The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 05, 1999
Filed:
Dec. 31, 1996
Frank S Janson, Rocky River, OH (US);
Albert N Santilli, Pepper Pike, OH (US);
Other;
Abstract
A porous intervertebral spacer includes a plurality of fused, generally spherical beads of a biologically inert material, preferably titanium or a titanium alloy. The spacer can include elongate, tortuous strands of titanium wire mesh intermixed with the beads. The spacer also can be made entirely of strands of elongate, fused, tortuous titanium wire mesh. A method of fusing adjacent vertebrae of the spine includes the steps of excising a portion of an intervertebral disc separating adjacent vertebrae and portions of the adjacent vertebrae to define a graft bed, and inserting into she graft bed at least one porous intervertebral spacer according to the invention.