Axiomed Spine Corporation

Medtronic Ps Medical, Inc.

Depuy Acromed, Inc.

Axiomed, LLC

Acromed Corporation

James M Kuras

Charles Fredrick Birchall, Jr

Keith Duke

Kari Zimmers

Isador H Lieberman

Edward C Benzel

Raymond S Ross

Lee A Strnad

Carl R McMillin

Hassan A Serhan

Rebecca L Blice

Maarten Persenaire

James Edward Barber

Michael A Gambale

E Raymond Ross

Alexandre M DiNello

Tawny Bragg

Tawny Brag

J Edward Barber

Charles F Birchall

An artificial disc to replace a damaged spinal disc in a spinal column includes a resilient core which is fixedly connected to first and second plates. The first and second plates engage upper and lower vertebra in the patient's spine. The inner side of at least one of the first and second plates has an array of recesses into which said resilient core extends. The array of recesses includes a plurality of recesses. Each of the recesses of the plurality of recesses has surfaces which are integrally formed as one piece with the plate.

Artificial disc

An artificial disc includes an intermediate section which is disposed between upper and lower retainers. The intermediate section includes a first portion which resists rotation of one of the retainers, for example, the upper retainer, from a first position to a second position. A second portion of the intermediate section of the artificial disc resists rotation of the upper retainer from the second position to a third position. The second portion of the intermediate section of the artificial disc is ineffective to provide significant resistance to relative rotation between the retainers during rotation of the upper retainer relative to the lower retainer from the first position to the second position. The artificial disc may be provided with projections which engage protrusions on the intermediate section to resist rotation of the upper retainer relative to the lower retainer from the second position to the third position.

An apparatus for replacing a damaged spinal disc in a spinal column includes a first retaining device having an outer surface engageable with a first vertebra of the spinal column and an inner surface. A second retaining device has an outer surface engageable with a second vertebra of the spinal column and an inner surface. A resilient core has a first surface and a second surface. The first surface engages the inner surface of the first retaining device. The second surface engages the inner surface of the second retaining device. The resilient core has a tapered radially outer surface extending from adjacent the first surface to adjacent the second surface. The first retaining device may have a flange extending toward the second retaining device. A concave surface may extend between the first surface and the radially outer surface. The concave surface of the core may engage the flange when the apparatus is free of a load.

Apparatus for replacing a damaged spinal disc

An artificial disc () to replace a damaged spinal disc in a spinal column () includes a resilient core () having an upper surface () and a lower surface(). An upper retaining member () has an outer surface () engageable with a first vertebra () of the spinal column () and an inner surface () affixed to the upper surface () of the resilient core (). A lower retaining member () has an outer surface () engageable with a second vertebra () of the spinal column () and an inner surface () affixed to the lower surface () of the resilient core (). One of the upper and lower retaining members () has an opening () extending through the outer and inner surfaces into which the resilient core () deflects upon relative movement of the upper and lower retaining members ().

An apparatus for replacing a spinal disc which has a rail extending from the outer surface to connect the apparatus to the first vertebra. The rail extends a first distance from the outer surface adjacent a first end. The rail extends a second distance from the outer surface adjacent a second end. The second distance is greater than the first distance. In another aspect of the apparatus, the first rail extends generally transverse to the first and second ends. The second rail extends generally transverse to the first rail.

Method and apparatus for replacing a spinal disc

An apparatus for replacing a damaged spinal disc in a spinal column includes an artificial disc. The artificial disc includes a resilient core having a first surface and a second surface, a first retaining member connected to the first surface of the resilient core, and a second retaining member connected to the second surface of the resilient core. The first retaining member has an outer surface engageable with a first vertebra of the spinal column and an inner surface facing the first surface of the resilient core. The second retaining device has an outer surface engageable with a second vertebra of the spinal column and an inner surface facing the second surface of the resilient core. A first mounting member is connectable with the first vertebra and the artificial disc to position the artificial disc between the first and second vertebrae. The first mounting member is engageable with the artificial disc after being connected to the first vertebra to guide movement of the artificial disc into position between the first and second vertebrae.

A method for replacing a damaged spinal disc between first and second vertebrae of a spinal column includes connecting a first mounting member with the first vertebra of the spinal column. An artificial disc is moved between the first and second vertebrae and into engagement with the first mounting member to guide the artificial disc into position between the first and second vertebrae. The artificial disc includes a resilient core having a first surface and a second surface, a first retaining member connected to the first surface of the resilient core, and a second retaining member connected to the second surface of the resilient core. The first retaining member has an outer surface engageable with a first vertebra of the spinal column and an inner surface facing the first surface of the resilient core. The second retaining member has an outer surface engageable with the second vertebra of the spinal column and an inner surface facing the second surface of the resilient core.

Method for replacing a damaged spinal disc

An artificial disc to replace a damaged spinal disc in a spinal column includes an upper retaining member having an outer surface engageable with a first vertebra of the spinal column and an inner surface. A lower retaining member has an outer surface engageable with a second vertebra of the spinal column and an inner surface. A resilient core interconnects the upper and lower retaining members. The resilient core has an upper surface affixed to the inner surface of the upper retaining member. The resilient core has a lower surface affixed to the inner surface of the lower retaining member. The resilient core has a surface extending from one of the upper and lower surfaces toward another of the upper and lower surfaces and at least partially defining an empty space extending from the one of the upper and lower surfaces.

An apparatus for replacing a damaged spinal disc in a spinal column includes a resilient core having a first surface and a second surface. A first retaining device is connected to the first surface of the resilient core. The first retaining device includes an outer surface engageable with a first vertebra of the spinal column and an inner surface facing the first surface of the resilient core. A second retaining device is connected to the second surface of the resilient core. The second retaining device has an outer surface engageable with a second vertebra of the spinal column and an inner surface facing the second surface of the resilient core. The inner surface of the first retaining device is spaced from the core. The core deflects into engagement with the inner surface of the first retaining device upon relative movement between the first and second retaining devices.

Method and apparatus for replacing a damaged spinal disc

A spinal disc prosthesis ( ) to replace a damaged spinal disc in a spinal column ( ) of a human, includes an elastomeric core ( ) having upper and lower surfaces ( ) which are parallel to each other. An upper rigid plate ( ) has opposed first and second surfaces ( ). The first surface ( ) is affixed to the upper surface ( ) of the elastomeric core. The second surface ( ) is inclined relative to the first surface ( ). A lower rigid plate ( ) has opposed third and fourth surfaces ( ). The third surface ( ) is affixed to the lower surface ( ) of the elastomeric core ( ) and extends parallel to the first surface ( ). The fourth surface ( ) is inclined relative to the third surface ( ). The second and fourth surfaces ( ) are inclined relative to each other.

Spinal disc

An artificial disc ( ) to replace a damaged spinal disc in a spinal column ( ) includes a resilient core ( ) having an upper surface ( ) and a lower surface ( ). An upper retaining member ( ) has an outer surface ( ) engageable with a first vertebra ( ) of the spinal column ( ) and an inner surface ( ) affixed to the upper surface ( ) of the resilient core ( ). A lower retaining member ( ) has an outer surface ( ) engageable with a second vertebra ( ) of the spinal column ( ) and an inner surface ( ) affixed to the lower surface ( ) of the resilient core ( ). One of the upper and lower retaining members ( ) has an opening ( ) extending through the outer and inner surfaces into which the resilient core ( ) deflects upon relative movement of the upper and lower retaining members ( ).

An apparatus for attaching a cranial flap ( ) to a skull ( ) includes an attachment device ( ) having relatively movable first and second members ( and ). The first member ( ) has first and second surfaces ( and ) for engaging first and second kerf edges ( and ), respectively, of a kerf ( ). The second member ( ) has third and fourth surfaces ( and ) for engaging the first and second kerf edges ( and ), respectively. A shaft ( ) connects the first and second members ( and ). The shaft ( ) is attached to the second member ( ) and extends through an opening ( ) in the first member ( ). The attachment device ( ) is positionable in the kerf ( ) and movable from a first condition in which the first and second members ( and ) are not engaged with the kerf edges ( and ) to a second condition in which the attachment device is wedged in the kerf between the first and third surfaces ( and ) and the first kerf edge ( ) and between the second and fourth surfaces ( and ) and the second kerf edge ( )

Apparatus for attaching a cranial flap

A method and apparatus are provided for attaching a cranial flap ( ) to a skull ( ). The cranial flap ( ) and the skull ( ) are spaced apart by a kerf ( ) defined by a first kerf edge ( ) on the cranial flap and a second kerf edge ( ) on the skull. The apparatus comprises at least one attachment device ( ) made of a bioabsorbable polymeric material and having a head portion ( ), a main body portion ( ), and an end portion ( ). The end portion ( ) is deformable from an axially extending first condition to a radially extending second condition by heating the end portion and forming the end portion around the first kerf edge ( ), which clamps the attachment device ( ) to the cranial flap ( ). The main body portion ( ) includes a first surface portion ( ) that attaches to the first kerf edge ( ) and a second surface portion ( ) that attaches to the second kerf edge ( ). The attachment device ( ) is positionable in the kerf ( ) to secure the cranial flap to the skull by frictional engagement between the first surface portion ( ) against the first kerf edge ( ) and frictional engagement between the second surface portion ( ) against the second kerf edge ( ).

Method and apparatus for attaching a cranial flap

An apparatus ( ) for attaching to bone comprises a one-piece, homogeneous screw ( ) engageable by a driver for driving the screw into bone. The screw ( ) has a shaft portion ( ) and a head portion ( ) extending from the shaft portion. The shaft portion ( ) has an outer surface ( ) with a thread convolution ( ). The head portion ( ) includes oppositely disposed first and second axial ends ( and ) and a peripheral surface ( ) extending between the ends. The first axial end ( ) adjoins the shaft portion ( ). The second axial end ( ) includes an end surface ( ). The head portion ( ) has a plurality of slots ( ) extending axially from the end surface ( ) to the first axial end ( ). The slots ( ) further extend through the peripheral surface ( ) of the head portion ( ) and radially inward from the peripheral surface of the head portion. In accordance with another feature, the apparatus ( ) further comprises a screwdriver ( ) for driving the screw ( ) into bone ( ).

Apparatus for attaching to bone

A spinal disc prosthesis to replace a damaged spinal disc in a spinal column of a human includes an upper rigid plate having an outer perimeter and a lower rigid plate having an outer perimeter. A body of elastomeric material located between and bonded to the upper and lower rigid plates includes a main portion and a peripheral portion extending around the main portion. The upper and lower plates each have a curved convex plate surface extending around the respective outer perimeters and facing the peripheral portion of the body of elastomeric material. The peripheral portion of the body of elastomeric material has a first part which is bonded to the curved convex plate surfaces of the upper and lower plates and extends toward the main portion. The first part of the peripheral portion increases in thickness as the first part extends from the curved convex plate surfaces toward the main portion. The first part of the peripheral portion of the body of elastomeric material has a convexly curved outer surface which forms a part of the outer surface of the body of elastomeric material.

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Macedonia, OH, United States of America

James M Kuras