Instrumentation for the surgical correction of human thoracic and lumbar spinal disease from the lateral aspect of the spine

An apparatus for use in spinal fusion surgery, said apparatus comprising:

• a spinal distractor for positioning adjacent vertebral bodies of two adjacent vertebrae adjacent a disc space in selected relationship to each other, said spinal distractor comprising:
• a body having a height greater than the height of the disc space;
• and
• at least one disc penetrating extension extending from said body for insertion into the lateral aspect of the disc space from a position anterior to the transverse processes of the adjacent vertebrae, said disc penetrating extension having a portion for bearing against each of the adjacent endplates of the two adjacent vertebral bodies, said portion of said disc penetrating extension having a height less than the height of said body and a length that is less than the transverse width of the vertebral bodies, said length being greater than the depth of the spinal disc intermediate the two adjacent vertebral bodies between which said disc penetrating extension is inserted;
• and
• a guard having an opening for providing protected access to the disc space and the adjacent vertebral bodies, said spinal distractor passing through said opening.

An apparatus for use in human spinal surgery across the height of a disc space between the vertebral bodies of two adjacent vertebrae, said apparatus comprising:

• a guard member having a height adapted to be greater than the height of the disc space and an opening for providing protected access to the lateral aspect of the disc space and the adjacent vertebral bodies from a position anterior to the transverse processes of the adjacent vertebrae, said opening having a maximum height;
• and
• at least one disc penetrating extension extending from said guard member adapted to be inserted into the lateral aspect of the disc space from a position anterior to the transverse processes of the adjacent vertebrae, said disc penetrating extension having a portion adapted to bear against each of the adjacent endplates of the adjacent vertebral bodies, said portion of said disc penetrating extension having a height less than the height of said guard member and a length that is less than the transverse width of the vertebral bodies between which said disc penetrating extension is adapted to be inserted, said length being greater than the depth of the disc space in which said length is adapted to be inserted, said portion of said disc penetrating extension having an upper surface adapted to contact one of the adjacent endplates of the adjacent vertebral bodies and a lower surface adapted to contact the other of the adjacent endplates of the adjacent vertebral bodies at more than one point through the disc space.

An apparatus for use in human spinal surgery across a disc space between the vertebral bodies of two adjacent vertebrae, comprising:

• a guard member having a height greater than the height of the disc space and an opening for providing protected access to the lateral aspect of the disc space and the adjacent vertebral bodies from a position anterior to the transverse processes of the adjacent vertebrae, said opening having a maximum height;
• and
• at least two disc penetrating extensions extending from said guard member for insertion into the lateral aspect of the disc space from a position anterior to the transverse processes of the adjacent vertebrae, said disc penetrating extensions having a portion for bearing against each of the adjacent endplates of the adjacent vertebral bodies, said portion of said disc penetrating extensions having a height less than the height of said guard member and a length that is less than the transverse width of the vertebral bodies, said length being greater than the depth of the disc space, said portion of said disc penetrating extensions having an upper surface adapted to contact one of the adjacent endplates of the adjacent vertebral bodies and a lower surface adapted to contact the other of the adjacent endplates of the adjacent vertebral bodies at more than one point through the disc space, said disc penetrating extensions being of a different height.

An apparatus for use in human spinal surgery across a disc space between the vertebral bodies of two adjacent vertebrae, comprising:

• a guard member having a height greater than the height of the disc space and an opening for providing protected access to the lateral aspect of the disc space and the adjacent vertebral bodies from a position anterior to the transverse processes of the adjacent vertebrae, said opening having a maximum height;
• and
• at least two disc penetrating extensions extending from said guard member for insertion into the lateral aspect of the disc space from a position anterior to the transverse processes of the adjacent vertebrae, said disc penetrating extensions having a portion for bearing against each of the adjacent endplates of the adjacent vertebral bodies, said portion of said disc penetrating extensions having a height less than the height of said guard member and a length that is less than the transverse width of the vertebral bodies, said length being greater than the depth of the disc space, said portion of said disc penetrating extensions having an upper surface adapted to contact one of the adjacent endplates of the adjacent vertebral bodies and a lower surface adapted to contact the other of the adjacent endplates of the adjacent vertebral bodies at more than one point through the disc space, said disc penetrating extensions being of a different length.

An apparatus for use in human spinal surgery across a disc space between the vertebral bodies of two adjacent vertebrae, comprising:

• a guard member including a hollow tube having a height greater than the height of the disc space and an opening for providing protected access to the lateral aspect of the disc space and the adjacent vertebral bodies from a position anterior to the transverse processes of the adjacent vertebrae, said opening having a maximum height, said hollow tube having a detachable distal end portion;
• and
• at least one disc penetrating extension extending from said guard member for insertion into the lateral aspect of the disc space from a position anterior to the transverse processes of the adjacent vertebrae, said disc penetrating extension having a portion for bearing against each of the adjacent endplates of the adjacent vertebral bodies, said portion of said disc penetrating extension having a height less than the height of said guard member and a length that is less than the transverse width of the vertebral bodies, said length being greater than the depth of the disc space, said portion of said disc penetrating extension having an upper surface adapted to contact one of the adjacent endplates of the adjacent vertebral bodies and a lower surface adapted to contact the other of the adjacent endplates of the adjacent vertebral bodies at more than one point through the disc space.

An apparatus for use in human spinal surgery across a disc space between the vertebral bodies of two adjacent vertebrae, comprising:

• a guard member having a height greater than the height of the disc space and an opening for providing protected access to the lateral aspect of the disc space and the adjacent vertebral bodies from a position anterior to the transverse processes of the adjacent vertebrae, said opening having a maximum height;
• at least one disc penetrating extension extending from said guard member for insertion into the lateral aspect of the disc space from a position anterior to the transverse processes of the adjacent vertebrae, said disc penetrating extension having a portion for bearing against each of the adjacent endplates of the adjacent vertebral bodies, said portion of said disc penetrating extension having a height less than the height of said guard member and a length that is less than the transverse width of the vertebral bodies, said length being greater than the depth of the disc space, said portion of said disc penetrating extension having an upper surface adapted to contact one of the adjacent endplates of the adjacent vertebral bodies and a lower surface adapted to contact the other of the adjacent endplates of the adjacent vertebral bodies at more than one point through the disc space;
• and
• an extractor coupler having one end adapted to couple with said guard member and an opposite end adapted to couple with an extraction device.

A spinal instrument assembly, comprising:

• a central distractor having
• a distractor tip coupled to a shaft, said distractor tip having upper and lower distraction surfaces defining a distraction height therebetween to maintain distraction of a spinal disc space;
• a guide sleeve housing having a distal portion and a proximal portion, said guide sleeve housing defining a working channel in which said central distractor is centrally located, wherein said guide sleeve housing is positionable in an operative position with respect to the spinal disc space;
• and
• a guide sleeve having a distal end and a proximal end, said distal end of said guide sleeve removably engageable to said guide sleeve housing.