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:
Nov. 30, 2004
Filed:
Sep. 06, 2001
Nabil L. Muhanna, Gainesville, GA (US);
David L. Schalliol, Oakwood, GA (US);
Other;
Abstract
The present invention provides vertebral spacers having a lower surface and an upper surface, an anterior face and a posterior face extending from the lower surface, and at least one guiding groove for engaging an insertion tool. A system for delivering a vertebral spacer to the spinal column of a patient, includes an insertion tool, an optional guiding tool, a pusher, a vertebral spacer, and a cutting tool. The insertion tool accepts any of a pusher, a vertebral spacer, or a cutting tool and has at least one spacer guide for engaging with a guiding groove of a vertebral spacer. The vertebral spacer is inserted into a patient by inserting the insertion tool into an intervertebral space, engaging the guiding groove of a vertebral spacer with a space guide of the insertion tool, advancing a pusher into the insertion tool, thereby pushing the vertebral spacer into the intervertebral space and thereafter removing the pusher and the insertion tool. The cutting tool is optionally used to chisel at least one vertebral space receiving slot in the vertebrae. A hardening biocompatible composition also maybe delivered, to bond the vertebral spacer to an adjacent vertebra or be an osteogenic composition to promote bone growth.