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US 9,561,115 B2Granted
Expandable inter-vertebral cage and method of installing same
AssigneeThe University of Toledo
InventorsMohammad Elahinia, Anand Agarwal, Vijay Goel, Walter Anderson, Cory Chapman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An inter-vertebral cage for use in repairing a damaged inter-vertebral disc includes a plurality of cage sections and a hinge element that connects adjacent ones of the cage sections together for relative movement. The hinge elements automatically urge the cage sections to move from an extended orientation to an installed orientation.
Claims26
An inter-vertebral cage comprising:
- a plurality of cage sections each having an upper surface and a lower surface, a first recess extending externally along the upper surface from a first aperture formed through the cage section, and a second recess extending externally along the lower surface from a second aperture formed through the cage section;
- hinge elements that connect adjacent ones of the cage sections together for relative movement by extending through aligned apertures of adjacent ones of the cage sections, the hinge elements urging the cage sections to move from an extended orientation to an installed orientation, the hinge elements each comprising a central body and a first end and a second end extending from the central body at angles, wherein the central body extends through the aligned apertures of adjacent ones of the cage sections, the first end being received in the first recess along the upper surface of a first one of the cage sections, and the second end being received in the second recess along the lower surface of a second one of the cage sections;
- and
- first and second end sections that are connected to the plurality of cage sections, wherein the first and second end sections have respective locking structures provided thereon for selectively retaining the first and second end sections together.
1 more element
A device for installing an inter-vertebral cage within an inter-vertebral disc comprising:
- an endoscope having an opening provided therein;
- and
- an inter-vertebral cage disposed within the opening, the inter-vertebral cage including a plurality of cage sections each having an upper surface and a lower surface, a first recess extending externally along the upper surface from a first aperture formed through the cage section, a second recess extending externally along the lower surface from a second aperture formed through the cage section, and hinge elements that connect adjacent ones of the cage sections together for relative movement by extending through aligned apertures of adjacent ones of the cage sections, the hinge elements urging the cage sections to move from an extended orientation to an installed orientation, the hinge elements each comprising a central body and a first end and a second end extending from the central body at angles, wherein the central body extends through the aligned apertures of adjacent ones of the cage sections, the first end being received in the first recess along the upper surface of a first one of the cage sections, and the second end being received in the second recess along the lower surface of a second one of the cage sections.
A method of repairing a damaged inter-vertebral disc comprising the steps of:
- (a) removing a portion of an annulus fibrosus and the nucleus of a damaged intervertebral disc to provide a space therein;
- and
- (b) installing an inter-vertebral cage within the space of the damaged intervertebral disc, wherein the inter-vertebral cage includes a plurality of cage sections each having an upper surface and a lower surface, a first recess extending externally along the upper surface from a first aperture formed through the cage section, a second recess extending externally along the lower surface from a second aperture formed through the cage section, and hinge elements that connect adjacent ones of the cage sections together for relative movement by extending through aligned apertures of adjacent ones of the cage sections, the hinge elements urging the cage sections to move from an extended orientation to an installed orientation, the hinge elements each comprising a central body and a first end and a second end extending from the central body at angles, wherein the central body extends through the aligned apertures of adjacent ones of the cage sections, the first end being received in the first recess along the upper surface of a first one of the cage sections, and the second end being received in the second recess along the lower surface of a second one of the cage sections.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.