Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090198291 | BONE SCREW - A bone screw and method of inserting a bone screw into a bone is disclosed. In one example, the bone screw includes a tip segment for creating a starter hole in the bone. A pilot segment is located proximally of the tip segment for creating a pilot hole in the bone after creation of the starter hole. The starter hole and pilot hole are created by a longitudinal pushing force exerted on the bone screw by the surgeon. A threaded segment is located proximally of the pilot segment for fixedly securing the bone screw in the bone by the use of a rotational force exerted on the bone screw by the surgeon. A head is located proximally of the threaded segment for allowing the bone screw to affix an implant or other soft tissue to the bone. In one embodiment the implant is a plate. | 08-06-2009 |
20090287252 | Connecting Element and System for Flexible Spinal Stabilization - An elongated connecting element and system for dynamic spinal stabilization is disclosed. The connecting element and system provides for resistance to shear forces applied to the connecting element as well as provides for rotational stability of a resilient intermediate element disposed between two end members. | 11-19-2009 |
20100131067 | ORTHOPEDIC IMPLANT WITH SENSOR COMMUNICATIONS ANTENNA AND ASSOCIATED DIAGNOSTICS MEASURING, MONITORING, AND RESPONSE SYSTEM - A diagnostic system is provided that occupies a small area, provides sensing and transmitting of various diagnostic indicia, and with the aid of a healthcare professional, diagnoses and responds to such measurements. In the context of the spine, the diagnostic system comprises a spinal implant situated between two adjacent vertebrae, an antenna for sending and/or receiving signals to and/or from a remote location, a sensor for measuring at least one diagnostic condition, an activating element that has the ability to affect the at least one diagnostic condition, a power source to provide power to the diagnostic system, and a network that electrically connects the antenna, sensor, activating element and battery source. | 05-27-2010 |
20100198268 | LOW PROFILE BONE SCREW EXTENDER AND ITS APPLICATION IN MINIMUM INVASIVE SPINAL SURGERIES - A tissue extender includes a ring defining a proximal end opening to engage a head of a subcutaneous screw, a first extender portion coupled to the ring at a proximal end of the first extender portion, and a second extender portion coupled to the ring at a proximal end of the second extender portion. The first extender portion includes a first coupling portion disposed at a distal end of the first extender portion, and the second extender portion includes a second coupling portion at a distal end of the second extender portion. The first and second extender portions define two side openings disposed on opposite sides of the tissue extender. The distal ends of the first and second extender portions together define a distal end opening. The first coupling portion engages the second coupling portion when the tissue extender is in an extended state. The distal end opening is larger in the extended state than in an unextended state. | 08-05-2010 |
20100262187 | SYSTEMS AND DEVICES FOR DYNAMIC STABILIZATION OF THE SPINE - A dynamic stabilization device, system, and method for use with a spinal motion segment includes a first bone anchor assembly, a second bone anchor assembly, a first articulation element and a second articulation element. The first articulation element includes an end portion engageable with the first bone anchor assembly, a first articulation surface, and a resilient element therebetween. The first articulation surface is separably engageable with a second articulation surface associated with the second articulation element. The resilient element provides resilient resistance when the first and second bone anchor assemblies are moved toward one another and provides no resistance and is separable from the second bone anchor assembly when the first and second bone anchor assemblies are moved away from one another. | 10-14-2010 |
20100262191 | SYSTEMS AND DEVICES FOR DYNAMIC STABILIZATION OF THE SPINE - A dynamic stabilization system for use with a spinal motion segment includes a first bone anchor assembly, a second bone anchor assembly, a resilient element, and a sheath. The resilient element includes an end portion engageable with the first bone anchor assembly and a resilient portion engageable with the second bone anchor assembly. The resilient element provides resilient resistance when the first and second bone anchor assemblies are moved toward one another and provides no resistance and is separable from the second bone anchor assembly when the first and second bone anchor assemblies are moved away from one another. The sheath surrounds the resilient portion and articulation surface of the second bone anchor assembly. | 10-14-2010 |
20100268278 | TENSION BAND - Various embodiments of a vertebral tension band assembly and associated connection structure are provided. The tension band assemblies may be attached to vertebral bodies to, for example, connect one vertebrae to another, retain the band in approximately a preferred position by application of tension to the band during insertion and/or limit, impede, inhibit, reduce or interfere with the separation from one vertebra to another and may further block, impede, interfere with, inhibit, reduce or present an obstacle to dislodgement of a spinal implant from between the vertebrae to which it is attached. Flexible band portions of the assemblies may be treated and/or configured to promote bony integration between the band and the associated vertebrae, limit tissue adhesion to the band, and/or to elute a therapeutic substance from the installed band to the surgical site. | 10-21-2010 |
20110172720 | ARTICULATING INTERSPINOUS PROCESS CLAMP - Medical devices for the treatment of spinal conditions are described herein. Such a medical device may include a pair of plates with spikes adapted to be embedded in a superior spinous process and an adjacent inferior spinous process. The device may also allow relative motion between adjacent spinous processes. | 07-14-2011 |
20110184245 | TISSUE MONITORING SURGICAL RETRACTOR SYSTEM - An apparatus for monitoring the characteristics of tissue adjacent a surgical site and communicating that information to a health care provider includes a retractor, a sensor, and a processing system. The sensor is disposed on the retractor and is configured to measure a parameter indicative of at least one characteristic of the tissue adjacent the first or the second blade. The processing system is in communication with the sensor and configured and arranged to receive information from the sensor indicative of the measured parameter. It includes a threshold stored therein indicative of excessive trauma to the tissue and it is configured in a manner such that it compares the received information to the stored threshold and communicates information to the health care provider regarding the comparison. | 07-28-2011 |
20110196373 | BONE PREPARATION DEVICE - A bone preparation device for shaping endplates forming an intervertebral disc space between two adjacent vertebrae includes a cutter component and a cutter-positioner component. The cutter-positioner is arranged to limit the distal travel of the cutter component and to restrict the range of motion of the distal end of the cutter component. The bone preparation device also includes a rotational interface between the cutter component and the cutter-positioner component. The rotational interface is structurally arranged to permit the cutting blade to be rotated at the same time the cutter component is restricted in its range of motion. | 08-11-2011 |
20110218574 | DYNAMIC VERTEBRAL CONSTRUCT - A vertebral construct includes a first fastening element having a first portion and a second portion configured for engagement with tissue. A rod defines an elongated cavity configured to facilitate dynamic translation of the first portion therein relative to the rod. A second fastening element has a first portion fixedly connected to the rod. Methods of use are disclosed. | 09-08-2011 |
20120016477 | LOCKABLE IMPLANT AND METHOD OF USE - A spinal implant includes a body defining a longitudinal axis and an outer surface. The outer surface includes a first portion configured to engage a first bone surface and a second portion configured to engage a second opposing bone surface. A first locking element has a center of rotation along a first axis offset from the longitudinal axis. The first locking element is rotatable relative to the body between a first, non-engaging configuration and a second engaging configuration such that the first locking element extends beyond the outer surface. Methods of use are disclosed. | 01-19-2012 |
20120109198 | SPINOUS PROCESS IMPLANT WITH A POST AND AN ENLARGED BOSS - A spinous process implant with two plates that are connected together with a post. The implant is configured for each plate to be positioned on outer lateral sides of spinous processes with the post extending through the interspinous space. One or both plates may be movable along the length of the post to accommodate different anatomies such as for relatively wide or thin spinous processes. The post includes an enlarged head at a first end to prevent the first plate from disassociating from the post in a first direction. The post also includes a boss at a second end to prevent the second plate from disassociating from the post in a second direction. Methods of attaching the implants to the spinous processes are also disclosed. | 05-03-2012 |
20120109203 | SPINOUS PROCESS IMPLANT WITH EXTENDED POST - Spinous process implants that may include a first plate sized to extend along a first lateral side of the spinous processes and a second plate sized to extend along a second lateral side of the spinous processes. The second plate may include a bore that extends through the second plate. An elongated post may extend through the bore with a first end attached to the first plate and a second end positioned outward beyond the outer surface of the second plate away from the first plate. A joint may be positioned along the post that attaches a first section of the post to a second section of the post. The joint may be constructed to align the first and second sections in a collinear orientation and to remove the second section from the first section. Additional joints may also be positioned along the post. The bore may be sized relative to the post for the second plate to be movable along a length of the post. | 05-03-2012 |
20120116454 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR FACET JOINT STABILIZATION - In one form, a method for stabilization of a facet joint of the spinal column includes forming a cavity between adjacent bones defining the facet joint and positioning an implant in the cavity between the adjacent bones. In one aspect of this form, the method also includes positioning a bone anchor across the facet joint and engaging the bone anchor with each of the adjacent bones to force the bones toward one another and clamp the implant therebetween. In a further aspect of this form, the implant is a cancellous bone dowel and becomes fractured into a plurality of fragments upon being clamped between the adjacent bones and/or otherwise interacting with the bone anchor. In another form, systems and devices for performing percutaneous facet joint stabilization and/or fusion are provided. However, different forms and applications are also envisioned. | 05-10-2012 |
20120259374 | Flexible Anchor Extenders - There is disclosed a system for positioning a connecting element adjacent one or more bones or bony portions, such as the spinal column, through a minimally invasive surgical approach. The system generally includes at least one bone anchor engageable to the one or more bones or bony portions and at least one anchor extender removably engaged to the bone anchor. A connecting element is movable along a longitudinal axis of the anchor extender. In response to movement of the connecting element along the longitudinal axis toward the bone anchor, the anchor extender flexes, bends or otherwise reconfigures to allow a leading end of the connecting element to be rotated away from the longitudinal axis so that the connecting element can be positioned in a transverse orientation to the longitudinal axis along the one or more bones or bony portions at a location adjacent the bone anchor. | 10-11-2012 |
20120271419 | EXPANDABLE IMPLANT SYSTEM AND METHODS OF USE - A spinal implant includes a first component including a first surface configured for engagement with a first vertebral surface and a second surface configured to define at least a portion of an implant support cavity. A second component is connected to the first component and includes a first surface configured for engagement with a second vertebral surface and a second surface configured to define at least a portion of the implant support cavity. A removable intermediate component is configured for disposal in the implant support cavity. The intermediate component is inflatable to move the first component relative to the second component to expand the interbody implant from a first configuration to a second, expanded configuration. At least one agent is configured to replace the intermediate component in the implant support cavity in the second configuration. Methods of use are disclosed. | 10-25-2012 |
20120277801 | Methods and Instruments for Use in Vertebral Treatment - Embodiments of the invention include instruments, implants, and methods for surgically treating facet joints of vertebrae. An instrument may be advanced into one or more facet joints to one or both separate vertebrae and remove tissue from one or more articular processes. A stop on the instrument may be used to terminate advancement of the instrument by contacting a vertebra, and one or more implants may be placed into one or more facet joints. | 11-01-2012 |
20130123582 | TISSUE MONITORING SURGICAL RETRACTOR SYSTEM - An apparatus for monitoring the characteristics of tissue adjacent a surgical site and communicating that information to a health care provider includes a retractor, a sensor, and a processing system. The sensor is disposed on the retractor and is configured to measure a parameter indicative of at least one characteristic of the tissue adjacent the first or the second blade. The processing system is in communication with the sensor and configured and arranged to receive information from the sensor indicative of the measured parameter. It includes a threshold stored therein indicative of excessive trauma to the tissue and it is configured in a manner such that it compares the received information to the stored threshold and communicates information to the health care provider regarding the comparison. | 05-16-2013 |