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:
Jun. 13, 2000
Filed:
Nov. 02, 1998
Kevin Jon Lawson, Redding, CA (US);
Other;
Abstract
A spine-stabilization implant has a one-piece shell with bone-tapping screw threads on its outside surface. The screw threads are longitudinally interrupted by several end-to-end flutes distributed in parallel around the circumference. Bone-growth access windows are provided at several locations through the flutes. Such construction gives the spine-stabilization implant a hexagonal cross-section with a hollow central core. A drive tool can be slipped into the back end. After spreading two adjacent vertebrae as much as the interconnecting tissues will allow, a bore is made by a surgeon during an operation into the inter-vertebral space of a patient's spine, e.g., deep into the disc. The drive tool is then used to push the spine-stabilization implant down the bore and into the inter-vertebral space. The tool is then twisted such that the bone-tapping screw threads cut into and lock onto the opposite surfaces of the adjacent vertebrae. The tool is then withdrawn. Morselized bone is packed into the spine-stabilization implant to promote new bone growth that will fuse together the opposite surfaces of the adjacent vertebrae.