EP0734703A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Interbody fusion device and method for restoration of normal spinal anatomy
Assignee: SDGI Holdings Inc
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Filing: 1996-03-27
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2016-03-27
Abstract
Abstract An interbody fusion device in one embodiment includes a tapered body defining a hollow interior for receiving bone graft or bone substitute material. The body defines exterior threads which are interrupted over portions of the outer surface of the device. The fusion device defines truncated side walls so that on end view the body takes on a cylindrical form. The side walls are provided with vascularization openings, and the body wall device includes opposite bone ingrowth slots extending through the interrupted thread portion of the body. In another embodiment, the tapered body is solid and formed of a porous biocompatible material having sufficient structural integrity to maintain the intradiscal space and normal curvature. The material is preferably a porous tantalum having fully interconnected pores to facilitate complete bone tissue ingrowtli into the implant. An implant driver is provided which engages the truncated side walls to complete the cylindrical form of the implant at the root diameter of the interrupted threads, to thereby facilitate threaded insertion of the implant to the intradiscal space between adjacent vertebrae. Methods for posterior and anterior insertion of the fusion device are also disclosed.
Inventors
- 👤 Thomas A. Zdeblick
- 👤 Eddie F. Ray Iii
- 👤 Lawrence M. Boyd
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 18:28
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B17/00; A61B17/16; A61B17/1662; A61B17/1671; A61F; A61F2/00; A61F2/02; A61F2/30; A61F2/44; A61F2/4455; A61F2/446; A61F2/46; A61F2/4603; A61F2/4611; A61F2/4637; A61L; A61L27/00; A61L27/14; A61L27/22; A61L27/227; A61L31/00; A61L31/04; A61L31/043; A61L31/047; A61B17/56; A61B17/58; A61B17/88; A61B17/8875; A61B17/8877; A61B17/8883; A61B17/8886; A61B17/8891; A61F2/30721; A61F2/30744; A61F2/30767; A61F2/442; A61F2/28; A61F2002/2835; A61F2002/30001; A61F2002/30108; A61F2002/3011; A61F2002/30112; A61F2002/30136; A61F2002/30138; A61F2002/30143; A61F2002/30153; A61F2002/30158; A61F2002/30199; A61F2002/30205; A61F2002/3021; A61F2002/30217; A61F2002/30316; A61F2002/30329; A61F2002/30476; A61F2002/305; A61F2002/30535; A61F2002/30593; A61F2/30771; A61F2002/30772; A61F2002/30774; A61F2002/30777; A61F2002/30784; A61F2002/30785; A61F2002/3082; A61F2002/3085; A61F2002/30858; A61F2002/30873; A61F2002/448; A61F2002/4641; A61F2220/00; A61F2220/0025; A61F2230/00; A61F2230/0002; A61F2230/0004; A61F2230/0017; A61F2230/0019; A61F2230/0026; A61F2230/0063; A61F2230/0067; A61F2310/00; A61F2310/00005; A61F2310/00011; A61F2310/00017; A61F2310/00023; A61F2310/00035; A61F2310/00095; A61F2310/00131; A61F2310/00161; A61F2310/00179; A61F2310/00389; A61F2310/00592; A61F2310/00796; A61L2430/00; A61L2430/38
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 27
Claim 1
Independent Claim
112 words
A fusion device for facilitating arthrodesis in the disc space between adjacent vertebrae, comprising: an elongated body having a length, a first end and a second end, and a first diameter at said first end sized to be greater than the space between the adjacent vertebrae; said body having an outer surface with a pair of opposite cylindrical portions and a pair of substantially flat opposite side walls between said opposite cylindrical portions, said side walls extending along a substantial portion of said length of said body; and external threads defined on said pair of opposite cylindrical portions of said outer surface and extending along substantially the entire length of said body.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
36 words
The fusion device according to claim 1, wherein said body is tapered along a substantial portion of said length and includes a second diameter at said second end thereof that is greater than said first diameter.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
40 words
The fusion device of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein said flat side walls terminate near said first end, and said cylindrical portions and said threads are interrupted by said side walls and circumferentially continuous thereafter at said first end.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
17 words
The fusion device of any preceding claim, wherein said flat side walls terminate at said second end.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
30 words
The fusion device of any preceding claim, wherein said opposite side walls each define a notch at said second end configured to receive a driving tool for implanting said device.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
86 words
A fusion device for facilitating arthrodesis in the disc space between adjacent vertebrae, comprising: an elongated body having a length, a first diameter at a first end and a larger second diameter at a second end opposite said first end, said first and second diameters sized to be greater than the space between the adjacent vertebrae; said body having an outer surface tapered from said first diameter to said second diameter with external threads defined thereon and extending substantially entirely along said length of said body.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
26 words
The fusion device according to any preceding claim, wherein said body is formed of a porous biocompatible material to permit bone tissue ingrowth into the device.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
26 words
The fusion device according to claim 7, wherein said material is a composite comprising an open-celled substrate having interconnected porosity, said substrate infiltrated with a metal.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
14 words
The fusion device according to claim 8, wherein said substrate is a carbonaceous material.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
14 words
The fusion device according to claim 9, wherein said substrate is a carbon foam.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
27 words
The fusion device according to anyone of claims 8 to 10, wherein said metal is a group VB metal or an alloy of said group VB metal.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
12 words
The fusion device according to claim 11, wherein said metal is tantalum.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
26 words
The fusion device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein said body defines a hollow interior sized to receive bone graft material therein.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
34 words
The fusion device of claim 13 when dependant from any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a number of openings defined in said opposite side walls for communicating with said hollow interior.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
38 words
The fusion device of claim 13 or claim 14, further comprising a pair of diametrically opposed slots defined through said threads and communicating with said hollow interior, said opposed slots being elongated along said length of said body.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
72 words
The fusion device of claim 15 when dependant back from any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein said opposed slots are rectangular in configuration and have a width dimension transverse to said length of said body; and said cylindrical portions have an effective width between said opposite side walls and said opposed slots, wherein said width dimension of said opposed slots is greater than said effective width of said cylindrical portions.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
25 words
The fusion device of claim 15 or claim 16, when dependant from claim 14, wherein said opposed slots are larger than said number of openings.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
21 words
The fusion device of any one of claims 13 to 17, wherein said second end is open to said hollow interior.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
15 words
The fusion device of claim 18, wherein said body is closed at said first end.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
108 words
A driving tool for implanting an interbody fusion device in the space between adjacent vertebrae, the fusion device including a body having a cylindrical outer surface interrupted by opposite flat side walls, the outer surface having external threads defined thereon, said tool comprising: an elongated shaft; and a pair of opposite tongs connected to one end of said shaft by a hinge, wherein said tongs are biased apart relative to each other; each of said tongs having inward facing surfaces configured to contact the opposite flat side walls of the fusion device and outward facing surfaces configured to conform to the cylindrical outer surface of the fusion device.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
65 words
The driving tool according to claim 20, in which the fusion device includes openings defined in the flat side surfaces, wherein said inward facing surfaces of each of said tongs includes a finger extending therefrom and arranged to project into a corresponding one of the openings in the flat side surface of the fusion device when the inward facing surface contacts the flat side surface.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
45 words
The driving tool according to claim 20 or claim 21, further comprising a sleeve concentrically disposed about said shaft and axially movable thereon to compress said hinge to push said tongs toward each other, whereby said tongs grip a fusion device disposed between said tongs.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
34 words
The driving tool according to claim 22. wherein said sleeve is threadedly engaged to said shaft to move axially along the length of said shaft as the sleeve is rotated about the threaded engagement.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
66 words
The driving tool according to claim 22 or claim 23, wherein said tongs include a tapered surface adjacent said hinge; and said sleeve has a tapered chamfer on an inner surface of said sleeve, said tapered chamfer being complementary with said tapered surface such that said tapered chamfer travels along said tapered surface as said sleeve is moved axially toward said tongs to compress said hinge.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
55 words
The driving tool according to any one of claims 20 to 24, in which the fusion device has a pair of opposite slots defined in an end of the device, wherein said tongs include driving projections extending from said inward facing surface, said driving projections configured to engage the opposite slots in the fusion device.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
132 words
A driving tool for implanting an interbody fusion device in the space between adjacent vertebrae, the hollow fusion device including a body having a cylindrical inner surface and a cylindrical outer surface interrupted by opposite flat side walls, the outer surface having external threads defined thereon, said tool comprising: an elongated shaft; a pair of opposite tongs connected to one end of said shaft, wherein said tongs are disposed apart relative to each other to receive the opposite flat side walls of the fusion device therebetween; and an expanding collet assembly connected to said elongated shaft and having a portion expandable from a first diameter sufficiently small to be disposed within the interior of the hollow fusion device to a larger second diameter sufficient to grip the interior of the fusion device.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
121 words
The driving tool according to claim 21, wherein said expanding collet assembly includes: a head integral with said pair of opposite tongs, said head defining a central bore therethrough and an annular flange at one end of said bore adjacent and interior to said tongs; and an expander shaft slidably disposed within said central bore, said expander shaft having a tip flared from a first diameter sufficiently small to slide within said central bore and a larger second diameter adjacent said annular flange when said expander shaft is disposed within said central bore, whereby when said expander shaft is retracted into said central bore, said flared tip progressively expands said annular flange into engagement within the interior of the fusion device.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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