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US 7,431,735 B2Granted
Expandable interbody fusion cage
AssigneeSofamor S.N.C.
InventorsMingyan Liu, Loic Josse
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An expandable intervertebral device including a body extending generally along a longitudinal axis and including at least two branch portions coupled together adjacent an end portion of the body. The device further includes an expansion member positioned between the at least two branch portions with at least a portion of the expansion member arranged at an angular orientation relative to the longitudinal axis whereby a change in the angular orientation relative to the longitudinal axis urges the at least two branch portions apart to expand the body.
Claims23
An expandable interbody device, comprising:
- a body extending generally along a longitudinal axis between proximal and distal ends and including at least two branch portions coupled together adjacent an end portion of said body, each of said branch portions including an outer arcuate surface defining a lateral curvature extending about the longitudinal axis for engagement with an adjacent vertebra;
- and
- an expansion member positioned between said at least two branch portions with at least a portion of said expansion member arranged at an angular orientation along said longitudinal axis and with an end portion of said expansion member slidably engaged with an inner surface of one of said branch portions whereby a change in said angular orientation along said longitudinal axis results in sliding displacement of said end portion along said inner surface to urge said at least two branch portions apart to expand said body.
An expandable interbody device, comprising:
- a body extending generally along a longitudinal axis between proximal and distal ends and including at least two branch portions coupled together adjacent an end portion of said body, each of said branch portions including an outer arcuate surface defining a lateral curvature extending about the longitudinal axis for engagement with an adjacent vertebra;
- and
- an expansion member positioned between said at least two branch portions with at least a portion of said expansion member arranged at an angular orientation along said longitudinal axis whereby a change in said angular orientation along said longitudinal axis urges said at least two branch portions apart to expand said body;
- and
- wherein axial displacement of at least a portion of said expansion member generally along said longitudinal axis facilitates said change in said angular orientation of said expansion member.
2 more elements
An expandable interbody device, comprising:
- a body extending generally along a longitudinal axis and including at least two branch portions coupled together adjacent an end portion of said body;
- and
- an expansion member positioned between said at least two branch portions with at least a portion of said expansion member arranged at an angular orientation relative to said longitudinal axis whereby a change in said angular orientation relative to said longitudinal axis urges said at least two branch portions apart to expand said body;
- and
- an actuator member including an exterior surface engaged with inner surfaces of each of said branch portions and positioned adjacent said expansion member;
- and
- wherein displacement of said actuator member generally along said longitudinal axis engagingly advances said exterior surface of said actuator member along said inner surfaces of said branch portions which results in said displacement of said at least a portion of said expansion member to facilitate said change in said angular orientation.
4 more elements
An expandable interbody device, comprising:
- a body extending generally along a longitudinal axis between proximal and distal ends and including at least two branch portions coupled together adjacent an end portion of said body and defining an internal chamber therebetween;
- and
- an expansion member positioned between said at least two branch portions with at least a portion of said expansion member arranged at an angular orientation along said longitudinal axis whereby a change in said angular orientation along said longitudinal axis urges said at least two branch portions apart to expand said body;
- and
- wherein said expansion member includes a first portion and a second portion, said first portion extending along a first axis and engaged with a first of said branch portions, said second portion extending along a second axis and engaged with a second of said branch portions, said first axis forming an angle relative to said second axis;
- and
- wherein a change in said angle between said first and second axes urges said first and second branch portions apart to expand said body with said first and second portions of said expansion member entirely maintained within said internal chamber between said first and second branch portions subsequent to expansion of said body.
4 more elements
An expandable interbody device, comprising:
- a body extending generally along a longitudinal axis between proximal and distal ends and including at least two branch portions coupled together adjacent an end portion of said body and defining an internal chamber therebetween;
- and
- an expansion member positioned between said at least two branch portions with at least a portion of said expansion member arranged at an angular orientation relative to said longitudinal axis whereby a change in said angular orientation relative to said longitudinal axis urges said at least two branch portions apart to expand said body;
- wherein said expansion member includes a first portion and a second portion said first portion extending along a first axis and engaged with a first of said branch portions said second portion extending along a second axis and engaged with a second of said branch portions said first axis forming an angle relative to said second axis;
- and
- wherein a change in said angle between said first and second axes urges said first and second branch portions apart to expand said body with said first and second portions of said expansion member entirely maintained within said internal chamber between said first and second branch portions subsequent to expansion of said body said expansion member including a bend interconnecting said first and second portions to facilitate said change in said angle between said first and second axes.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.