Other

U & I Corporation

Howard S An

Koichi Masuda

Tae-Hong Lim

Eugene J-m A Thonar

Ja-Kyo Koo

Chang-Hun Jeon

Ja-Kyo Gu

The invention relates to a method of treatment for a mammal in need of chemonucleolysis. The method comprising the administration of an effective proteoglycan cleaving amount of a proteoglycan-degrading enzyme and an effective amount of a growth factor effective in promoting the synthesis of a matrix component. The proteoglycan-degrading enzyme is preferably chondroitinase. The growth factor is preferably osteogenic protein. The proteoglycan-degrading enzyme and the growth factor are preferably administered simultaneously.

Method for the treatment of chemonucleolysis

Disclosed is a bone fixation apparatus. This device comprises a bone screw having a head; a cap member placed on an upper part of the head of the bone screw; a receiver member having a bore in which the cap member and the head of the bone screw are respectively accommodated and held, and a U-shaped channel through which a support bar extends; and a compression member threadedly coupled into the receiver member to downwardly bias the support bar. A multitude of stepped portions are formed at a lower end and inner surface of the receiver member to be brought into linear contact with an outer surface of a lower part of the head so that the supporting force for the head of the bone screw is increased.

Bone fixation apparatus

A spinal fixation system for use in the immobilization of a sequence of spinal bones, comprising a plurality of pedicle screws, a pair of rods, and connectors. The pedicle screw has a spherical head having a round portion at an upper portion of the spherical head, a threaded shaft for insertion through the pedicles, and a threaded stem on the top of the spherical head. The connector has a rod passage for receiving the rod therethrough, a set member bore formed in an upper portion of the connector, and a support portion having an opening formed for adapting the stem of the pedicle screw and a recessed hemispherical wall. A spherical joint at the pedicle screw and the connector allows the multi-directional adjustment capability of the connector so that the screws can be implanted in any angulation with no need of having the screws well aligned. The spherical head of the pedicle screw and the hemispherical wall have slightly different diameters which improve the locking power and provide a rigid fixation. A rigid coupling is achieved between the rod and the connector by making the cross-section of the rod passage as an imperfect circular shape which allows the three point contact between the rod and the rod passage. The assembly is locked in place by tightening a fixing cap and a set member from the posterior aspect of the spine.

Spinal fixation system

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Chicago, IL, United States of America

Howard S An