Zimmer Gmbh

Joseph R Korotko

Randall N Allard

Antony J Lozier

Anthony Lee Koser

Randell N Allard

A spinal implant system including components designed to be affixed to the spinal column. The system includes spinal rods, attachment devices, and interpositional sleeves for securing the attachment devices to the rods. The attachment devices may be various types of spinal hooks, screws, couplers, rod connectors, clamps, or other such devices.

Spinal implant system

The coupler of this invention includes a two-piece coupler for a spinal rod including a yoke and a coupler body which may be positioned to clamp onto the spinal rod at an angle other than perpendicular relative to the rod. The yoke and body permit the spinal rod to be positioned plus or minus 15 degrees out of true perpendicular relative to the rod without sacrificing clamping strength. This advantage is particularly useful when the couplers are connected to a rod-to-rod interconnecting device to permit the rods to be less than parallel relative to one another. The accommodation of less than parallel rods or the non-perpendicular connection of device to the spinal rods reduces the non-functional exact positioning of the spinal rods during surgery as is required by current couplers. Further, the coupler can be placed from a superior position requiring minimal space without the need for screws to provide fixation to the rod.

Spinal rod coupler

The telescoping rod to rod coupler of this invention substantially eliminates the chances of the two rod sections disconnecting from one another by providing a relief in the male section to define a hook shaped end. The hook shaped end in association with a clamping screw carried by the female section requires the rod sections to axial rotate 180 degrees in a screw-like manner during assembly and disassembly. The clamping screw constitutes an abutment or stop for engagement with the hook shaped end to provide a positive stop to prevent the sections from accidentally sliding past their extremes and out of engagement with one another during the surgery. Further, the reliefs provided within the male telescoping section, permit the two rod sections to be firmly affixed to one another with one section axially rotated slightly relative to the other rod section.

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Fort Wayne, IN, United States of America

Joseph R Korotko