Instruments and methods for inserting a spinal implant
AssigneeZimmer Spine, Inc.
InventorsJavier Garcia-Bengochea, Erik J. Wagner, David J. Krueger
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Instruments of an instrumentation set may be used to prepare a disc space and to insert an implant into the prepared disc space. The instruments may include fixed tip distractors and/or modular tip distractors. The instruments may include a chisel. The chisel may allow simultaneous removal of a desired amount of bone from each of a pair of vertebrae. The instruments may include an implant inserter. The implant inserter may grip sides of an implant. A portion of the implant inserter may fit within grooves of the implant to minimize or eliminate portions of the implant that extend beyond side surfaces of the implant.
Claims14
A method of inserting an implant in a disc space, comprising:
- gripping the implant with a first and second arms of an insertion instrument, wherein the first and second arms of the insertion instrument are configured to hold the implant and wherein the insertion instrument further comprises:
- a locking member configured to move the first arm towards the second arm relative to a body of the insertion instrument, wherein the second arm remains stationary relative to the body of the insertion instrument;
- and
- an impact surface configured to receive an impact to drive the implant between vertebrae;
- positioning the implant above a disc space between the vertebrae using the insertion instrument;
- inserting the implant between the vertebrae;
- and
- releasing the implant from the insertion.
A method of inserting an implant in an intervertebral disc space, comprising:
- rotating a locking member of an insertion instrument in a first direction to move a first arm of the insertion instrument towards a second arm of the insertion instrument relative to a body of the insertion instrument, wherein the second arm of the insertion instrument remains stationary relative to the body of the insertion instrument;
- grasping the implant with the first and second arms of the insertion instrument;
- inserting the implant in the intervertebral disc space;
- and
- releasing the implant from the insertion instrument by rotating the locking member of the insertion instrument in a second direction to move the first arm of the insertion instrument away from the second arm of the insertion instrument, wherein the second arm of the insertion instrument remains stationary relative to the body of the insertion instrument.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.