Depuy Synthes Products, Inc.

Meret Labhart

Marcel Mueller

A system to stabilize and guide the growth of the spinal column includes an elongated support member having a width and a length and a guiding connector having a bone connecting portion and a guiding portion. The bone connecting portion secures the guiding connector to a vertebrae and the guiding portion has a bearing element with a passageway adapted to receive the elongated support member. The bearing element permits relative sliding movement of the elongated support element in the passageway of the bearing element. The system may further include a bone fixation element has an elongated support member receiving channel, a locking mechanism and a bone anchoring portion. The bone anchoring portion secures the bone fixation element to bone. The locking mechanism secures the elongated support member in the channel. The guiding connector is moveable along the elongated support member to permit and control the growth of the spinal column along a predetermined path.

Spinal stabilizing and guiding fixation system

In one example, an implant holder supports a guiding connector that attaches to a vertebrae and that secures to an elongated support member by a cable tie. The implant holder has a handle portion that has a shaft that extends between proximal and distal ends of the handle portion. The distal end of the handle portion can be positioned proximate to the guiding connector when the guiding connector is supported by the implant holder. The implant holder has at least one holder defining a channel therethrough that receives the shaft of the handle portion such that the at least one holder is slidable along the shaft. The at least one holder secures the cable tie and at least one wing of the guiding connector to the handle portion.

In one embodiment, a connector has a bone connecting portion that is elongate along a central axis and secures the connector to a vertebra, and has a guiding portion that is located proximal to the bone connecting portion. The guiding portion has a flexible wing that extends from a platform member of the guiding portion, and a connecting portion that attaches the platform member to the bone connecting portion. The wing is bendable with respect to the platform member between an extended configuration where the wing extends outwardly away from the platform member, and a curved configuration where the wing is bent so as to define at least a portion of a passageway between the inner surface of the wing and a protrusion of the platform. The passageway receives and slides along an elongated support member such as a spine rod.

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Zurich, Switzerland

Meret Labhart