Surgery – Instruments – Orthopedic instrumentation
Patent
1995-01-16
1997-05-27
Buiz, Michael Powell
Surgery
Instruments
Orthopedic instrumentation
606 60, 606 72, A61B 1756
Patent
active
056327447
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
Applicant's invention relates to diseases and symptoms evidenced as deformities in the human skeletal systems.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The human spine is a system which consists of a succession of vertebral bodies which, in its normal state, extends within and defines a single sagittal plane. Ideally, there should be substantially no deviation in the frontal plane (perpendicular to the sagittal plane from a straight line. Within the sagittal plane, a certain degree of lumbar lordosis and thoracic kyphosis is normal and desirable. An excess degree of lumbar curvature is known as hyperlordosis, while an abnormally flat lumbar succession of vertebral bodies is known as hypolordosis. In like manner, hyperkyphosis (most commonly seen in Scheuermann's disease) is that condition evidenced by a greater-than-normal degree of curvature in the thoracic spine which gives a hump-back type appearance.
Scoliosis may be defined as lateral deviation and rotation of a series of vertebrae from the midline anatomic position of the normal spine axis. The deformity occurs in three planes--frontal, sagittal and transverse. Scoliosis, in its more severe embodiments, is a debilitating, if not deadly disease. With the progression of the curve, structural changes occur in the vertebrae and in the formation and contour of the rib cage. This, in turn, often threatens respiratory function and capacity. The curvature of the spine itself can pose danger to the spinal cord. Still further, the interrelationships between other thoracic and abdominal organs are changes and the normal function thereof is imperilled. Fully 80% of all scoliosis cases are idiopathic, i.e. the cause is cause unknown.
There is no present "cure" for scoliosis as such, but treatments of the symptoms have been known for some time--treatments with often-times questionable effectiveness, inherent intra-surgical danger to the patient, frequent patient discomfort and/or substantial inconvenience, and substantial likelihood of post-operative complication.
Non-surgical control of scoliosis (as distinguished from correction) is available. Such non-surgical treatments include physical therapy, biofeedback, electrical stimulation and orthosis (the Sayre cast, the Hibbs and Risser casts, the Milwaukee brace, the Boston brace and the Wilmington brace, for example). Reportedly, however, these non-surgical methods can collectively boast, at most, only a 70% success rate in arresting further progression of scoliosis in cases of proven curve progression in growing (relatively immature) spines. Many of these non-surgical methods are contraindicated in cases involving curvatures greater than a specific range (usually about 40 degrees), certain patients with physical infirmities in addition to the scoliosis, patients with certain remaining growth potential, and/or with patients who cannot be reasonably expected to rigorously follow a prescribed therapeutic regimen or to emotionally tolerate the limitations and appearances of the various braces.
Surgical intervention in the correction of scoliotic curvature presently involves spinal instrumentation and spinal fusion first pioneered by Hibbs, et al..sup.1 One without the other is generally viewed as ineffective under current convention. The over-all objective of the surgical intervention is to correct the scoliosis as much as is possible, and to restore compensation of the spine with a symmetrical trunk and with head, neck and shoulders centered over the pelvis; and to stabilize the spine and prevent curve progression. The objective of the spinal instrumentation portion of surgical treatment of scoliosis is to immediately correct curvature to the degree possible and to immobilize the spine in the corrected orientation until a solid fusion has taken place. by the fusion operation." J. Bone Joint Surg., 6:3, 1924.
Problems abound with currently available spinal instrumentation. Some instrumentation occupies space needed for the bone graft placed over the posterior spine. Also, the attachment means used for s
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Buiz Michael Powell
Henry David G.
Leonardo Mark S.
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