Hinged anterior thoracic/lumbar plate
AssigneeNuVasive, 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.
Claims81
A method of fusing a first vertebral body to a second vertebral body, comprising:
- inserting an implant between a first vertebral body and a second vertebral body;
- and
- surgically implanting a first plate hingedly coupled to a second plate by permanently affixing said first and second plates to said first and second vertebral bodies to allow said first vertebral body to fuse to said second vertebral body.
A method of fusing a first vertebra to a second vertebra, each vertebra bisected by a lateral axis so as to include a posterior region and an anterior region, the method comprising:
- providing a first plate having a first pair of openings hingedly coupled to a second plate having a second pair of openings;
- and
- surgically implanting said first and second plates to allow said first vertebra to fuse to said second vertebra by permanently affixing said first and second plates to said first and second vertebrae such that said first plate is disposed at least in part within said posterior region of at least one of said first and second vertebrae, and such that said second plate is disposed at least in part within said anterior region of at least one of said first and second vertebra.
A system for performing spinal fusion surgery, comprising:
- an implant dimensioned for use in spinal fusion surgery;
- a first plate having a first pair of openings dimensioned to receive bone anchor elements and a first cutout section, and a second plate hingedly affixed to said first plate and having a second pair of openings dimensioned to receive bone anchor elements and a second cutout section, wherein said first and second cutout sections in concert comprise a third opening;
- and
- a plurality of bone anchor elements, one for each opening 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.