# US 9,750,614 B2 · Medical implant for fixation and integration with hard tissue

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- Number: US 9,750,614 B2
- Document ID: US9750614B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/776,255
- Filed: 2014-03-17
- Published: 2016-02-11
- Granted: 2017-09-05
- Earliest claimed: 2013-03-15
- Assignees: LifeNet Health
- Applicants: Lifenet Health
- Inventors: Jingsong Chen; Dennis Phelps; Andy T. Pritchard; Nathan Kemper; Thomas Brewer
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9750614B2

## CPC

- A61F 2/442: {Intervertebral or spinal discs, e.g. resilient (non-disc-shaped intervertebral inflatable pockets A61F2/441; non-disc-shaped intervertebral fusion implants A61F2/4455)}
- A61F 2/44: for the spine, e.g. vertebrae or spinal discs
- A61F 2/4455: {for the fusion of spinal bodies, e.g. intervertebral fusion of adjacent spinal bodies, e.g. fusion cages (intervertebral discs A61F2/442)}
- A61F 2002/30004: {the prosthesis being made from materials having different values of a given property at different locations within the same prosthesis}
- A61F 2002/30354: {Cylindrically-shaped protrusion and recess, e.g. cylinder of circular basis}
- A61F 2002/30364: {Rotation about the common longitudinal axis}
- A61F 2002/30405: {made by screwing complementary threads machined on the parts themselves}
- A61F 2002/30462: {retained or tied with a rope, string, thread, wire or cable}
- A61F 2002/30579: {with mechanically expandable devices, e.g. fixation devices}
- A61F 2002/30836: {knurled}
- A61F 2002/30841: {Sharp anchoring protrusions for impaction into the bone, e.g. sharp pins, spikes}
- A61F 2002/30843: {Pyramidally-shaped}
- A61F 2002/30845: {with cutting edges}
- A61F 2002/30904: {serrated profile, i.e. saw-toothed}
- A61F 2002/3093: {for promoting ingrowth of bone tissue}
- A61F 2220/0016: with sharp anchoring protrusions, e.g. barbs, pins, spikes
- A61F 2310/00017: Iron- or Fe-based alloys, e.g. stainless steel
- A61F 2310/00023: Titanium or titanium-based alloys, e.g. Ti-Ni alloys
- A61F 2310/00047: Aluminium or Al-based alloys
- A61F 2310/00179: Ceramics or ceramic-like structures
- A61F 2310/00359: Bone or bony tissue
- A61F: FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS (dental prosthetics A61C)

## Abstract

The invention relates to medical implants, including spinal implants and bone grafts, for fixation and integration with hard tissue. The bone medical implants include at least one rotational fixation mechanism that further includes or is attached to one or more sharp protrusions configured to penetrate and become lodged into hard tissue to provide support and positional stability. Such support is useful to ensure that the spinal bone graft may be used without additional stabilizing or anchoring structures, such as supporting plates or screws.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A medical implant for fixation and integration with hard tissue, the medical implant comprising:
a first portion having an inferior and superior surface;
a second portion having an inferior and superior surface;
one or more pins for holding together the first portion and the second portion, at least one of said one or more pins comprising an opening transverse to the axial direction of the pin; and
one or more rotational fixation mechanisms located between the first portion and the second portion, said one or more rotational fixation mechanisms comprising a first opening through which the one or more pins traverse and one or more second openings through which a wire may traverse,
wherein the one or more rotational fixation mechanisms comprise at least one sharp protrusion, each sharp protrusion configured to penetrate and become lodged into hard tissue,
wherein one end of the wire is secured to one rotational fixation mechanism and the other end of the wire is pulled through the openings in the rotational fixation mechanisms and the pin,
wherein the wire comprises a directional barb used to prevent the rotational fixation mechanisms from reversing direction once the barb is pulled through the opening in the one or more pins, and
wherein the wire has a break point designed to separate at a predetermined wire tension, thus locking the sharp protrusions into position.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The medical implant of claim 1 wherein the first and second portion, the one or more pins and the one or more rotational fixation mechanisms are independently made of a member selected from the group consisting of cortical bone, a biocompatible metal and a biocompatible polymer.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The medical implant of claim 2 wherein the first and second portion, the one or more pins and the one or more rotational fixation mechanisms are made of cortical bone.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The medical implant of claim 2 wherein the rotational fixation mechanism is made of a biocompatible metal.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The medical implant of claim 1 wherein the at least one sharp protrusion has a length ranging from about 0.5 mm to about 0.8 cm.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The medical implant of claim 1, wherein the hard tissue is a vertebral body, and wherein the at least one sharp protrusion penetrates at least one of two vertebral bodies, one on the superior side of the implant and one on the inferior side of the implant.