US 8,262,659 B2Granted

Translatable carriage fixation system

AssigneeSynthes USA, LLC

InventorsChristopher J. Ryan, Sean S. Suh, David S. Rathbun, Christoph A Roth, David Koch

Life of this patent

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Abstract

Translational bone fixation assemblies, kits containing such assemblies, and methods of use are described herein. The described assemblies may be used in spinal fusion procedures in which a damaged or diseased disc (or part of a disc) is removed from between a pair of vertebrae and a spinal fusion spacer is placed between the vertebrae. The assemblies may be applied to an anterior portion of the affected vertebrae to span the affected disc space, and may be fixed to the vertebrae using bone screws. The assemblies may function to maintain the vertebrae aligned during the initial period following fixation in which fusion of the spacer to the adjacent vertebrae occurs. The assemblies may also function to share some of the axial spinal load applied to the fusion spacer to prevent extreme subsidence of the spacer into the vertebral body, such as where the patient has poor bone quality.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A fixation assembly comprising:

a carriage block portion having at least one fixation hole configured to receive a bone fastener;
a base portion that is elongate along a longitudinal direction, the base portion having a top surface, a bottom surface, and a recess that extends into the top surface so as to be defined by opposed sidewalls, the recess configured to receive the carriage block;
a plate portion that is elongate along the longitudinal direction, the plate portion having a top surface, a bottom surface, and at least one bore that extends between said the top surface and the bottom surface, the plate portion configured to be aligned with the base portion along a transverse direction that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction such that the bore is configured to receive a fastener to couple the plate portion to the base portion to thereby retain the carriage block portion within the recess and at a location between the base portion and the plate portion;
and
a shim portion that is configured to be received between the carriage block and one of the sidewalls;
wherein the shim portion limits the translation of the carriage block portion within the recess relative to the base portion along the longitudinal direction.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 12/690,806Filed 20 Jan 2010 · division
Priority: 3 Sep 2003
Published: US 2010/0121329 A113 May 2010
Granted: 11 Sep 2012
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification7 codes

A61B 17/8047
Having indirect contact with screw heads, or having contact with screw heads maintained with the aid of additional components, e.g. nuts, wedges…:…
A61B 17/7059
Spinal positioners or stabilisers, e.g. stabilisers comprising fluid filler in an implant: cortical plates
A61B 17/8004
Cortical plates , i.e. bone plates; Instruments for holding or positioning cortical plates, or for compressing bones attached to cortical plates:…
A61B 17/8023
Cortical plates , i.e. bone plates; Instruments for holding or positioning cortical plates, or for compressing bones attached to cortical plates:…

Family

Application10/653,164Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 3 Sep 2003
Application10/932,392Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 2 Sep 2004
Application11/217,959Parent of this division · filed 31 Aug 2005
US 2010/0121329 A1Pre-grant publication · published 13 May 2010
US 7,666,185 B2Parent of this division
Application11/217,959Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 7,857,839 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 2005/0049593 A1Published application
US 2005/0049595 A1Published application
US 2006/0079901 A1Published application
US 8,262,659 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.