System for repairing inter-vertebral discs

Claim 1

A method of repairing a defect in an annulus fibrosus of an intervertebral disc, without excising the entire nucleus pulposus of the disc, comprising: filling at least a portion of a defect in said annulus fibrosus with an in situ curable, bio-compatible polymerizable or polymeric material composition; contacting at least a portion of said annulus fibrosus surrounding said defect with said curable composition; and curing said material in situ; thereby binding said cured material to at least a portion of said annulus fibrosus in an amount and over an area that is sufficient to at least impede exuding or extruding of nucleus pulposus material from said disc through said defect.

Claim 2

A method of repairing a defect in an annulus fibrosus of an intervertebral disc, without excising the entire nucleus pulposus of the disc, comprising: filling at least a portion of a defect in said annulus fibrosus with an in situ curable, bio-compatible polymerizable or polymeric material composition; contacting at least a portion of said annulus fibrosus surrounding said defect with said curable composition; and curing said material in situ; thereby binding said cured material to at least a portion of said annulus fibrosus in an amount and over an area that is sufficient to at least impede exuding or extruding of nucleus pulposus material from said disc through said defect.

Claim 21

A method of repairing an intervertebral disc, having a damaged annulus fibrosus and a damaged nucleus pulposus, comprising: adding artificial nucleus pulposus material that has physical properties that are substantially similar to the physical properties of the remaining natural nucleus pulposus material in a quantity sufficient to produce a composite of nucleus pulposus material and said artificial “nucleus pulposus” material of a volume that is substantially the same as the volume of nucleus pulposus material that would have been in the intervertebral disc had the disc been in an undamaged condition; adding an in situ curable polymerizable or polymeric sealant material, that is not the same material as said artificial nucleus pulposus material, and that, in a cured state, is bio-compatible with said damaged annulus fibrosus, into the damaged area of said annulus fibrosus in a quantity and in an area sufficient to, in combination with remaining annulus fibrosus material, laterally substantially surrounds said nucleus pulposus composition; in situ curing said sealant material to an extent sufficient to repair damage to said annulus fibrosus and to an extent sufficient to prevent extrusion and exudation of a substantial portion of said composite nucleus pulposus through said damage; and maintaining said cured sealant in effective contact with said annulus fibrosus for a time sufficient to cause said composite nucleus pulposus and said to annulus fibrosus to form an effective intervertebral disc.

Claim 22

A method of repairing an intervertebral disc, having a damaged annulus fibrosus and a damaged nucleus pulposus, comprising: adding artificial nucleus pulposus material that has physical properties that are substantially similar to the physical properties of the remaining natural nucleus pulposus material in a quantity sufficient to produce a composite of nucleus pulposus material and said artificial “nucleus pulposus” material of a volume that is substantially the same as the volume of nucleus pulposus material that would have been in the intervertebral disc had the disc been in an undamaged condition; adding an in situ curable polymerizable or polymeric sealant material, that is not the same material as said artificial nucleus pulposus material, and that, in a cured state, is bio-compatible with said damaged annulus fibrosus, into the damaged area of said annulus fibrosus in a quantity and in an area sufficient to, in combination with remaining annulus fibrosus material, laterally substantially surrounds said nucleus pulposus composition; in situ curing said sealant material to an extent sufficient to repair damage to said annulus fibrosus and to an extent sufficient to prevent extrusion and exudation of a substantial portion of said composite nucleus pulposus through said damage; and maintaining said cured sealant in effective contact with said annulus fibrosus for a time sufficient to cause said composite nucleus pulposus and said to annulus fibrosus to form an effective intervertebral disc.

Claim 24

A method of repairing a disc disposed in an intervertebral volume, wherein said disc has a damaged annulus fibrosus and a reduced quantity of nucleus pulposus material as compared to the amount of natural nucleus pulposus material normally present in said intervertebral disc volume, comprising: adding artificial nucleus pulposus material to any remaining natural nucleus pulposus material in a quantity sufficient to produce a composite of nucleus pulposus materials of a volume that is substantially the same as the volume of nucleus pulposus material that would have been in said intervertebral disc volume if said annulus fibrosus was in an undamaged condition; adding an at least partially cured polymerizable or polymeric sealant material, that is different from said artificial nucleus pulposus material, and that is bio-compatible with said damaged annulus fibrosus, into the damaged area of said annulus fibrosis in a quantity and in an area sufficient to, together with remaining natural annulus fibrosus material laterally substantially surround said nucleus pulposus composition; and maintaining said cured sealant in effective contact with the remnants of said annulus fibrosus material for a time sufficient to cause said composite nucleus pulposus and said composite annulus fibrosus to form an effective intervertebral disc.

Claim 25

A method of repairing a disc disposed in an intervertebral volume, wherein said disc has a damaged annulus fibrosus and a reduced quantity of nucleus pulposus material as compared to the amount of natural nucleus pulposus material normally present in said intervertebral disc volume, comprising: adding artificial nucleus pulposus material to any remaining natural nucleus pulposus material in a quantity sufficient to produce a composite of nucleus pulposus materials of a volume that is substantially the same as the volume of nucleus pulposus material that would have been in said intervertebral disc volume if said annulus fibrosus was in an undamaged condition; adding an at least partially cured polymerizable or polymeric sealant material, that is different from said artificial nucleus pulposus material, and that is bio-compatible with said damaged annulus fibrosus, into the damaged area of said annulus fibrosis in a quantity and in an area sufficient to, together with remaining natural annulus fibrosus material laterally substantially surround said nucleus pulposus composition; and maintaining said cured sealant in effective contact with the remnants of said annulus fibrosus material for a time sufficient to cause said composite nucleus pulposus and said composite annulus fibrosus to form an effective intervertebral disc.

Claim 26

A method of repairing a disc disposed in an intervertebral volume, wherein said disc has a damaged annulus fibrosus and a reduced quantity of nucleus pulposus material as compared to the amount of natural nucleus pulposus material normally present in said intervertebral volume, comprising: adding artificial nucleus pulposus material to remaining natural nucleus pulposus material in a quantity sufficient to produce a composite of nucleus pulposus material of a volume that is substantially the same as the volume of the nucleus pulposus in said intervertebral volume in an undamaged condition; adding an at least partially cured polymerizable or polymeric sealant material, that is bio-compatible with said damaged annulus fibrosus, into the damaged area of said annulus fibrosus in a quantity and in an area sufficient to laterally substantially surround said nucleus pulposus composition; and maintaining said cured sealant in effective contact with said annulus fibrosus for a time sufficient to cause said composite nucleus pulposus and said annulus fibrosus to form an effective intervertebral disc.

Claim 27

A method of repairing a disc disposed in an intervertebral volume, wherein said disc has a damaged annulus fibrosus and a reduced quantity of nucleus pulposus material as compared to the amount of natural nucleus pulposus material normally present in said intervertebral volume, comprising: adding artificial nucleus pulposus material to remaining natural nucleus pulposus material in a quantity sufficient to produce a composite of nucleus pulposus material of a volume that is substantially the same as the volume of the nucleus pulposus in said intervertebral volume in an undamaged condition; adding an at least partially cured polymerizable or polymeric sealant material, that is bio-compatible with said damaged annulus fibrosus, into the damaged area of said annulus fibrosus in a quantity and in an area sufficient to laterally substantially surround said nucleus pulposus composition; and maintaining said cured sealant in effective contact with said annulus fibrosus for a time sufficient to cause said composite nucleus pulposus and said annulus fibrosus to form an effective intervertebral disc.

Claim 28

A method of repairing a defect in an annulus fibrosus of an intervertebral disc, without removing substantially all of the nucleus pulposus in said disc, comprising: admixing a curable bio-compatible material with a curing agent therefore; substantially immediately after said admixing, initiating curing of said material; filling at least a portion of a defect in said annulus fibrosus with a composition comprising said curing material; contacting at least a portion of said annulus fibrosus surrounding said defect with said curing composition; and completing the curing of said material in situ; thereby binding said cured material to at least a portion of said annulus fibrosus in an amount and over an area that is sufficient to at least impede exuding or extruding of nucleus pulposus material from said disc through said defect.

Claim 29

A method of repairing a defect in an annulus fibrosus of an intervertebral disc, without removing substantially all of the nucleus pulposus in said disc, comprising: admixing a curable bio-compatible material with a curing agent therefore; substantially immediately after said admixing, initiating curing of said material; filling at least a portion of a defect in said annulus fibrosus with a composition comprising said curing material; contacting at least a portion of said annulus fibrosus surrounding said defect with said curing composition; and completing the curing of said material in situ; thereby binding said cured material to at least a portion of said annulus fibrosus in an amount and over an area that is sufficient to at least impede exuding or extruding of nucleus pulposus material from said disc through said defect.

Claim 30

A method of repairing a defect in an annulus fibrosus of an intervertebral disc, without removing all of the nucleus pulposus remaining in said disc, comprising: admixing a curable bio-compatible material with a curing agent therefore; substantially immediately after said admixing, initiating and completing curing of said material into a visco-elastic substantially solid material; substantially immediately after said curing is completed, filling at least a portion of a defect in said annulus fibrosus with a composition comprising said cured material; and contacting at least a portion of said annulus fibrosus surrounding said defect with said cured composition; and thereby binding said cured material to at least a portion of said annulus fibrosus in an amount and over an area that is sufficient to at least impede exuding or extruding of nucleus pulposus material from said disc through said defect.

Claim 31

A method of repairing a defect in an annulus fibrosus of an intervertebral disc, without removing all of the nucleus pulposus remaining in said disc, comprising: admixing a curable bio-compatible material with a curing agent therefore; substantially immediately after said admixing, initiating and completing curing of said material into a visco-elastic substantially solid material; substantially immediately after said curing is completed, filling at least a portion of a defect in said annulus fibrosus with a composition comprising said cured material; and contacting at least a portion of said annulus fibrosus surrounding said defect with said cured composition; and thereby binding said cured material to at least a portion of said annulus fibrosus in an amount and over an area that is sufficient to at least impede exuding or extruding of nucleus pulposus material from said disc through said defect.