Anatomic posterior lumbar plate
OwnerBret A. Ferreeinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An anatomic posterior lumbar system comprising of a thin plate and fasteners for securing the plate to vertebra or other osseous material. The plate is preferably a thin rectangular structure having an opening running lengthwise in its central portion. At least one pedicle screw having a hollow threaded interior is fastened to a vertebra, and the plate located on the screw using the opening. A washer spans the width of the plate, and accommodates an inner screw, which is threaded into the pedicle screw, and captures the head of the inner screw. Miscellaneous shapes of plates are also disclosed which are fitted to specific portions of the spine.
Claims18
A system for rigidly coupling at least three vertebrae, which are not collinear, together on the spine, comprising:
- an elongated plate having an upper and a lower surface, a first upper linear section, a second lower linear section, and a central curved section coupling said first and second sections, and having an opening located within the central region of said plate running along the central axis of said plate, with said central curved section and said lower linear section located at an angle with respect to said upper linear section;
- a plurality of bone engaging screws each having a head for engaging said lower surface of said plate, an elongated shank with outer bone engaging threads, and an inner threaded hollow bore, wherein a bone engaging screw is affixed at each of the L4, L5 and S1 vertebrae;
- and a plurality of inner screws each having a head and an elongated threaded shank;
- wherein when said plate is positioned on the spine, a first inner screw is inserted through said curved section of said plate and fastened to the bone engaging screw at the L5 vertebra, a second inner screw is inserted through said first upper section of said plate and fastened to the bone engaging screw at the L4 vertebra, and a third inner screw is inserted through said second lower section of said plate and fastened to the bone engaging screw at the S1 vertebra, thus rigidly coupling these vertebrae together.
A method of rigidly coupling the L4, L5 and S1 vertebrae of a spine together, comprising the steps of:
- affixing a bone engaging screw having an elongated shank with outer bore engaging threads and an inner threaded hollow bore at the L4, L5 and S1 vertebrae;
- positioning an elongated plate, having an upper surface and a lower surface and parallel side edges, an opening located within the central region of said plate running along the central axis of said plate, and having a first upper linear section, a second lower linear section, and a central curved section coupling said first and second sections, over said bone engaging screws, where said opening within said second linear section is located over the hollow bore of the screw at S1, said opening in said central curved section is located over the hollow bore of the screw at L5, and said opening within said first section is located over the hollow bore of the screw at L4;
- and rigidly coupling said plate to the vertebrae by inserting an inner screw having a head and an elongated threaded shank into each bore engaging screw such that said plate is held firmly in the proper position between the head of the inner screw and said bore engaging screw.
A posterior lumbar plate system for rigidly coupling at least the L4, L5 and S1 vertebrae, which are not collinear, together on the spine, comprising:
- an elongated plate having an upper and a lower surface, a first upper linear section, a second lower linear section, and a central curved section coupling said first and second sections, and having an opening located within the central region of said plate running within said first, central, and second sections along the central axis of said plate;
- a plurality of bone engaging screws each having an upper surface for engaging said lower surface of said plate, and an elongated shank with outer bone engaging threads, wherein a bone engaging screw is affixed at each of the L4, L5 and S1 vertebrae;
- and a plurality of fastening devices each having a surface for engaging said upper surface of said plate;
- wherein when said plate is positioned on the spine, a first fastening device is fastened to the bone engaging screw at the L5 vertebra at said curved section of said plate, a second fastening device is fastened to the bone engaging screw at the L4 vertebra at said first upper section of said plate, and a third fastening device is fastened to the bone engaging screw at the S1 vertebra at said second lower section of said plate, thus rigidly coupling these vertebrae together.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.