Method and apparatus for implant stability
AssigneeDePuy Spine, Inc.
InventorsRobert Fraser, John Riley Hawkins, Christopher Rogers, Andrew Dooris, Mark Lionetto
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An method and apparatus is provided for achieving stability of an implant in an intervertebral space of the human body, including an implant having a superior surface and an inferior surface, the surfaces having no significant protrusions extending therefrom and at least one modular projection mateable with one of each superior and inferior surface of the implant to achieve stability within the intervertebral space. The implants can be selected form a group of artificial discs and spinal fusion cages.
Claims15
A method of achieving stability of an implant in an intervertebral space of the human body, comprising:
- (a) preparing the intervertebral space for implantation;
- (b) positioning an implant in the prepared intervertebral space, the implant including a superior endplate, an inferior endplate, and a flexible core disposed between the endplates, whereby an exterior surface of each endplate engages a respective vertebral endplate and each endplate defines at least one elongated channel, wherein a longitudinal axis of the channel is substantially parallel to a surface of the endplate;
- and
- (c) inserting at least one modular projection in and along the longitudinal axis of the elongated channel in each of the superior and inferior endplates of the implant to achieve stability within the intervertebral space.
An apparatus for achieving stability of an implant in an intervertebral space of the human body, comprising:
- (a) an implant having a superior endplate, an inferior endplate, and a flexible core disposed between the endplates, each endplate defining an exterior surface of the apparatus and further defining at least one elongated channel, wherein a longitudinal axis of the channel is substantially parallel to a surface of the endplate, wherein the longitudinal axes of at least two elongated channels of at least one of the superior and inferior endplates intersect;
- and
- (b) at least one modular projection mateable with the elongated channel in at least one of each of the superior and inferior endplates of the implant to achieve stability within the intervertebral space.
An apparatus for achieving stability of an implant in an intervertebral space of the human body, comprising:
- (a) an implant having a superior endplate, an inferior endplate, and a flexible core disposed between the endplates, each endplate defining an exterior surface of the apparatus and further defining at least one elongated channel, wherein a longitudinal axis of the channel is substantially parallel to a surface of the endplate;
- and
- (b) at least one modular projection mateable with the elongated channel in at least one of each of the superior and inferior endplates of the implant to achieve stability within the intervertebral space, wherein the modular projection includes a cross member coupled between two engagement bodies, each engagement body mateable with a corresponding elongated channel in one of each of superior and inferior endplates of the implant.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.