Abstract:
A surgical treatment for restoring proper anatomical spacing and alignment to vertebral bones including: determining an angular misalignment associated with adjacent vertebral bones; sequentially inserting and removing a series of progressively wider spacer elements into the corresponding intervertebral space between the adjacent vertebral bones until the proper anatomical spacing between the adjacent vertebral bones is restored; for each intervertebral space, inserting a tapered porous spacer element into the intervertebral space between the corresponding adjacent vertebral bones; rotating the tapered porous spacer element such that the rotational orientation of the tapered porous spacer element introduces the appropriate counter offset to the intervertebral space of the previously misaligned scoliotic vertebral bones, thereby restoring the proper anatomical alignment of the vertebral bones; and stabilizing the adjacent vertebral bones to permit infused growth of bone into the tapered porous spacer element.
Abstract:
A unitary locking cap mechanism, which is used with pedicle screws and other orthopaedic implant devices which couple bones to rods, includes rim and post portions which are rotationally freely coupled to one another to permit independent motion relative to one another. The rim element has a cylindrical body with an open end and a closed end; the closed end alternatively having a concentric hole defined by an inwardly directed flange. In one embodiment, the flange includes a series of slots, dividing into a plurality of wedge-shaped pie sections. In another embodiment, the sidewall of the cylindrical portion of the rim includes an annular recess. The post is a cylindrical shaft having surface elements at one end which provide for mutual engagement with the rim. These surface elements may be deflecting arms which seat into the annular recess of the rim, or an annular recess in the shaft into which the wedge-shaped pie sections of the flange portion may be resiliently snapped into. In an alternative embodiment, the shaft and the rim are coupled together through the concentric hole by a retaining ring which is placed around the shaft, in an annular recess therein, after the insertion of the shaft through the hole. Each embodiment are alternatively designed such that the post or the inner surface of the rim portions are threaded so that it can mate with a threading on the inner or outer upwardly extending, U-shaped channel forming, members of the heads of the pedicle screws.
Abstract:
An instrument for inserting and removing an intervertebral spacer into and out from an intervertebral space between adjacent vertebral bones, the spacer having a trunk portion having a longitudinal axis and flange portions at each longitudinal end of the trunk, the instrument including: a shaft having a proximal end and a distal end; the proximal end including a handle; and a holding structure provided at the distal end, which holding structure includes an enclosure within which the trunk of the spacer may be selectively introduced and maintained therein, the holding structure having an opening leading to the enclosure and through which opening the trunk of the spacer may be selectively passed to when forced therethough.
Abstract:
A surgical treatment for restoring proper anatomical spacing and alignment to vertebral bones including: determining an angular misalignment associated with adjacent vertebral bones; sequentially inserting and removing a series of progressively wider cylindrical spacer elements into the corresponding intervertebral space between the adjacent vertebral bones until the proper anatomical spacing between the adjacent vertebral bones is restored; for each intervertebral space, inserting a diametrically tapered cylindrical porous spacer element into the intervertebral space between the corresponding adjacent vertebral bones; rotating the diametrically tapered cylindrical porous spacer element such that the rotational orientation of the tapered cylindrical porous spacer element introduces the appropriate counter offset to the intervertebral space of the previously misaligned scoliotic vertebral bones, thereby restoring the proper anatomical alignment of the vertebral bones; and stabilizing the adjacent vertebral bones to permit infused growth of bone into the diametrically tapered cylindrical porous spacer element.
Abstract:
An intervertebral spacer device having a pair of opposing plates for seating against opposing vertebral bone surfaces, separated by at least one force restoring element. The preferred force restoring mechanism is a spiral-shaped radially diminishing amplitude wave washer.
Abstract:
An intervertebral spacer device having a pair of opposing plates for seating against opposing vertebral bone surfaces, separated by at least one force restoring element. The preferred force restoring mechanism is a wave washer. In a first embodiment the wave washer is ring-shaped. In a second embodiment the wave washer is spiral-shaped.
Abstract:
An orthopedic device set, including: a plurality of intervertebral spacers elements, each spacer element having a cylindrical shape and an annular groove formed therein, each spacer element further having a different axial thickness from each other spacer; and an instrument for holding each of the intervertebral spacer elements during the insertion and removal thereof into and out from between adjacent vertebral bones; the instrument comprising a shaft having a distal end, a spacer element holding structure formed at the distal end, which spacer element holding structure can hold the spacer at the annular groove thereof.
Abstract:
An instrument for insertion, implanting, and removing a cylindrical inter vertebral spacer member having a deep circumferential groove, including: a shaft having a proximal end and a distal end, said proximal end forming a handle and the distal end forming a spacer member engaging subassembly; said spacer member engaging subassembly including at least one selectively expanding and contracting enclosure into which a central core of the spacer member may be introduced when the engaging subassembly is in the expanded state, and which holds the spacer member so that it cannot move when the selectively expanding and contracting enclosure is rendered into the contracted state; and an actuating mechanism, extending from the proximal end to the distal end, by which the spacer member engaging subassembly may be selectively expanded and contracted.
Abstract:
A surgical treatment for restoring a proper anatomical spacing and alignment to vertebral bones of a scoliosis patient including: determining an angular misalignment associated with at least one pair of adjacent vertebral bones; sequentially inserting and removing a series of progressively wider cylindrical spacer elements into the corresponding intervertebral space between the at least one pair of adjacent vertebral bones until the proper anatomical spacing between the pair of adjacent vertebral bones is restored; for each intervertebral space, inserting a diametrically tapered cylindrical spacer element into the intervertebral space between the corresponding pair of adjacent vertebral bones; and rotating the diametrically tapered cylindrical spacer element such that the rotational orientation of the tapered cylindrical spacer element introduces the appropriate counter offset to the intervertebral space of the previously misaligned scoliotic vertebral bones, thereby restoring the proper anatomical alignment of the vertebral bones.
Abstract:
A surgical treatment for distracting vertebral bodies to their proper anatomical spacing including sequentially inserting and removing a series of progressively wider cylindrical spacer elements into the intervertebral space between adjacent vertebral bones until the distance between the vertebral bones is anatomically appropriate.