Alignment guide assembly for spinal stabilization
AssigneeSulzer Spine-Tech Inc.
InventorsStephen D. Kuslich, Douglas W. Kohrs
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An alignment guide for placing an intervertebral spinal implant into a disc space includes a body and a pair of parallel pins spaced at a predetermined distance from one another. The body may be x-ray transparent while the pins are made of material that is visible to x-ray, allowing the guide assembly to imaged in the spine using x-ray.
Claims20
An alignment guide assembly for placement of an intervertebral spinal implant into a disc space between opposing vertebrae, the assembly comprising:
- a body sized for placement against a spine to outline an area to be cleared for placement of the intervertebral spinal implant, the body having a first side and a second side, the body being x-ray transparent;
- first and second parallel pins extending from the first side of the body and spaced apart a predetermined distance from one another, the pins being made of a material that is x-ray visible;
- and
- at least one stop surface positioned along the first pin.
An alignment guide assembly for placement of an intervertebral spinal implant, the assembly comprising:
- an elongated body having a central longitudinal axis, the body including a first rounded end and a second rounded end located along the longitudinal axis, and a first side and a second side, the elongated body being sized for placement against a spine to outline an area to be cleared for determining the proper laminectomy size;
- a handle that extends from the second side of the body;
- a first pin extending from the first side of the body adjacent the first rounded end, the first pin positioned at the central longitudinal axis of the body;
- a second pin extending from the first side of the body adjacent the second rounded end, the second pin positioned at the central longitudinal axis of the body;
- a first stop surface positioned along the first pin of the alignment guide assembly;
- the first and second pins extending only from the first side of the body and not the second side of the body;
- and
- the second side of the body defining a planar surface.
An alignment guide assembly for placement of an intervertebral spinal implant, the assembly comprising:
- an elongated body sized for placement against a spine to outline an area to be cleared for placement of the intervertebral spinal implant, the elongated body having a central longitudinal axis and including a first side and a second side;
- a first pin positioned at the central longitudinal axis of the body and extending from the first side of the body;
- a second pin positioned at the central longitudinal axis of the body and extending from the first side of the body;
- and
- a first stop surface positioned along the first pin of the alignment guide assembly, the first stop surface being offset from the body.
An alignment guide assembly for placement of an intervertebral spinal implant into a disc space between opposing vertebrae, the assembly comprising:
- a body having a first side and a second side, the body being sized for placement against a spine to outline an area to be cleared for determining the proper laminectomy size;
- first and second parallel pins extending from the first side of the body and spaced apart a predetermined distance from one another;
- at least one stop surface positioned along the first pin.
An alignment guide assembly for placement of an intervertebral spinal implant into a disc space between opposing vertebrae, the assembly comprising:
- a body having a first side and a second side, the body being x-ray transparent;
- first and second parallel pins extending from the first side of the body and spaced apart a predetermined distance from one another such that each of the first and second pins is positionable on either side of a cauda equina;
- the pins being made of a material that is x-ray visible;
- and
- at least one stop surface positioned along the first pin.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.