Radially expanding interbody spinal fusion implants, instrumentation, and methods of insertion

Claim 1

An interbody spinal fusion implant for implantation from at least in part a posterior approach at least in part within and across the height of a disc space between two adjacent vertebral bodies of an adult human spine, said implant comprising: a body having a leading end for insertion first into the disc space, a trailing end opposite said leading end, a mid-longitudinal axis, and a length between said leading and trailing ends of said body, said body having a mid-point bisecting the length of said body, said body having an upper portion adapted to contact one of the adjacent vertebral bodies, a lower portion opposite said upper portion adapted to contact another one of the adjacent vertebral bodies, and at least one side portion between said upper and lower portions, each of said upper, lower, and side portions extending from said trailing end of said body and being spaced apart from one another to form a hollow interior therebetween, said hollow interior being configured to hold at least some bone growth promoting material therein, said upper and lower portions configured to permit for the growth of bone from adjacent vertebral body to adjacent vertebral body through said body of said implant, each of said upper, lower, and side portions configured to move at least in part in a direction away from the mid-longitudinal axis of the body allowing for expansion of the height and at least a portion of the width of said body, said upper, lower, and side portions having a collapsed position relative to one another allowing for a collapsed height and width of said body and an expanded position relative to one another allowing for an expanded height and width of said body, the expanded height and width of said body being greater than the collapsed height and width of said body, respectively; and an expander at least in part within said hollow interior, said expander configured to cooperatively engage an instrument adapted to be inserted through said trailing end of said body to engage and to move said expander from a position proximate said leading end when said body is in the collapsed position away from said leading end and toward said trailing end of said body to place said body in the expanded position, said expander adapted to contact and to move said upper, lower, and side portions away from the mid-longitudinal axis of said body, said upper, lower, and side portions of said body adapted to cooperatively engage said expander to locate said expander at a fixed position along the length of said body, said fixed position being closer to the mid-point of said implant than said leading end of said implant, said upper, lower, and side portions of said body adapted to resist dislodgment of said expander from that location when said implant is in the expanded position, said expander adapted to hold at least a portion of said upper, lower, and side portions apart so as to maintain the expanded height and width of said body and to resist the collapse of said body to the collapsed body height and width when said body is in the expanded position.

Claim 56

A system for use in spinal surgery, said system comprising: a spinal implant having upper and lower portions, and an expander for expanding the height and at least a portion of the width of said implant from a collapsed position to an expanded position; an inserter guide having a leading end and a trailing end, said leading end of said inserter guide being configured to cooperatively engage the trailing end of the implant, said inserter guide having a hollow interior forming a passage from said trailing end to said leading end through said inserter guide, said passage of said inserter guide having a maximum cross-sectional dimension transverse to a mid-longitudinal axis of said inserter guide that is adapted to be less than a maximum transverse cross-sectional dimension of said implant to which said inserter guide is configured to cooperatively engage; a post adapted to be inserted at least in part through the trailing end of the implant and into a hollow interior of the implant for moving the expander along at least a portion of the length of the implant between the upper and lower portions of the implant, said post having a leading end configured to cooperatively engage the expander and a trailing end adapted to be coupled to the implant and cooperatively engage an instrument for moving said post; and an inner shaft configured to be inserted at least in part within said passage of said inserter guide, said inner shaft having a leading end and a trailing end, said leading end of said inner shaft being configured to cooperatively engage the trailing end of said post, said inner shaft adapted to move said post so as to move the expander toward the trailing end of the implant to expand the height and at least a portion of the width of the implant.

Claim 57

A system for use in spinal surgery, said system comprising: a spinal implant having upper and lower portions, and an expander for expanding the height and at least a portion of the width of said implant from a collapsed position to an expanded position; an inserter guide having a leading end and a trailing end, said leading end of said inserter guide being configured to cooperatively engage the trailing end of the implant, said inserter guide having a hollow interior forming a passage from said trailing end to said leading end through said inserter guide, said passage of said inserter guide having a maximum cross-sectional dimension transverse to a mid-longitudinal axis of said inserter guide that is adapted to be less than a maximum transverse cross-sectional dimension of said implant to which said inserter guide is configured to cooperatively engage; a post adapted to be inserted at least in part through the trailing end of the implant and into a hollow interior of the implant for moving the expander along at least a portion of the length of the implant between the upper and lower portions of the implant, said post having a leading end configured to cooperatively engage the expander and a trailing end adapted to be coupled to the implant and cooperatively engage an instrument for moving said post; and an inner shaft configured to be inserted at least in part within said passage of said inserter guide, said inner shaft having a leading end and a trailing end, said leading end of said inner shaft being configured to cooperatively engage the trailing end of said post, said inner shaft adapted to move said post so as to move the expander toward the trailing end of the implant to expand the height and at least a portion of the width of the implant.

Claim 92

A method for inserting an interbody spinal fusion implant from at least in part a posterior approach at least in part within and across the height of a disc space between two adjacent vertebral bodies of an adult human spine, the method comprising the steps of: providing the spinal implant having a body with a leading end for insertion first into the disc space, a trailing end opposite the leading end, a mid-longitudinal axis, upper and lower portions, and at least one side portion, each of the upper, lower, and side portions extending from the trailing end of the body, a hollow interior between said upper and lower portions, and an expander for expanding the height and at least a portion of the width of the body; preparing an implantation space to receive the implant from a posterior approach to the spine; inserting the implant at least in part into the implantation space; and moving the expander from a position proximate one of the ends of the body toward another of the ends of the body along at least a portion of the length of the body of the implant to move the upper and lower portions, and side portion at only one side of the implant in a direction away from the mid-longitudinal axis of the body of the implant to expand the height and at least a portion of the width of the body of the implant.

Claim 93

A method for inserting an interbody spinal fusion implant from at least in part a posterior approach at least in part within and across the height of a disc space between two adjacent vertebral bodies of an adult human spine, the method comprising the steps of: providing the spinal implant having a body with a leading end for insertion first into the disc space, a trailing end opposite the leading end, a mid-longitudinal axis, upper and lower portions, and at least one side portion, each of the upper, lower, and side portions extending from the trailing end of the body, a hollow interior between said upper and lower portions, and an expander for expanding the height and at least a portion of the width of the body; preparing an implantation space to receive the implant from a posterior approach to the spine; inserting the implant at least in part into the implantation space; and moving the expander from a position proximate one of the ends of the body toward another of the ends of the body along at least a portion of the length of the body of the implant to move the upper and lower portions, and side portion at only one side of the implant in a direction away from the mid-longitudinal axis of the body of the implant to expand the height and at least a portion of the width of the body of the implant.