Other

Thompson Surgical Instruments, Inc.

Dennis Lee Abernathie

Daniel K Farley

Anthony J Mulac

Gregory A Miller

Ferris Michael Pfeiffer

Eric J Lintula

An inserter for a bone screw assembly includes a hollow outer shaft with an inner shaft concentrically disposed therein. The distal ends of the inner shaft and outer shaft each define a feature for engaging the bone screw assembly. A collar is concentrically disposed about the proximal end of the inner shaft and a rotational interface is provided between the collar and inner shaft. The rotational interface is configured so that rotation of the collar relative to the inner shaft moves the collar into abutting engagement with a hub defined at the proximal end of the outer shaft. This abutting engagement locks the inner and outer shafts together when the distal ends of the shafts are engaged to the bone screw assembly for use in introducing the bone screw assembly into a bone.

Bone screw inserter

A fusion cage of the present invention includes a first housing portion, a second housing portion, and an insert portion adapted to be received therebetween, wherein the geometry of the fusion cage corresponds substantially to the geometry of a void into which the fusion cage is to be inserted. Also described is a novel tool for insertion of a fusion cage and a novel method for designing a fusion cage or other surgical implant for filling a void identified within a patient.

Spinal fusion cage, method of design, and method of use

A surgical port and dilator are useful for creating access to surgical sites having tortuous geometries and/or requiring relatively long and narrow access to the surgical site. The surgical port or dilator can be provided with an oblique distal end to facilitate placement and the displace tissue near angled surfaces. The surgical port can be inserted into the operative site following dilation in the same fashion as a conventional port. Once inserted, however, the surgical port may then be elongated to provide relatively long and narrow, elliptically- shaped access to the surgical site. The elongation of the port allows the surgeon access to long and narrow surgical sites, such as the spine, without having to expand radially. This reduces trauma to the patient. A locking means is also provided to hold the surgical port in the open position until a release mechanism is activated.

Elongateable surgical port and dilator

The present invention provides a fusion cage comprising a first housing, a second housing, and an alignment portion adapted to be received between the first and second housings such that the first and second housings are held in place by said alignment portion. The alignment portion can be varied in shape such that the fusion cage is wedge-like in shaped, or slanted to one side. Further, the alignment portion is constructed of a radiolucent material to allow for visualization of a bone fusion within the fusion cage.

Spinal fusion cage and method of use

The present invention provides an attachment for an operating table preferably including two base portions adapted to rest on the frame of an operating table, a frame portion adapted to support a tray within the sterile field during surgery, and at least two support portions extending upwards from the first and second base portions, respectively, in order to support the frame portion.

Growing community of inventors

Columbia, MO, United States of America

Dennis Lee Abernathie