Back to results
US 7,744,629 B2Granted
Spinal stabilization system with flexible guides
AssigneeZimmer Spine, Inc.
InventorsHugh Hestad, Mark Rice
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In one embodiment, a spinal stabilization apparatus includes a vertebral anchor having a head portion and a bone attachment portion. An elongate, flexible guide is removably coupled to the head portion of the vertebral anchor and has a channel extending longitudinally thereof and communicating with a slot in the head portion of the anchor. An elongate cord may be received within the channel to facilitate inserting and securing a spacer between pairs of anchors installed into adjacent vertebrae of a person's spine.
Claims4
A method of stabilizing a spinal segment through an incision of a patient's body, the method comprising:
- pre-assembling a flexible support system by inserting a flexible member through a lumen of a spacer;
- advancing a shaft of a first guide member to a first vertebral anchor secured to a first vertebra;
- advancing a shaft of a second guide member to a second vertebral anchor secured to a second vertebra;
- inserting the pre-assembled flexible support system through the incision with the spacer positioned between the shaft of the first guide member and the shaft of the second guide member, the pre-assembled flexible support system including the flexible member positioned through the lumen of the spacer;
- flexing the first guide member away from the second guide member to impart a bend along a portion of the shaft of the first guide member white inserting the pre-assembled flexible support system through the incision, wherein upon flexing the first guide member, a longitudinal axis of a first portion of the shaft of the first guide member is nonparallel to a longitudinal axis of a second portion of the shaft of the first guide member;
- positioning the spacer of the pre-assembled flexible support system between the first vertebral anchor secured to the first vertebra and the second vertebral anchor secured to the second vertebra;
- securing the pre-assembled flexible support system to the first vertebral anchor;
- and
- securing the pre-assembled flexible support system to the second vertebral anchor.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.