Depuy Synthes Products, Inc.

Depuy Spine, Inc.

Depuy Acromed, Inc.

Richard C Techiera

Hassan A Serhan

John Daniel Malone

Robert D Fraser

Sean P Selover

Christopher L Ramsay

Michael Alan Fisher

Ronald Sacher

Michael J O'Neil

Christopher Mickiewicz

Bryan S Jones

Douglas Hester

Katherine Herard

Jorge Eduardo Isaza

David McCord

Robert G Johnson

Spinal fixation plates for maintaining adjacent vertebrae in and fixed position are provided. In an exemplary embodiment, the plate includes opposed superior and inferior portions that are angled in a direction anterior to an anterior face of a mid-portion of the plate. The plate also includes a curvature formed therein about a longitudinal axis in a sagittal plane thereof. In use, when the plate is attached to adjacent vertebrae, the angle of the superior and inferior portions and the curvature in the plate are effective to position one or more thru-bores formed in the superior and inferior portions at the anterior rims of the adjacent vertebrae. In another embodiment, a spinal fixation plate is provided that is adapted to engage and mate to a fusion cage or other vertebral implant disposed between adjacent vertebra. The present invention also provides spinal fixation kits or assemblies, and methods for implanting the same.

Spinal fixation plates

A method of compacting and stabilizing bone in the spine using an expandable screw and bone filler. The method includes placing an expanding screw through a pedicle and into a fractured vertebral body using established techniques; and expanding the screw within the body to create a cavity by tamping bone around the expanded aspect of the screw. The screw can be expanded and rotated about its rotational-axis to tamp bone adjacent to the expanded screw. After compaction, the screw is removed and the cavity is filled with bone filler.

Expansion screw bone tamp

A medical inserter tool is provided for introducing medical implants into a surgical site, preferably using minimally invasive techniques. The inserter tool can have a variety of configurations, but in general, the inserter tool should be effective to engage and manipulate the implant into two or more positions. In an exemplary embodiment, the tool includes an elongate shaft having proximal and distal ends and defining a longitudinal axis extending therebetween, and a pivoting element that is coupled to the distal end of the shaft and that is adapted to engage a spinal implant. In use, the pivoting element is movable between first and second positions to allow an implant to be introduced through a percutaneous access device in a lengthwise orientation, and to be manipulated subcutaneously to be positioned in a desired orientation.

Pivoting implant holder

Spinal fixation plate

A device and method for defining a trajectory for instruments in a sacroiliac joint fusion procedure employs a handle and two movable guidance arms that are separated by an adjustable distance. The first guidance arm has a substantially straight pronged distal end terminating in a first prong, a second prong and a space between the first prong and second prong defining a first point in a straight trajectory for inserting screws into a sacroiliac joint. The guidance arm forms a receiving bore on a distal end thereof to define a second point in the trajectory. The pronged distal end is inserted through a posterior incision in the patient into a cored-out sacroiliac joint, with the second guidance arm outside the body, and the orientation of the alignment guide is adjusted by pivoting the alignment guide about the pronged distal end to determine a suitable trajectory. Instruments and implements are placed along the trajectory and guided by the alignment guide to drill screw holes and insert screws used in the sacroiliac joint fusion procedure into the screw holes.

Sacroiliac joint fusion alignment guide

A spinal implant including an at least one screw disposed within a wedge body is herein provided. The implant can be configured for placement with a facet joint in an intra-facet delivery. Furthermore, the implant can include a fusion-promoting bioactive material thereby providing a single device capable of spinal stabilization and/or fusion. Furthermore, a method of placing such an implant within a facet joint in an intra-facet orientation is hereby provided.

Facet fixation and fusion wedge and method of use

A method and apparatus for providing an adjustable length surgical implant is provided, wherein the surgical implant is readily adjustable by a surgeon using a surgical tool sized for use with the surgical implant. Adjustment of the surgical implant further requires a small incision through the skin prior to the adjustment of the length of the implant, such that the potential for infection is greatly reduces and the associated trauma of surgery is lessened for the patient.

Adjustable length implant

A spinal fixation assembly is provided including a fusion cage with posterior, anterior, superior, and inferior faces, and a plate having at least one aperture for receiving a bone screw and having a mating element adapted to slidably engage and mate to the anterior face of the fusion cage. The cage is adapted to be positioned between adjacent vertebrae, and the plate is effective to mate to the cage and to receive one or more bone screws to fasten the plate and secure the fusion cage to the adjacent vertebrae.

Anterior lumbar interbody fusion cage with locking plate

A coupler for connecting a first, slotted, implanted spinal fixation element to a second spinal fixation element includes a post and a head disposed on a distal end of the post. The head of the coupler has a width shorter than a width of a slot in the first, slotted, implanted spinal fixation element, and a length longer than the width of the slot in the first, slotted, implanted spinal fixation element. The coupler with a head so configured can be placed in a first orientation so that the head passes through the slot in the first, slotted, implanted spinal fixation element, and then can be placed in a second orientation wherein the head is trapped beneath the first, slotted, implanted spinal fixation element while the post having a connecting element extends through the slot. Systems and methods for extending a first, implanted spinal fixation element to one or more additional vertebrae while leaving the first, implanted spinal fixation element in place are also disclosed.

Growing community of inventors

New Bedford, MA, United States of America

Richard C Techiera