Devices and methods for facilitating controlled bone growth or repair

In a body having vertebral bodies defining a central canal, a spinal cord located in the central canal, neural elements branching out from said spinal cord through openings between the vertebral bodies, an arthrodesis facilitating therapeutic combination comprising:

• a cage body inserted between the adjacent vertebral bodies, said cage body having a posterior end and an anterior end and defining an internal cavity, the cage body further having an outer surface that forms a periphery of said cage body and extends along a longitudinal axis extending between the posterior and anterior ends, said outer surface having a plurality of longitudinally-spaced apertures formed therein, said apertures adjacent the vertebral bodies to be fused to allow bone growth across the vertebral interspace;
• a non-perforated end closure having at least one longitudinal occluding surface configured to rotate relative to the cage body so as to selectively occlude at least one of the longitudinally-spaced apertures and at least one longitudinal opening extending to an end of the end closure for providing unobstructed access to the internal cavity from another of the longitudinally-spaced apertures;
• a longitudinal occluded area on said cage body, said occluded area for preventing communication between said internal cavity and said outer surface;
• and
• wherein said longitudinal occluded area shields the neural elements from said internal cavity so that bone can grow only into the vertebral bodies and away from the neural elements.

A cage to promote bony fusion of adjacent vertebral bodies comprising:

• a cage body having a posterior end, an anterior end and an outer surface extending along a longitudinal axis between the posterior and anterior ends, said cage body defining an internal cavity and -a plurality of circumferentially- and longitudinally-separated apertures extending through said outer surface, said plurality of circumferentially- and longitudinally-separated apertures in communication with said internal cavity;
• a first non-perforated zone on said cage body, said first non-perforated zone extending from said posterior end of said cage body a preselected length toward said anterior end;
• a first lateral side of said cage body and a second lateral side of said cage body extending in opposing relation from said first zone further toward said anterior end;
• a second non-perforated zone on said first lateral side of said cage body extending from said first zone further toward said anterior end;
• a third non-perforated zone on said second lateral side of said cage body extending in opposing relation with respect to said second non-perforated zone and extending from said first zone further toward said anterior end;
• two opposed perforated zones oriented so that upon insertion of said cage body between the adjacent vertebral bodies, the perforated zones are positioned adjacent the vertebral bodies to be fused for allowing bone growth across a vertebral interspace between the adjacent vertebral bodies, wherein each of the perforated zones contains at least one of the plurality of circumferentially- and longitudinally-separated apertures;
• and
• a non-perforated end closure coupled to at least one of said posterior and anterior ends of the cage body, wherein the end closure has a longitudinally occluding surface configured to rotate relative to the cage body so as to selectively occlude at least one of the plurality of circumferentially- and longitudinally-separated apertures from providing access to the internal cavity.