Bone screw and method for manufacturing the same
AssigneeMedical Facets LLC
InventorsWayne A. Willert, Glenn A. Rupp, Kevin J. Lovell
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A faceted bone screw and a method for manufacturing the same includes a screw thread configuration having facets that are substantially transverse to the thread. The facets are generally made up of a plurality of transitioning peaks and valleys which vary the depth of the thread and are disposed in one or more locations throughout the threaded portion of the bone screw. The facets operate to reduce the torque required to drive the bone screw into bone, while at the same time operate to assist in anchoring the bone screw within the bone once inserted therein, and thereby reduce the possibility for the screw backing out after insertion.
Claims7
A method of manufacturing an orthopedic screw comprising:
- loading a bar stock of material into a screw cutting machine;
- cutting a thread into at least a portion of the bar stock with a rotating cutting head;
- forming a plurality of facets in said thread during said cutting by imparting a controlled vibratory effect on the bar stock during cutting, said facets being formed by a plurality of peaks and concave shaped valleys between adjacent peaks, the concave valleys varying in depth within the thread for at least a portion of the same.
A method of manufacturing an orthopedic screw comprising:
- loading a bar stock into a bar feeder;
- selecting a guide bushing having a desired clearance related harmonic level, said harmonic level configured to impart a vibratory controlled milling effect to the loaded bar stock;
- selecting and installing a circular thread cutting tool previously configured to a desired thread configuration;
- and
- cutting the bar stock at the desired harmonic level using the circular thread cutting tool to produce a faceted thread milled into at least a portion of said bar stock under the controlled milling effect of the guide bushing, said faceted thread comprising at least two adjacent peaks having a concave valley therebetween.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.