Stryker European Holdings I LLC

Stryker Spine

Stryker European Operations Holdings LLC

Vb Spine US Opco LLC

Lee L Thibodeau

Bryan D Milz

Thomas A Alheidt

Christine Herrmann

A spinal implant apparatus that is an expandable spacer including features to minimize or eliminate spacer cant or offset during and after completing the expansion process. The spacer includes a top component, a base component in engagement with the top component, and an expansion mechanism arranged to change the top component's position with respect to the base component. The mechanism for causing expansion may be a screw, a cam, a wedge or other form of distracting device. In one embodiment, the expandable spacer includes a base component with a set of towers and a top component with a set of corresponding silos, where the towers and silos are configured to minimize or eliminate tilt of the top component as it extends upwardly from the base component.

Expandable spinal implant apparatus and method of use

A prosthetic intervertebral spacer includes a body having a front end, a rear end, an anterior side, a posterior side, a top surface, and a bottom surface, and an arcuate interface extending away from the body and being connected to the rear end and the posterior side of the body. A method of inserting and positioning the spacer includes engaging a tool to the interface, inserting the spacer at least partially into the intervertebral disc space by moving the tool along an insertion direction, and allowing the spacer to rotate with respect to the insertion direction within the intervertebral disc space while continuing to move the tool along the insertion direction.

Surgical implant with guiding rail

A prosthetic intervertebral spacer is disclosed. The spacer preferably includes a body and an interface extending away from the body for use during implantation of the spacer. Methods of implanting the spacer and tools used during such procedure are also disclosed.

A method of inserting and positioning an intervertebral spacer is provided. The spacer includes a longitudinal axis, an on-axis interface coincident with or parallel to the longitudinal axis, and an off-axis interface angled to the longitudinal axis. The spacer's front end may be curved. The method may include inserting the spacer into the disc space utilizing a tool to engage an on-axis interface and then to engage one or more of the off-axis interfaces, which may be used for further modification of the spacer. The tool is moved substantially along a single insertion direction, which may be substantially parallel to a posterior-anterior axis of the disc space. The method may result in the longitudinal axis of the spacer being perpendicular to the insertion direction, or substantially parallel to a medial-lateral axis of the disc space. The spacer may also be positioned in an anterior aspect of the disc space.

Spinal implant apparatus and methods

A spinal implant apparatus that is an expandable spacer including features to minimize or eliminate spacer cant or offset during and after completing the expansion process. The spacer includes a top component, a base component in engagement with the top component, and an expansion mechanism arranged to change the top component's position with respect to the base component. The mechanism for causing expansion may be a screw, a cam, a wedge or other form of distracting device. In one embodiment, the expandable spacer includes a base component with a set of towers and a top component with a set of corresponding silos, where the towers and silos are configured to minimize or eliminate tilt of the top component as it extends upwardly from the base component. In another embodiment, the spacer may include a stepped arrangement around the perimeter of the top component and the base component for engagement during height expansion with minimal canting or slippage. In another embodiment, the spacer may include texturing modification at the opposite ends of the longitudinal axis of the spacer to prevent tilting, slipping, or canting. Additionally, a portion of one or more exterior surfaces of the spacer may be textured, sawtoothed, dovetailed or the like to increase frictional intervertebral contact. The spacer may contain one or more passageways of selectable shape/dimension for bone growth through the spacer.

A prosthetic intervertebral spacer is disclosed. The spacer preferably includes a body and an interface extending away from the body for use during implantation of the spacer. The interface can be a rail including a neck portion connected to the body and a lip portion connected to the neck portion. The lip portion can be wider than the neck portion in a direction extending between the top and bottom surfaces of the implant. Methods of implanting the spacer and tools used during such procedure are also disclosed.

A prosthetic intervertebral spacer includes a body and an interface extending away from the body for use during implantation of the spacer. The interface can be a rail including a neck portion connected to the body and a lip portion connected to the neck portion. The lip portion can be wider than the neck portion in a direction extending between the top and bottom surfaces of the implant. Methods of implanting the spacer and tools used during such procedure are also provided.

Growing community of inventors

Cumberland, ME, United States of America

Lee L Thibodeau