Patent EP0646366A1 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0646366A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Spinal implant
Assignee: DePuy Spine LLC
•
Filing: 1994-10-04
•
Granted: —
•
Expires: 2014-10-04
Abstract
Abstract A spinal implant for use in distracting and maintaining spinal disc height while promoting fusion of adjacent vertebrae of a spinal column includes first and second side surfaces extending substantially parallel to each other. Upper and lower surfaces for engaging the adjacent vertebrae extend between the first and second side surfaces and extend from a first end portion to a second end portion of the spinal implant. The spinal implant includes recesses located in the first and second side surfaces for receiving an instrument to rotate the spinal implant. A method of fusing together the adjacent vertebrae using the spinal implant includes removing at least a portion of the spinal disc between the adjacent vertebrae. The spinal implant is inserted between the adjacent vertebrae with the first and second parallel side surfaces facing the adjacent vertebrae. The spinal implant is rotated into a position in which the parallel side surfaces extend from one of the adjacent vertebrae to the other adjacent vertebrae and the upper and lower surfaces engage the adjacent vertebrae.
Inventors
- 👤 Arthur D. Steffee
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 11:59
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61F; A61F2/00; A61F2/02; A61F2/30; A61F2/46; A61F2/4603; A61F2/4611; A61F2/44; A61B; A61B17/00; A61B17/56; A61B17/58; A61F2/4455; A61F2/447; A61B17/02; A61B17/025; A61B2017/0256; A61F2/442; A61F2/28; A61F2002/2835; A61F2002/30001; A61F2002/30108; A61F2002/3011; A61F2002/30138; A61F2002/30158; A61F2002/30199; A61F2002/30261; A61F2002/30316; A61F2002/30535; A61F2002/30593; A61F2/30767; A61F2/30771; A61F2002/30772; A61F2002/30784; A61F2002/30785; A61F2002/30904; A61F2002/448; A61F2002/4622; A61F2002/4625; A61F2002/4627; A61F2002/4628; A61F2230/00; A61F2230/0002; A61F2230/0017; A61F2230/0026; A61F2230/0063; A61F2230/0082
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 23
Claim 1
Independent Claim
90 words
A spinal implant for use in fusing together adjacent vertebrae of a spinal column comprising: first and second side surfaces extending substantially parallel to each other; upper and lower surface means for engaging the adjacent vertebrae extending between said first and second side surfaces; first and second end portions; and means for engaging a tool for rotating said spinal implant from a position in which said first and second side surfaces face the adjacent vertebrae to a position in which said upper and lower surface means engage the adjacent vertebrae.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
69 words
A spinal implant as set forth in claim 1 wherein said upper and lower surface means extend from said first end portion to said second end portion, said upper and lower surface means adjacent said first end portion being spaced apart by a first distance and said upper and lower surface means adjacent said second end portion being spaced apart by a second distance greater than the first distance.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
20 words
A spinal implant as set forth in claim 1 further including at least one opening extending through said spinal implant.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
23 words
A spinal implant as set forth in claim 3 wherein said opening extends from said upper surface means to said lower surface means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
23 words
A spinal implant as set forth in claim 3 wherein said opening extends from said first side surface to said second side surface.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
26 words
A spinal implant as set forth in claim 5 further including a plurality of openings extending from said first side surface to said second side surface.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
22 words
A spinal implant as set forth in claim 6 wherein said openings extend substantially perpendicular to said first and second side surfaces.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
24 words
A spinal implant as set forth in claim 5 further including an opening extending from said upper surface means to said lower surface means.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
37 words
A spinal implant as set forth in claim 8 wherein said opening extending from said upper surface means to said lower surface means intersects said opening extending from said first side surface to said second side surface.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
23 words
A spinal implant as set forth in claim 1 wherein said upper and lower surface means include teeth for engaging the adjacent vertebrae.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
22 words
A spinal implant as set forth in claim 10 wherein said teeth on said upper and lower surface means are triangular shaped.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
135 words
A spinal implant as set forth in claim 11 wherein each of said teeth includes a first surface facing toward said first end portion and a second surface extending from said first surface of said tooth and facing said second end portion, said first and second surfaces of said tooth intersecting each other to form an edge, said first surface extending at an acute angle to a plane containing an edge of said first surface opposite from said edge defined by the intersection of said first and second surfaces and containing an edge of said second surface opposite from said edge defined by the intersection of said first and second surfaces, said second surface extending at an acute angle to the plane equal to the acute angle that said first surface extends from said plane.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
19 words
A spinal implant as set forth in claim 12 wherein said first surface extends perpendicular to said second surface.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
41 words
A spinal implant as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means for engaging a tool for rotating said spinal implant comprises recesses in said first and second side surfaces for receiving the tool for grasping and rotating said spinal implant.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
33 words
A spinal implant as set forth in claim 2 wherein said means for engaging a tool for rotating said spinal implant comprises recesses located adjacent said first end portion of said spinal implant.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
122 words
A method of fusing together adjacent vertebrae of a spinal column comprising the steps of: removing at least a portion of the disc between the adjacent vertebrae; providing a spinal implant with first and second side surfaces substantially parallel to each other and upper and lower surface means extending between the first and second side surfaces; inserting the spinal implant between the adjacent vertebrae with the first and second substantially parallel side surfaces of the spinal implant facing the adjacent vertebrae; and rotating the spinal implant into a position in which the parallel side surfaces of the spinal implant extend from one of the adjacent vertebrae to the other adjacent vertebrae and the upper and lower surface means engage the adjacent vertebrae.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
57 words
A method as set forth in claim 16 further including providing the spinal implant with first and second end portions wherein the upper and lower surface means are spaced apart by a first distance adjacent the first end portion and are spaced apart by a second distance greater than the first distance adjacent the second end portion.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
71 words
A method as set forth in claim 17 wherein said step of inserting the spinal implant includes inserting the spinal implant from the posterior side of the spinal column into a position in which the first end portion of the spinal implant is located adjacent the posterior side of the spinal column and the second end portion of the spinal implant is located adjacent the anterior side of the spinal column.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
25 words
A method as set forth in claim 16 wherein said step of inserting the spinal implant includes inserting two spinal implants in a side-by-side relationship.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
28 words
A method as set forth in claim 16 further including the step of packing bone graft around the spinal implant after said step of rotating the spinal implant.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
30 words
A method as set forth in claim 16 further including the step of attaching an apparatus to the spinal column for maintaining a desired spatial relationship of the adjacent vertebrae.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
35 words
A method as set forth in claim 16 wherein said step of removing at least a portion of the spinal disc includes leaving an annulus of the disc around the peripheries of the adjacent vertebrae.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
25 words
A method as set forth in claim 16 further including the step of packing bone graft material into an opening extending through the spinal implant.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
Maintenance schedule is calculated for granted US utility patents.