounted to said hub;
• and
• wherein said body is movable relative to at least one of said first hook and said second hook;
• a second body that is adapted to be positioned between an intermediate spinous process and one of the first spinous process and the second spinous process;
• and
• a second hub that engages the second body, one of said first hook and said second hook, and said hub.

In an implant for rigidly positioning spinous processes as

• an adjunct to spine fusion, the improvement comprising:
• a spacer positioned between adjacent spinous processes;
• and
• a first hook that is adapted to engage a first spinous process, and a second hook that is adapted to engage a second spinous process;
• a hub that connects said spacer and said first and second hooks;
• and
• said hub allows at least one of said spacer, said first hook and said second hook to be selectively positioned relative to the others of said spacer, said first hook, and said second hook.

In an implant for rigidly positioning spinous processes as an adjunct to spine fusion, the improvement comprising:

• a spacer positioned between adjacent spinous processes;
• said spacer is movably mounted on an axis so that said spacer is movable relative to said axis at least while said spacer is implanted between the spinous processes;
• and
• said spacer has a slot, and said axis is received in said slot.

In an implant for rigidly positioning spinous processes as an adjunct to spine fusion, the improvement comprising:

• a spacer positioned between adjacent spinous processes;
• and
• a first hook that is adapted to engage a first spinous process, and a second hook that is adapted to engage a second spinous process;
• a hub that connects said spacer and said first and second hooks;
• and
• at least one of said first hook and said second hook can swivel.

A method for rigidly positioning a first spinous process relative to a second spinous process including the steps in any desired order of:

• placing a first hook around a first spinous process;
• placing a second hook around a second spinous process;
• using a hub to interlock the first hook relative to the second hook;
• placing a spacer between the first spinous process and the second spinous process;
• and
• connecting said spacer to said hub.

The method for rigidly positioning a first spinous process relative to a second spinous process, including the steps in any desired order of:

• placing a first hook around a first spinous process;
• placing a second hook around a second spinous process;
• placing a spacer between the first spinous process and the second spinous process, which spacer is mounted to a first portion of a hub;
• and
• using a second portion of a hub to interlock the first hook relative to the second hook and then interlocking the first hub portion to the second hub portion.

An implant for rigidly positioning spinous processes comprising:

• a first hook adapted to engage a first spinous process;
• a second hook adapted to engage a second spinous process;
• a body adapted to be positionable between the first spinous process and the second spinous process;
• a hub;
• said first hook, said second hook, and said body mounted to said hub;
• and
• wherein said body is movable relative to at least one of said first hook and said second hook;
• and
• wherein at least one of said first hooks and said second hook is selectively positionable relative to said hub.

An implant for rigidly positioning spinous processes comprising:

• a first hook adapted to engage a first spinous process;
• a second hook adapted to engage a second spinous process;
• a body adapted to be positionable between the first spinous process and the second spinous process;
• a hub;
• said first hook, said second hook, and said body mounted to said hub;
• and
• wherein said body is movable relative to at least one of said first hook and said second hook;
• and
• wherein said implant does not require the alteration of the spinous processes for implantation with respect to the spinous processes.