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US 6,764,489 B2Granted
Hinged anterior thoracic/lumbar plate
AssigneeNoVasive, Inc
InventorBret A. Ferree
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An anterior thoracic/lumbar system comprising a thin plate and fasteners for securing the plate to vertebrae or other osseous material. The plate may be hinged along the central axis, with a pair of collinear holes on each portion of the plate. Each of the holes accommodates a bolt which is screwed into the vertebrae and secured to the plate using a nut.
Claims34
A device for rigidly affixing vertebrae of a spine, comprising:
- a first plate having a first pair of openings, a second plate hingedly affixed to said first plate and having a second pair of openings, wherein said first and second pairs of openings are capable of receiving bone engaging screws for affixing said first and second plates to vertebrae of a spine.
A system for fixation of the spine, comprising:
- a first plate having a first pair of openings, and a second plate hingedly affixed to said first plate and having a second pair of openings;
- and
- a plurality of bone anchor elements, one for each of said first and second pairs of openings.
A method of affixing vertebrae in the spine, comprising the steps of:
- (a) hingedly coupling a first plate having a first pair of openings with a second plate having a second pair of openings;
- and
- (b) introducing a plurality of bone anchor elements, one through each of said first pair of openings and said second pair of openings to anchor said first and second plates to vertebrae in the spine.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.